Bistro Vue

Still my go-​to for traditional french bistro food, they consistently nail the classics. Great wine list, lot of great choices and advice is always spot-​on. Staff is courteous and helpful, attentive without being constantly in your face.

Such a disappointment! I went to Bistro Vue with my girlfriend tonight. I ordered the Wagyu Beef (Tri Tip) along with the Kingfish entrée. The Wagyu Beef (Tri Tip) is meant to be one of their signature dishes however it was below average. I couldn’t chew some parts of the beef that I had to spit it out. I gave some feedback to the waiter before we left. He asked me if it was only the last bite that I had to spit out and if the rest of it was ok. … He was respectul but not caring about costumer satisfaction. Overall It was a bad experience for me. The red wine (Cabernat Franc) and the pork belly were good though.

Bistro Vue is another long term entry on my bucket list that I finally got around to ticking off this Saturday. It’s towards the bottom end of Little Collins Street at the back of an unprepossessing office building. The interior is very shabby chic; wooden floor boards, rough hewn wooden beams in the ceiling, distressed paint, tables that look like they were made from old Singer sewing machines, and a lovely old French sideboard next to the kitchen.
The L’Humeur du Chef (which consists of six courses for $ 110) immediately attracted my attention, but there were a couple of other things on the menu that looked more appealing.
The first of these was escargot in garlic butter and parsley crust, so I started with half a dozen of those. The snails had quite a soft texture and weren’t overly flavoursome, but the garlic sauce in the shell compensated for this, as did the breadcrumb and herb topping.
For main I ordered the pork belly which came with black pudding, broccoli and prunes. Not a big fan of pork belly, broccoli or prunes, but looove black pudding. The pork was uninspiring as I expected (I only managed to finish half of it) but the dish was saved by the sausage which was like a cross between a French boudin noir and a Spanish morcilla. Really rich and tasty.
I asked the waiter to suggest a full bodied red to go with the main and he directed me to the 2010 Hewitson «Old Garden» Mourvèdre. This comes from the Barossa and is believed to be the oldest vineyard growing this varietal in the world (the original plant was in 1853). Tasted like chocolate with a slight undertone of orange and a dusty finish. Very nice and worth the $ 20 per glass price tag.
To finish I had a plate of three cheeses — Gruyère, Blue d’Auvergne and an orange washed rind called Brebis Rousse which I’ve never tried before but has immediately catapulted itself into my «Top 10 of Cheese» list (with a bullet).
This was washed down with a Château Jolys Cuvée Jean; a not-​too-​sweet dessert wine from the Jurancon region of France. Very light and crisp and worked well with all the cheeses, each of which had quite strong flavours.
Overall I enjoyed my little outing to Bistro Vue. The service is fast and friendly — not at all snooty which I was half expecting. The décor is cool but in a comfortable sort of way, the wine list well thought through, and the food is pretty good too. I can think of a lot worse places to while away a lazy Saturday afternoon.

A little piece of France right here in Melbourne!
We celebrated my birthday here this year and it was a great celebration! We indulged on the food and wine so the finer details are a little bit hazy.
What I do remember I loved! The exterior looks like Melbourne but once i stepped into the dining room I was transported back to my (too long ago) visit to France. The furnishings were perfect for setting the French scene. We were sat near a gorgeous antique dresser that doubled as a storage space for the tools of the dining room staff. Our table was a beautiful wooden piece large enough to accommodate our glasses and plates but small enough to ensure a cozy romantic evening.
Because they knew it was my birthday I was spoiled with an extra surprise dessert!

*Review incomplete
The setting feels a bit dated, although it’s going for that French vibe.
Food was tasty, but I hardly think a seafood pasta mainly comprising of pasta is worth more than $ 40. This bisque however, was perfection.

I was in Melbourne in August of 2014 for a meeting I was hosting in the city. The hotel I was staying at recommended Bistro Vue for my off-​site, group dinner. Holy man am I glad they did! Our dinner was amazing.
I worked with Laura Robins to plan this dinner and she was delightful. She created a pre-​set dinner menu for my guests and even added Kangaroo to the menu for our guests who were first timers to Australia. The staff was wonderful, the food was delicious and the wine was perfect. The restaurant itself had such adorable charm. I loved the layout and vibe. Perfection!
Whether you are looking to impress your clients, or dine your spouse for an Anniversary or simply looking for a fun night out — — this is your place! Reservations are necessary and this is for sure a dinner you will LOVE! Enjoy!
Thank you for a GREAT dinner Bistro Vue! Your kangaroo was perfect!
*Angie

What a delicious meal! I highly recommend the duck confit and tarte tatin for dessert. One of the best meals I’ve had in awhile.

