PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIALina’s looks like everyone’s dream Parisian bistro. It’s small, friendly and very cute with an elegant marble-topped bar. The room is dominated by a wonderful portrait by the painter Lina Bryans, which is why the place is called Lina’s. There’s more: a sweet courtyard with its own tables and even a space for petanque (the French version of bowls). And still more: Lina’s is also a bottle shop, so it’s worth browsing the racks before you leave.
The food is classic French bistro, with a few twists. It’s not a long menu, but the choices are good, and it changes seasonally. The entrees double as a bar menu, so you can start at the bar with some olives or deliciously crisp semolina-crusted whitebait with balsamic aioli, and then move to a table for some French-style steamed mussels, or perhaps ricotta and herb gnocchi. On Monday nights, there’s a good option of two courses and a glass of wine for $30, and on weekends there’s steak and frites for $18. Add some vegetables or a salad, and a dessert of cheese, and you’re laughing.
Rita Erlich, December 2007
