PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAThe street frontage of Chez Olivier is pretty narrow, so keep your eyes open as you walk along Greville Street. But most people here are regulars, and could probably find their way to Chez Olivier if they were blind-folded. It’s a place that inspires affection. It’s tiny, with its front room dominated by a bar, and another dining room that has the summer advantage of air-conditioning. There’s even a tiny courtyard. The front room has a pressed-metal ceiling and dadoes, and the overwhelming feeling is that you’ve stepped into a bistro in a French provincial city; think warm colours, bare timber floors, no cloths on the small tables and everyone chattering away.
The menu is straightforward French bistro, with few surprises. The charcuterie platter is a good way to start, or, in cold weather, the onion soup. There’s also a kind of hors d’oeuvres or tasting platter (with a vegetarian option available). Main courses offer a range of steaks of various cuts and sizes, served with frites and salad. Or there’s coq au vin, chicken pieces cooked in red wine, served with potato puree. The Frozzie duck (French and Oz, get it?) is twice-cooked, with a clear ginger sauce and served with bok choy. At lunch, there are two fixed-price menus ($23 or $29 for two courses). The wine list is smallish, with some nice things by the glass, and includes a number of French wines, of course. There is also a related food store, L’Epicerie, at 256 Glen Eira Rd, Elsternwick.
Rita Erlich, February 2008
