Bistro Gentil

Just minutes from town, our bistro is a serene spot to unwind, with sweeping lake views and sunsets worth savoring.

“Enjoy timeless favourites from our À La Carte menu, from French Onion Soup and Beef Tartare to our signature Crème Brûlée.”

Pair your evening with a visit to the Maude Tasting Room earlier in the day, and don’t forget to reserve your table for dinner. 

Bienvenue au Bistro Gentil

Appetisers:

• Oyster, mignonette/8 ea
• Manuka smoked olives/8
• Rosemary ciabatta and butter/9
• Mushroom croquette, aioli/6 ea
• Salt cod croquette, preserved lemon mayonnaise/7 ea
• Chicken liver parfait cigar, quince paste, ash/8 ea
• French onion soup, gruyere crouton/16 small/23 large
• Earth board, selection of 3 cheeses, house chutney, walnut, croutons, ciabatta/36

Entrées:

• Wagyu beef oyster blade (MBS-4-6), parsnip, truffle, garlic harissa dressing, crispy kale/25
• Seared swordfish, ginger ponzu, pickled mandarin, wasabi mayo, nori tapioca cracker/26
• Baked goats cheese, walnut crumb, marsala mayonnaise, roasted parsnip, peach chutney/24

Principals:

• 250g Peppered ribeye, creamy mash potatoes, black garlic jus/57
• Market fish, prawns, lemon cream, spinach, herb oil, almonds/48
• Red Tussocks venison striploin, celeriac purée, red cabbage, sundried tomatoes, sunflower seeds/52
• Pressed Lumina lamb leg, pumpkin and kumara puree, yams, curry oil, crispy shallots/51
• Salt-baked beetroot, whipped ricotta, smoked beetroot purée, aji verde, puffed rice/42
• 200g Angus reserve beef fillet, red onion relish, potato dauphines, dijon dressing, onion caramel/65

Accompagnements:

• Bistro’s signature truffle fries/15
• Creamy mash potatoes, chips/16
• Roasted fried brussel sprouts, medlar dressing, hazelnuts, aioli/16
• Steamed brocoli, café de paris butter, pumpkins seeds/16

Trust The Chef:

• 4 courses/65
• 5 courses/75

Desserts:

• Mini Bistro dessert /8
• Vanilla crème brûlée, peanut crumb, berry sorbet/20
• Fig cheesecake, poached pear and syrup, biscoff crumb/19
• Rum baba, praliné mousse, poached pear, salted caramel ice cream/20
• Tiramisu parfait, mascarpone and amaretto espuma, savoyardi, cacao/20
• Dame Blanche, vanilla ice cream, hot chocolate ganache, nuts/18
• Selection of house-made ice cream and sorbet/17
• Affogato, vanilla ice cream, espresso, liqueur of choice /24

Bon appétit !

To make a reservation, simply complete the form below, a credit card registration will be required to confirm your booking. No charge will be made to the card at this stage. In the case of ‘no show’ a $50 fee will be charged to the card. Please refer to our booking policy below. 

For private hire, large groups and special requests email bistrogentilwanaka@gmail.com.

For parties larger than 9 people, we offer a 3 course set menu so we can deliver the best service. Please email us for more details.

If you are unable to make a reservation online call us on 03 443 2299 as we may still have availability.

BOOKING POLICY
Please note that the cancellation must be requested 24 hours prior to the reservation time otherwise cancellation charges may apply. When booking we request credit card details via the secure Stripe payment platform in order to confirm the booking.

Bistro Gentil reserves the right to charge a cancellation fee of $50 per head when one of the following conditions has been met:
1. Booking is cancelled with less than 24 hours notice.
2. Guests do not show up for the reservation (bookings will be considered no-show after 30 minutes)
3. Party size is less than the original booking by 2 or more guests without notice.
The cancellation fee will be deducted from the registered card on file and the person responsible for the booking will be notified by email.

A request from us:

If you are unable to honour your reservation or would like to make any changes, please let us know as soon as possible. It is important that we reallocate seats to our waiting list during busy times.

We are a small restaurant, so the amount of staff on in an evening is based on our bookings. We will love you for it!

Merci!