bistro gitan

we visited bistro gitan having previously dined at the slightly more casual cousin l’hotel gitan and consequently found the original surprisingly not as impressive. the menu is largely the same but slightly more expensive and the clientele is a couple of decades older. i personally enjoyed the atmosphere at hotel g more and the selection of accompanying steak sauce yummier.

not to say the steak isn’t delicious here too but i actually found the desserts the tastiest course of the evening. we had the creme brulee and a chocolate caramel creation which was super decadent with lots of delectable textures and flavours.

note if you’re a vegetarian i’d suggest picking another restaurant as there is not one veggie main available and i even struggled with finding an entree being pregnant, the only thing i could have was pumpkin gnocchi which i would not have typically ordered

quaint little spot, romantic and cozy vibes. felt like a little escape away from the hustle and bustle of the city. it was raining when we went and that helped add to the warm coziness of the venue. oysters were on point, delicious steak and fries. seemed like a local favourite.

i honestly refuse to believe that anyone would write a bad review of bistro gitan. the staff are warm & friendly, the food is absolutely delicious and the atmosphere is wonderful. easily in my top favourite spots in melbourne.


-----25 may, 2012-----

a fantastic dining experience!. i would gladly come back here again and again. went with 5 people and tried all different menu items and everything was superb. i had the escargots, home town hapuka, pear tart and left there incredibly content. wine selection was excellent, many great liqueurs available and the coffee was perfect. service was amazing and atmosphere was very warm and friendly whilst being quite a fancy dining experience. would happily recommend to a french food lover. you will not be disappointed!!

poor service. food and general setting good but the waiter slopped coffee in the saucer, knew he had done it but did not return with anything to assist with the slop. just a general lack of charm and care from staff made it anything but french, however the food was good. not sure, given the wealth of great restaurants in the area i would return.

great customer service but not surprising foods. beautiful relaxing atmosphere at night is the highlight. the first champagne on the list was beautiful !

simple tasty french food and clearly a neighbourhood darling.

dined here for the first time yesterday and was instantly taken by the cosy atmosphere ... which got cosier as the night went. great casual bar at one end of establishment with an open view to dining area which brought both experiences together. doesn't matter whether you are eating or just in for a drink it's all very comfortable. service was excellent on a very busy tuesday night. my swimmer crab croquettes were light, tasty and a great starter. she who pays the bills enjoyed an asparagus and blue cheese concoction which i snuck a few pieces of as she gazed around the room. both had the rockling special with tempura vegesfor main and again this was just perfect. will definitely head back here in a hurry. tres bien!!

went here for my birthday celebration and couldn't have asked for a better night. the wait staff were amongst the best i've ever experienced! we ordered extensively from the menu, the pate was a stand out. it was nice to see the spatchcock cooked correctly, still pink, the way it should be. perfect!

a 'memorable' night. the evening commenced with the waitress assessing our table of four as consisting of village idiots. when the unpalatably salty fresh oysters were returned we were told the cheff thought that they were fine. we are not sure why we were told this. the spatchcock was served undercooked, and left unfinished as we were too intimidated by the waitress to complain, and also because we were, in any case, still trying to preserve the vestiges of a pleasant evening. we were charged an extra $3.50 for a single oyster which had been eaten from the returned half dozen, until we complained. a mean spirited attitude. when they threw the bill on the table, the evening was sealed. if you enjoy very ordinary meals served with more than a dash of arrogance, this is the place for you. we did retrieve something of the evening when standing outside, a staff member approached us to further deal with our complaints to receive a firm but civil response from the victim of the raw spatchcock, who now outside the lion's den and recharged by the bracing air advised, amongst a nicely reasoned set of propositions: "we are not village idiots ... we're professionals, you know". which had little do with the meal, the service or much else, but gave us a good laugh.

another delicious experience. i ate at bistro gitan last week for lunch and, once again (this was my fourth or fifth time there) was so impressed and satisfied with all aspects of the experience. young, friendly and enthusiastic staff, the perfect piece of steak with chippies (and wonderful wine to match) and a selection of desserts that i am still dreaming about (calorie central but once you taste them you won't even care!). also, food and wine is very well priced, which means receiving the bill isn't a scary thought. will be back...again!

the restaurant setting was intimate which i really appreciated. we weren’t given a drinks menu which was confusing at the beginning when we were asked what drinks we would like. the zucchini flower entree was exquisite and really set a high standard for the night. however i feel like bistro gitan were just short of our expectations. the steak tartare was pleasant but i feel like it lacked a little flavour. the charcuterie board was unexpectedly disappointing - the meat just did not taste good. the spatchcock tasted quite lovely and we had no complaints. the rockling was dry and i was not the biggest fan of the sauce. the wine was really lovely otherwise. overall i feel as though i would not come back again because i feel like the quality of the food was subpar and could be slightly improved

lovely lunch. i recently popped in to bistro gitan in south yarra and was rewarded with the most delightful lunch. the staff were so welcoming and inviting (and good looking!). i had the menu du jour that comprised a crispy quail salad (salade belge) with spicy lentil soup for just $23. it was all so delicious, i even indulged in a coffee creme brûlée for dessert. i have since bought friends back and it is all our new favourite restaurant.

lazy friday lunch. returned for a relaxed friday lunch after an absence of maybe 6 months. very enjoyable, service was good-v.good, most dishes were fine, some excellent. saw the other comments about slow service but cant say we noticed a problem but then we weren't in a hurry.

white bait "small" plate was almost perfect, very simple, well cooked, lovely aioli. my baked aubergine was yummy.

the rolled flounder with prawn farci looked beautiful and was delicious according to those of us who had it. my lamb rump was tasty, just right at medium rare but i have to confess not over exciting but maybe i shouldnt have picked it and gone for something like the poussin...

the baked hapuka got the thumbs up although there was a one-sided debate that it didn't look baked, more poached - whatever.

wine list is about right size and has some good choices (and a v.good selection by the glass or carafe), although markups just edging in to ott territory. we had a 2009 chateuaneuf which was delicious.

apple beignette(?) was yummy but we shared between 4 - cant imagine one person eating a whole serve!

coffee was good.

menu probably needs a few changes - specials obviously supplement it but it's pretty much the same as when it opened.

pâté is to die for :). good food and service. nice and reliable.

my partner and i absolutely love bistro gitan- the service is always fantastic, the food is excellent and the atmosphere is great. cannot recommend paying them a visit strongly enough!