PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAPierre’s had been feeding and coffeeing Launcestonians for 51 years before it was sold in 2007. It had the city’s first espresso machine and had obviously been a leader of the city’s culinary scene at one stage of its life. Fifty years on, it was, well, just 50 years older. Now it’s been transformed into an ultra-stylish bistro with striking red and black decor, comfortable banquettes, a beautiful service bar under a massive skylight, a floor-to-ceiling display of vintage French wines and a delightful enclosed space at the back which is perfect for an alfresco drink or nibble under some leafy birches.
The food too has been transformed under chef Mathew Adams – French onion soup, steak tartare, rillettes, croquet Monsieur, la soupe au pistou, duck liver parfait, escargot with garlic, entrecote with Cafe de Paris butter, profiteroles and crepe Suzette. This is quintessential French fare, older, if you like, than the former Pierre’s first menu. But such classics are timeless and it’s the sort of uncomplicated, comforting, bistro-style food that has been missing in Tasmania for too long. There’s an excellent wine list with (something rarely seen today) a good selection of halves and magnums including an almost irresistible top-flight few from Bordeaux.
Graeme Phillips, March 2009