Bronte Road Bistro

LOCATION
Located in Waverley.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
Finally. Bronte Road Bistro is just what the gourmet doctor ordered for Waverley’s otherwise blandish main drag. This gorgeous little venue takes up residence in the only green patch in this neck of the woods, revealing a slice of France in the midst of Charing Cross. Upon first inspection, the facade has a rustic Australian appearance. And yet, as you wander through the entrance, which opens up into a small lounge area equipped with fireplace and bar, you’ll notice the restaurant is embellished with simplistic class and a European edge. Banquettes, furnished with plump cushions, line one side of the dining area, which is dressed up with snippets of wrought iron and Francophile paraphernalia. Cane tables wrap around the outside of the building, perfect for housing guests on those balmy nights. But inside, a sloped corrugated roof covers the cosy, window-bound dining room where guests sit merrily quaffing selections from the wine catalogue.

A beautiful Argentinean Malbec sits snugly among some seriously good Australian and European drops but the food menu is full of Frenchy goodness. Chicken liver parfait is smooth and delicious when spread amply over sourdough toast and followed with a zesty cornichon. The duck rillettes is another tasty entree, as is the eel with apple and watercress salad. Olive-crusted jew fish with cavelo nero and tomato puree is a hit from the specials menu, however, it’s hard to go past the Parisian staple, roasted duck. This area was begging for a good restaurant and thankfully, this one is a corker.

Annabel Wise