LOCATIONIn the northern end of Burnside Village, opposite the Trak Cinema on Greenhill Road.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAThe menu is a fanfare of all the fabulous dishes that waft fondly into mind when talking about classic French cookery. Think onion soup, entrecote steak with Bearnaise sauce, creme caramel and – of course – escargots. Here the little gastropods are presented to gastronomes after a slide around the pan with garlic, mushrooms, shallots and herbs. The duck liver pate is house-made as are the delightful tarts and pastries available from breakfast time onward – perfect with coffee while having a break from browsing the surrounding shops of Burnside Village. Many a matriarch of this elegant eastern suburb has rested her well-heeled feet under the tables of this chic eatery – ladies who lunch lap Bistro France up the way they would no doubt love to lap up the last drops of their duck a l’orange sauce. And you couldn’t blame them if they did – the rich citrus warmth of the Grand Marnier glaze is a highpoint of the iconic dish.
Like duck and orange, pork and prunes partner well. Chef Andrew Elliott also stuffs his piggy fillets with pine nuts before sousing them with port. Speaking of wine, drops on the list include Billecarte-salmon bubbles and several French labels, among a South Australian-focused bunch. Those who salute the souffle can do so with one that is double baked and ballooning with three types of cheese. Or you can enjoy the flame – and flamboyance – of crepe suzettes in a dining room filled with belle-epoque prints, Absinthe posters and long-handled French copper pans. Suffice to say Bistro France is brought to us by the stalwarts of the French dining scene in Adelaide, chef Jacques Naudin and his wife Christine, who have now closed the doors of their legendary La Guillotine.
Roz Taylor