Dear Olivier, bring on the escargots, but hold the slugs!

The topic of dining French came about when Eddie unabashedly proclaimed that the closest he has ever come to French cuisine is French Fries. Still reeling from his humble admission and with only one week left until our dinner date, I had to find an appropriate restaurant that featured a good variety of traditional dishes to tempt Eddie’s virgin palate.  Desperate attempts were made to secure a table at France-Soir, Libertine and Bistro Thierry but alas, my efforts were to no avail. Refusing to resign to the fact that French was looking very bleak and with no options left, Jon grabbed the Entertainment Book for ideas. With apprehension and lacking all confidence, I called Chez Olivier to book a table for four at 7.30pm on a Saturday night. The staff was very friendly and was swift to offer us a 6pm or 8.30pm seating but sensing my hesitation, she quickly told me 7.30pm was indeed possible. Voila!!! Our love story with Olivier began.

Located on bustling Greville Street in Prahran, the entrance is somewhat discreet and dark. Eddie almost fell over the step ladder and potted plant placed just outside the restaurant. Upon arrival, we were greeted with a hearty “BONJOUR” and were promptly whisked to our table upstairs. We immediately succumbed ourselves to a complete “French” invasion – the sexy French accent of the wait staff, the intoxicating aroma of the dishes being served to other diners, the cosy rustic French decor, French music and the fact that they serve Orangina!

From the beginning, the service was spot on. We were never neglected nor were we rushed. Everything ran like clockwork but in a relaxed and unpretentious manner. The wait time for the entrees and the mains were flawlessly executed and mind you, the place was quickly filling up with hungry diners.  A quick scan of the menu was sufficient as we had already made a mental note from viewing it online, however we did bicker for a few minutes on who got to order what. We ended up with a total of ten dishes which comprised of four entrees, four mains and three desserts (one complimentary). All the Entrees were notably well received especially the Seafood Bisque and the Steak Tartare. Every drop of the broth was like liquid gold with delicate yet intense flavours from the sea. The Tartare was both pleasing to the eye and titillating on the tongue with ingredients ever so fresh. It was by far better than the ones we had in Paris in both presentation and taste.

The Mains had their fair share of “ooohhhs” and “ahhhhhhs” with the absolute winning dish agreed by all was no doubt the Tournedos Rossini – melt in your mouth grain fed thick eye fillet steak topped with a heavenly slice of foie gras, creamy mash with a hint of truffle. Dare we say it is the best steak we have devoured so far? Yes, we dare! The Cote De Boeuf was excellent too but paled a little in comparison to the Tournedos Rossini but boy did the Bone Marrow make up for it. The blood sausages were plump and moist with almost an earthy aftertaste.  The only mediocre dish was the rabbit which poor Eddie ordered. It was perhaps a bit overcooked hence the dryness.

Desserts were a delight too, with the Self Saucing Chocolate Fondant our favourite. The Creme Brulee was a tad runny to our liking. However a little excitement came along with it, served in one hand and in the other a blow torch. The little gesture of the waiter moving closer to the camera when torching the Brulee was a nice surprise. As for the complimentary dessert, the wrong order was put through and we were generously asked to try it at no expense. It was lightly poached meringue topped with smooth Creme Anglais that really didnt need much room to accommodate. The entire meal including the discount from the Entertainment card, a bottle of wine and Orangina of course, was $316.

All in all, we had a fabulous night and we are so proud to have such a neat little French Bistro in Melbourne. Eddie, I hope it has inspired you to venture more into French cuisine. Perhaps Vue De Monde next?

Highly Recommended. Perfect for first timers and romantic dinners.