Le Rebelle — Restaurant in Mount Lawley

We were looking for a last-minute replacement for a special midweek occasion and heard good things about La Rebelle so went ahead and booked. Be aware they do ask for a credit card authorisation as part of your booking. The restaurant is relatively small but very reminiscent of intimate neighbourhood bistros is Melbourne (or possibly France).

Located on Beaufort Street, just north of the Astor Theatre. As it was a Wednesday night there was available on-street parking but that might be an issue on a weekend. The restaurant itself oozes old-world character as so as you enter the door. There are three tiers, with an open central set of stairs linking them all. We were seated at the smaller quieter tables down the back, which gave us a view over the bar and other diners - perfect for a romantic meal. I purposely booked a later sitting so that we didn't feel rushed.

The menu is fairly simple with only a small range of dishes. You can go with a set menu at $95/head or select your dishes - we went with the later to ensure we had our own choice. We went with the crab toast (not my normal choice but based on other reviews) which was absolutely delicious - fluffy and moist - the perfect appetiser. For entrees we consumed the cured kingfish, with caviars, oyster cream, and finger lime; and the steak tartare, with cognac and horseradish. The waitress recommended I swap the frites for some toast, which was a great suggestion. Both dishes made our tastebuds want more. Then for mains we had the fish of the day (barramundi) with venus clams, saffron & bouillabaisse sauce; and the glazed Wagin duck, frites, & bearnaise sauce. The duck was so succulent - perfectly cooked and I could have licked the glaze off the plate. There was an excessive amount of frites (not that we left any) and I felt that there could have been a more complimentary accompaniment. My wife however was not as impressed by the fish.

We ended up ordering deserts - why wouldn't you - selecting the sorbets (cherry and coconut) and for me the fromage selection, a delightful crumbly sheep's cheese - the relish wasn't my favourite, but the marmalade was.

Credit should also go to the wait staff, they were personable and attentive. Always making sure our water and wine glasses were topped up and giving us suggestions on the dishes.

I enjoyed have a special dinner, where the dishes and staff weren't pretentious - just familiar European food with an...

I could not fault the food, everything was delicious and kept me wanting MORE.

However the disappointment and what ruined the night for our table was the lack of organisation and service flow from the wait staff.

When our group arrived we had to wait for our table as the waitstaff were ushering the previous guests to an outside seating to allow us to sit ( which also happened to us by the end of the night). The waitstaff setting the table were rushing causing glassware to drop on the table . In the background I noticed another waitstaff had dropped cutlery on the floor as they made their way back to the kitchen with used plates and cutlery from another table.

Even when we ordered it felt like we were being rushed and were told if we chose the chef's $89 menu we needed to eat quickly to allow the next guest seating. Our group did our best to eat quickly as possible and we thought the waitstaff was initially joking. There was a considerable amount of wait time between each course and we didn't order any additional drinks in case that slowed us down from the allocated eating time. By the time we got to dessert we were asked to relocate to a seating near the bar as the next seating group was waiting for our table. The table in front of us was a group of 3 in a similar booth seating, they came in before us and had been there slightly longer than our group of 4 but we were still asked to give up our seating.

If you do not have the appropriate waitstaff or if the allocated seating time for more than 3-4 guests are not realistic enough for them to enjoy the meal and atmosphere to the fullest please reduce your the number booking slots to allow for this.

Our group chose this restaurant to celebrate an 30th birthday, a significant milestone birthday and from the service that night and despite the outstanding food served,we unfortunately will NOT be returning anytime soon nor can we recommend this restaurant at this...

A huge thank you to Le Rebelle for an unforgettable anniversary/V-Day dinner! We kicked things off strong with the crab toast which was absolutely divine. If you're a first-timer, don’t think about skipping this as every bite was worth it. No further explanation needed—just go and experience it for yourself!

The cured fish was another hit. The combination of fish, oyster cream, pear, and kohlrabi (which I had actually never even heard of before) was delicious. Make sure you eat everything together instead of picking out the fish first—it makes all the difference.

We also tried the veggie cigars as a starter. While I personally wouldn’t order them again, I think they served a great purpose in balancing out the richness of the crab and cured fish.

Of course, we had get the steak tartare. My partner and I are big fans of raw beef, but this was our first time having tartare with frites instead of crisps—and we loved it.

For mains, we shared the saffron cavatelli and the glazed duck breast. The cavatelli was great, but the real star of the show was the duck. I’m usually not a huge duck fan since I find it a bit overpowering. But the meat was incredibly tender, the skin was crispy, and the glaze paired amazing with the fritters. Just bear in mind I believe they serve different cuts depending on the day, so if you're ordering, just ask the waiter what cut you'll be getting.

We paired everything with a French rosé, which went well with everything, though a bit on the pricey side. That said, their wine list does seem quite carefully carefully curated, and there’s something for every budget.

If I had any minor critique, it would be that the space is quite small (so definitely make a reservation) and it can get pretty loud. At times, my partner struggled to hear me across the table.

Overall, a great dining experience, and we will definitely be back despite the long drive for us living on a farm in...