Les Bistronomes recently move from Braddon into the Campbell shops. There are secluded seating areas which can be made more private by drawing the curtains closed. The French bistro seems to fit in seamlessly into the space vacated by the Lanterne Rooms, simply requiring a few French paintings and decor.
As there were 4 of us for dinner, we decided on the $84 banquet (minimum 4 people) and because I wanted to try the ash-crusted duck a l’orange. The banquet includes a few starters, two mains and a dessert to share. We were advised by our waitress that as there was plenty of Beef Wellington available that day, we could substitute the beef chateaubriand main with the Beef Wellington and we were all happy to do so. Les Bistronome’s Beef Wellington has been on my list of things to eat for a while now.
The other three ordered house made lemonade ($6) which came in a range of flavours such as strawberry, rose and coconut (there’s more but I’ve forgotten). After the drinks arrived, I ended up getting FOMO and ordered a strawberry flavoured one too. Mine ended up being quite strong and was a darker shade of pink, almost like cordial.
Warm house made bread was served along with some sun-dried tomato butter, and the goat’s cheese boursin on sun-dried tomato crackers arrived shortly after.
The charcuterie platter had a good selection of cured meats, salami, pork rillette and breads.
The duck liver parfait with sour cherry came served on pieces of brioche. A very generous portion of parfait had been placed on each brioche, but I was wishing for a larger piece of brioche to cover it with.
The ash-crusted duck a l’orange was presented to us at the table. The dish looked heavy and we felt a little bad for the poor girl that had to hold it up for us to take photos. I love the intricacy of the casing! This was taken back to the kitchen to smash open.
The duck was soft and came with pickled red cabbage and was swimming in sauce – there was so much of it (not that I’m complaining). It was absolutely divine. I will definitely order this dish again.
The Beef Wellington’s outer pastry shell looked beautiful and came with a small jug of gravy. My friend also ordered a side of fries which worked perfectly.
The beef was so succulent and tender in a beautiful shade of pink. It’s not particularly big, especially after cutting it into fours. However, this is another dish that I’d happily order again.
Dessert was a caramelised traditional apple tart tatin which I’ve always wanted to try at Les Bistronomes. It still had some flakey layers and lots of sauce on top. My only complaint is that the single scoop of ice cream on top isn’t enough to share between four. My friend asked if we could have a second scoop, and our waitress kindly obliged.
I highly recommend the duck a l’orange, Beef Wellington and tart tatin. The atmosphere is lovely, service is friendly and quick, and we weren’t rushed throughout the night.
If you want a better deal, Les Bistronomes offers a 5-course degustation for $55 per person on Saturday’s for lunch only. Best to book!
Les Bistronomes
18 Blamey Place, Campbell shops, Canberra
Opening hours:
Foodgasm 9/10
Value for money 8/10
Service 7.5/10
FPJ score 24.5/30
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