bon ap'

such a shame i'm not going back to this restaurant anymore. i started visiting it with my partner two years ago, and whenever we felt like a treat, we would be so excited to go to this one. they have great food! but, i just had a terrible experience this time. i hate hate to say, i suspect it's because of my look. careful with your staff. if they think they can rudely and deadly stare at your asian female customers and raise their voice and only be so friendly to the others, then it says something about you, no? and don't contact me; i'm not going to delete this comment! i swear if i knew french and recognized your staff's last rumbling with an evil stare as swearing, i'm going to go legal!

as french as it should be when it comes to food.

as authentic as it can be ... venue, food, drinks and service.

there are lots of quirky "rustic" original designs within the building; bolts, nuts, steel staircase, nook, etc. etc. keep your eyes wondering ... but that's not why we are here ... french food ... latte was ordinary, but their sweets are way above average, as french as it should be when it comes to food.

anyway, we must explore more ... jt-may 2019.

love the food here and super cute courtyard out the back. however the staff are the most unfriendly and rude bunch i have ever come across. i went a few times and thought it was just the lady with the dark hair (i assumed she was a manager) but since returning several times i have come to find it is all staff. they are incredibly rude and unfriendly and seem to hate their jobs. seems every time i have been (upwards of 6 times) there they have been more interested in chatting with each other and other french speaking friends sitting at the bar. so disappointing because as i said the food is great.

had lunch in the little courtyard and it was really nice.
had a steak tartare and it was really really good and the croque madam was nice too.

best example that simple done well beats any hipster joint. not only is the ambience absolutely wonderful, the food is truly excellent. the chicken caesar salad was hands down one of the best salads i've ever had. the chicken was cooked to perfection and there was just the right amount of dressing. i don't normally like shoestring fries, but these guys do them so well i'd come back just for the fries! everyone's food looked amazing so i'll definitely be back! it's the only place in melbourne that actually knows how to properly season food. they have great wines, too, as well as regular fun events like beer and cheese pairings. wonderful experience.

aug' 16 update: gave 4.5 last time because i thought it was a great experience with great service. went back again and it was still good, but not às good. we were served by a french gentleman who was very charming. it was busy and 'gezellig'  inside (sorry for the dutch word, but english doesn't seem to have a word with the same meaning!). the menu had changed so there were a lot of new options. we had a croquette, which has cheese inside and wasn't great. then we had a special charcuterie of pork neck, the meat was nice. we had sardines with spinach, pinenuts & romesco sauce and ratatouille & goat cheese “tartine”. both were nice. as mains/larger plates we had poulet normand and boeuf bourguignon. the chicken was nice, the beef i didn't we didn't like that much. the portions are good. we were pretty full but went for a tarte tatin anyway. i can't remember how it was different last time, but i didn't find it very good this time. too sweet. all and all still a great place, but i did change the score to a 4 which i find better suitable now.
june'16: fairly new spot on brunswick street. went here for dinner on a tuesday with my boyfriend and one other friend. it was fairly busy, but it was no problem to get a table. the colombian waitress was lovely and the boys loved looking at her and listening to her explaining the menu. it is comfortable and cosy inside.we took a carafe of wine which was easy drinking (don't know which wine it was). we had the croquettes of the day, which were cauliflower and delicious. then we should have gotten the beef cheek marmelade tartine, but we never got it and only realised after we left :( we did get a selection of 3 charcuteries; salami, cured ham and duck confit. for mains we shared the coq au vin and the snapper en croute. we had fries and haricot verts as sides. all the food was beautiful. i didn't really like the 'croute' on the snapper, but the fish was beautifully cooked. we shared a delicious tarte tatin to finish off.total cost was $166. not bad considering the amount of food and wine we had for that. all and all the food was beautiful and we will be back!

i love this place! my mom and i have been twice and it does not disappoint. only place i know of where you can get mulled wine. the mains excellent - rich, saucy, meat that falls off the bone. the ratatouille is served with goat curd and toasted bread and is to die for. also they have a sandwich which has salsa verde, marinated capsicum, goat cheese, and some sort of green leafy veg (can't remember, probably rocket) which i have since been replicating for lunches. this restaurant is only a year old, and i hope they get tons of business because i never want them to close down! also a plus: the atmosphere is dreamy and cozy. go here - you will have a lovely time.

came for a dinner on a whim and was not disappointed. service was excellent and so was the food.
such great value at $65 pp for 3 courses

had dinner here recently. food wasn't great and it wasn't bad. standout dishes were the ratatoulie and escargot which were both delicious! octopus was dry. oyesters were tiny. the salmon special was ok but i've had tastier salmon. ask to sit inside when booking or they'll put you in the courtyard.

lovely closed courtyard, don’t have to worry the weather, totally indoors with the heating.
good deal for chef’s menu. does have 11/2 hour limit, however still enough for small family gatherings.
food are good, presentation well, would be nice to have a bit more hot for asian stomach.
overall are good.

this ones a bit hard to rate. i loved all the entrees ie foie gras pate, rillettes, baguette and the escargot. however the mains and the dessert were just meh. especially the fish was over cooked. i would go back but it will just be for the entrees and snacks. service here was pretty good

⭐️ 4.5/5 stars

🍓 food - the food at bon ap’ was absolutely divine. every single dish did not disappoint. some special highlights included the pork cheeks (special of the day), steak tartare, fish of the day and the creme brulee.

the menu there was set menu ($45 for two courses of $60 for 3 courses). we had 5 people dining and got 4 x two courses and 1 x three course and left absolutely full and stuffed.

🍇 service - the service there was great. in particular, there was a lovely french girl who served us. she was warm and friendly and constantly made sure we were looked after.

🍉 ambience - the place felt very authentic, the bar area was super nice. would definitely return again.

i love this restaurant, decent prices for amazing food. i’m not a big fan of the betrothed egg but other than that everything was amazing

thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon here, the gnocchi (soft and fluffy) was the best i've ever had in my life! three courses for $65 is fabulous value. well done to the chef who wowed the table with his skill. the waiter with the accent was exceptional and the ambiance gave a solid nod to eateries in france... the only thing missing were the wicker chairs! just lovely!

very traditional french bistro. feels like you’re in paris. lovely staff and good value food. steak frites was a highlight.