Bistro Vue

As mentioned in my last blog post, a few weeks ago M & I went to Melbourne for a one day trip. Apart from the amazing brunch we had at Hardware Societe, we also had a great dining experience at Bistro Vue for dinner. Bistro Vue is the sister restaurant to the famous Vue De Monde in Melbourne and offers classical French cuisine with an extensive menu that would make any foodie salivate. 


Located on Little Collins Street in the heart of Melbourne's CBD, Bistro Vue has a dark and brooding ambience as you walk in.



I loved the opulent and rich colours spread throughout thedecor, the dim but warm lighting and the elegant furniture. It was chic, authentic, and romantic - so much so that I felt like I was in Europe again







As it was an occasion to celebrate, we felt inclined to order some wine (M preferred White for the night) - after all we were at a French restaurant! Unfortunately I can't remember the exact name of what we ordered so apologies for that. 



Now I must make a special mention to the complimentary Sourdough Bread at Bistro Vue - it was so delicious that I pretty much stole most of M's share as well. Fresh out the oven with the perfect balance between the crispy outsides and the fluffy innards, plus a smear of creamy butter that melted upon application...this was perfection and what life should all be about. When you have good bread, that's all you need.



For my entree, I decided to go with the recommended choice of Duck Egg, Chorizo, Aubergine & Smoked Yoghurt ($22). I must say though when the dish was served, my initial reaction was shock because I saw a blob of green. As I delicately poked at the blob, I came to realise that it was the gooey egg which upon being popped, spread beautifully over the tasty chorizo.



I wasn't a fan of the yogurt combination purely because I don't like mixing yogurt with savoury foods in general. The entree was very tasty and way more filling than it looks! I paired each bite with some sourdough which helped to balance out the flavours.



When it comes to French cuisine, M is definitely more adventurous than me. He ordered Garlic Snails With Parsley Crust (1/2 dozen $16) and my face just scrunched up in dismay as I gave him the "Seriously?" look. Even when I went to Paris a few years ago, I refused to give these snails a go - psychologically I just can't engage the idea of eating snails.



M however enjoyed his snails (it's not his first time trying it out, oh the horror!) and said it was super tasty albeit slightly on the salty end of things.



My main was a lovely light dish - Poached Snapper with Fennel, Anchovy Butter and Ibeach Herbs ($35). The fish was cooked beautifully and the fish meat slided off with delicate ease. The herbs and butter added hints of aromatic scents to the fish. However, it was a tad bit bland in taste but I didn't mind because we had a long day eating so much and it was a relief to have something not so heavy. 



M's Rump Cap 8-9 Score 250gm ($39) with Bearnaise Sauce was your classic steak order that came in all its juicness and flavours. Although it was cooked nicely to a medium rare, we both found it a bit tough in some areas. The chips were humungous in size and proved to be very delicious with some of the sauce.



Desserts were definitely the highlight of the night! They had so many delectable choices on the menu that M & I really struggled to make a final choice. Rule of thumb: when the dessert menu has over three chocolate dishes that sounds equally tempting, you know you're at the right place.

Eventually I made up my mind to order the Souffle au Chocolat ($15) - which takes 20 minutes to make. It proved to be worth the wait. My eyes were intensely oggling at the souffle as the waiter poured the warm molten chocolate over the top...



The souffle was made to perfection in all its fluffiness and lightness. The melted chocolate was definitely a winner as we scraped out every last bit of it from the copper tin towards the end.



M's order of Bistro Vue's 'Snickers' Bar ($16) was a playful order that won the best dessert of the night award. This time hot caramel was poured over the top (Seriously is this a ritual at this restaurant? Because it is simply fabulous) which caused parts of the top to melt before resting as a pool of caramel at the bottom.



This dessert was super luxe, rich and decadent! There was an abundance of sweet flavours and textures - from chocolate to cream and caramel. Definitely not for the light hearted but destined for sugar addicts!



Overall, the atmosphere of Bistro Vue really won me over. Although I wouldn't say that the food was spectacular, it was still quite delicious and during the entire dining experience, I truly felt like I was in Paris. Service was beyond professional and attentive, and the music in the background proved to be effective for instilling a romantic mood. 



Next time we go to Melbourne, I definitely want to try out Vue De Monde!




Bistro Vue

430 Little Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
03 9691 3838

http://www.vuedemonde.com.au/bistro_vue



Bistro Vue on Urbanspoon

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