La Buvette Drinkery — Restaurant in Adelaide

My previous visit was for a cocktail after visiting Bibliotheca next door. I was intrigued and decided to make reservations for Friday dinner.

I did not regret it. On quiet little Gresham Street lies a hidden gem of a bar and venue.

+1⭐️ for the welcome. I think the manager must be French and it was lovely to have such a warm welcome in the ever-wonderful accent. What was lovelier is when we left, he remembered my name and said “Merci Michelle” - customers love being called by name! +1⭐️ for the menu and to the chef for creating the menu that had a lovely variety of small plates and mains that had the French vibe to it. +1⭐️ we started with the Duck Rilettes and Escargot - it’s a shame but probably just as well that the escargot did not come with the shell. It was served with the house-baked sour dough which was perfectly warm and crisp. The Duck came with a side of pickled vegetables which balanced it really well when spread on the sour dough. The bread was delicious when dipped into the cooking juices of the escargot. +1⭐️ We had the Boeuf Bourginon and of course Steak Frites. The Bourginon was incredibly tender. For a lady the size of the porterhouse steak was perfect. Most of all, my steak was perfectly medium rare and well-rested. The frites were beautifully cooked and crispy. Kudos to them for remembering that I did not want salt on my fries and cared enough to ask if I wanted salt on my steak. I said just a wee bit. The steak was fresh and beautifully cooked that it didn’t require a lot of seasoning. I did ask for a side of French mustard as it’s how I love having my steak - neat with a bit of mustard. +1⭐️ The vibe of the bar/restaurant is perfect - it has enough energy but it’s not overly noisy. The choice of music kept the vibe going without being too loud.

Two down sides:

The waitress that served us could not remember our drinks order but the place puts you in a good mood and she was lovely enough that it didn’t matter. When I ordered the “Steak Frites” she asked me if I wanted it with “fries” - I think she might be new and not quite familiar with French culture.

I ordered a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon from the board. I chose it as it was from McLaren Vale - I cannot recall the winery and don’t care to as the wine had a terrible after-taste akin to a wet rag. It did not improve with food either. The Merlot that was available by the glass from Bordeaux was better suited and berry-driven.

I think that the owners can have a review of the red wine selection as there are better wines locally at the similar price point.

I highly recommend this place for a great night out with friends. I...

La Bouvette is a charming little gem! Think sophisticated Parisian vibes with a playfulness that makes you want to settle in and never leave. The food is delicious, the drinks list is exciting, and the waiters are all divine with their beautiful French accents. We kicked off our night with champagne (you must!), the marinated olives (generous and plump!), and the oysters with mignonette (so fresh!). We also couldn’t resist ordering the sourdough baguette with the most indulgent French butter (OMG!) because what’s more French than bread and butter right?! A big bowl of mussels came next which were served with more sourdough bread. We weren’t disappointed so we used the bread to mop up the delicious creamy white wine and saffron broth and sipped on a bright French rose. We enjoyed the pommes frites and then opted to skip more mains in favour of the Crème Brule which was decadent and sweet and the perfect end to our meal. A special shoutout to La Bouvette’s take on the Espresso Martini, it was simply delightful and not too sweet. We also appreciated the space with its moody lighting and music that was played loud enough to create atmosphere, but low enough to hear each other talk. It’s not a super young crowd either which makes this place a nice change from the bars along peel street and leigh street. A perfect spot for a date night, or night out with a small...

Outstanding. All the food was cooked to perfection. The service was spot on. The atmosphere was outstanding we will definitely be back. This place is a bit cheaper than the other French restaurants of comparable menu's. If you wan to try snails have them here (spoiler alert, they taste like garlic and butter). We had the snails (excellent) oysters (excellent and only $4 shell here rather than $6 everywhere else) and the duck pate (excellent). They did not skimp on the bread and make you order another portion either. Ample amount to soak up the garlic butter sauce (the real reason to get snails in my opinion). For mains we had the winter ratatouille (excellent without having overcooked veggies) and my wife had the mussels which were cooked to perfection with a lovely light cream wine sauce (again with plenty of bread to soak up the sauce). We had the apple Tarte Tatain for desert with a light fluffy cream to die for. Was very happy to pay the price and will...