Bistrot d'Orsay — Restaurant in Melbourne

Bistrot D’Orsay is a lovely little restaurant that sits in the heart of Collins Street in Melbourne. My boyfriend wanted to do something romantic and decided to book a table for two at Bistrot D’Orsay. Here was our experience:

Venue & Atmosphere: it’s not a huge restaurant and there’s little space to roam around so I won’t suggest bringing in toddlers who want to run around while the adults talk. While it can be a little crowded, it’s still so intimate and romantic. The atmosphere is just amorous. The murals on the ceiling and the music they play plus the food all feels like you are dining in France, which is what you want to experience as you are eating in a French restaurant. Really, who needs to spend so much money flying to Paris when you can have the ultimate French dining experience in Bistrot D’Orsay? They only have a few tables so if you wish to dine here, make sure you make a booking beforehand. All the walk-ins I see they had to unfortunately let go because they were fully booked. Then again it was a Friday night and most Melbournians were out and about.

Food & Pricing: We had the scallops for starters, my boyfriend had a steak and I had the seafood linguine. Absolutely divine. L’experiénce gastronomique! The seafood linguine was packed with flavour. The texture of the noodles was perfect and the seafood was cooked beautifully. If I had to come back again I would order the same thing. Prices for the mains range from $39 to $50. A copy of their menu is available on their website. For dessert, we had the crème brûlée. I read somewhere that this was the best crème brûlée in Melbourne. For the price, it better be. We took our first bite and oh it was the most magical thing. Yes this is the best crème brûlée in Melbourne. No doubt.

Service: All of the servers who served us were French, which we understand are lovely people. They were attentive and gave us an outstanding customer...

Bistrot D’Orsay and the Rouge

So last Friday evening was the night to visit the Regent Theatre once again and see Moulin Rouge on its return to Melbourne. First, of course, was the need for a delicious dinner and we chose what is probably one of Melbourne’s underrated gems that consistently provides great food and a relaxed atmosphere.

Bistrot D’Orsay has been at 144 Collins Street for 26 years and is perfectly located directly across the road from the Regent and next door to the Athenaeum Theatre. This bistrot by definition is a small restaurant, serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. That underplays it somewhat as I rather like the setting. I also really like the team who always make you feel welcome and are engaging with their smiles and exquisite accents.

The food is quite delicious. It is not a big menu but still manages to provide enough options for vegiequarians such as us. The shared entrée of Pan Seared Scallops on a leek and green pea purée, served with micro herbs, fried capers and truffle oil was cooked to perfection.

My favourite dish followed which is the Potato Gnocchi pan-fried with sautéed field mushrooms, chard, hazelnuts, vincotto, truffle oil & shaved Parmesan. This was accompanied by a side of Iceberg lettuce, tarragon, shallot & mustard vinaigrette, simplistic but very freshening.

No room for dessert this evening as it was time for the show but we left fully satisfied with a wonderful meal and with a smile on our faces compliments of the friendly team at Bistrot D’Orsay.

You may not have heard of this one but I do encourage you to check it out. You will need to book, by phone. There’s a modern day challenge...

Went for dinner and ordered an entrée, a risotto and the bouillabaisse main course. The staff asked if I want the dishes to be served together or one at a time which was considerate. The entrée I had was a freshly baked gratinated seafood volute with two large prawns and scallops; it was rich and creamy but not too heavy. The next dish I had was a squid ink risotto drizzled with basil oil and topped with grilled octopus pieces. The risotto was perfectly cooked with each grain intact but not hard; it was savoury and buttery with hints of the fragrant basil oil and the grilled octopus was tender with a nice charred flavour. The last dish I had was the bouillabaisse which was a hearty and flavour packed seafood soup cooked with saffron, tomato and fennel; seafoods included prawns, scallops, fish and mussels. The rouille aioli was mildly spicy and garlicky which added extra depth of flavour to the soup; and the baked crunchy baguette paired well as it remained slightly crispy and not soggy after being soaked in the soup for some time. For dessert, had the classic creme brulee which was solid; the caramelised sugar layer was thin and crisp, and the vanilla custard was silky smooth with quality vanilla bean used. Overall a great dining experience; everything was delicious and the manager and staffs were very friendly and welcoming. Service was great with water topped up as needed and extra baguette offered to...