Just ate there: ambiance quite nice, food mixed, service excellent. Throughout dinner we enjoyed unobtrusive but attentive service to water glasses, napkins, etc. We had the seafood pasta, which was not to our liking… Not really bad, but not good. The maître d’ noticed the uneaten food, asked us what was wrong, and took the dish off the bill, without any complaint from us. Our other dish, the lamb shoulder, was hearty, rustic, but good. We would definitely go back. The French salad for starts was pretty to look at, and got one thumb up and one neutral.

On a particularly nice mid-​winter day, I decided to venture out of the office and over to Bistro Vue for a change of scene. While most people go to Bistro to impress a client or colleague, I just wanted a good meal, some peace and quiet, and a bit of inspiration.
I sat outside in the sun and ordered a hot chocolate, which was quite delightful (both the sun and the hot chocolate). The latter was rich and bitter, served in a small milk bottle, and piping hot. It remained quite warm through the whole meal, which may seem like a redundant statement considering the drink has ‘hot’ in the name, but you’d be surprised how many hot chocolate’s go cold on the second sip.
I ordered a chicken and porcini pie from the lunch menu, and was happy to see it coming my way in what had to have been only a couple of minutes. I mean, obviously they prep the pies in advance, but STILL. I was chuffed. The chicken was tender, pastry was flakey, and it was really quite great. The plate was dressed with what I assume was pea purée and creamy mashed potato, as well as a drizzling of salty gravy. I would have taken a picture but by the time I started thinking about it, it was in my stomach.
The waitstaff were cheerful and didn’t bother me unless I looked like I needed bothering (i.e. when I wanted to ask for the bill), and I wasn’t rushed out even though it was a busy lunch service and I was taking up a coveted place in the sun. Lovely.

After arriving in Melbourne at 6am and spending the day on our feet we were all feeling a little worse for wear when arriving for our early dinner reservation at Bistro Vue but it didn’t take long before we were all smiling from ear to ear inanticipation of our meal ahead.
There were so many items on the menu that I wanted to try — this never happens (fussy eater). I decided to work backwards. The desserts looked so incredible that I decided to order light so not too feel too ill to enjoy my sweets.
It was tough but I overlooked the house smoked trout with brioche and slow cooked wagyu for zucchini flowers and John Dory. Everything was delicious. Couldn’t fault a thing, even the bread was impressive.
Dessert. Bistro Vue’s take on the «snickers» was quite possibly the best dessert I have ever consumed. Chocolate, soft fluffy nougat, salted caramel sauce and the most incredible peanut ice cream. O.m.g. Heaven. I managed to devour half a tarte tatin as well which was also great.
The service was attentive all night. The décor was absolutely gorgeous.
Loved everything. I want to go back. Now.

Take a very long lunch!
I have long been a fan of Bistro Vue, it was actually the first place I ever dined in Melbourne and I think it has ruined me for many other poor restaurateurs who just fall short of the mark. My last experience here has not made me think any less of the bistro at all!
I went for a long lunch with a colleague of mine from work. Let’s be honest, I was taking her to Bistro Vue, I wanted to impress; it worked. From the moment we stepped through the door «Bonjour Jessica, it’s lovely to see you again» said with such sincerity I almost felt guilty for the two weeks we’d been apart.
As they took my colleague and I to our lovely little table in the salon the Maitre D’ organised wonderful water and asked if I would be drinking wine with lunch, polite of him to ask but it’s pretty much a fore-​gone conclusion, you should always have wine with lunch in a French bistro.
We took our time, three hours of our time, in order to savour the surroundings, the beef, the frites fried in duck fat, the cheese cart tucked in the back (oh the cheese cart!) and of course, the grand finale of a chocolate soufflé.
By the time we left it was perfectly obvious that neither of us were to be very productive for the rest of the afternoon and that we had both gone up a dress size but my gosh it was worth it.
Like all other places with the name Vue in the title, if you’ve done it properly you should definitely close your eyes when you sign for the bill!

*****this review is paced on Christmas Day.
Everyone loves everything by Shannon Bennet. I do too. I also get its «bistro Vue» but i have only my latest experience to review. So here goes…
I’ve been to Vue de Mond for Christmas a few years ago, but just couldn’t justify the price (though it was amazing) this year. Instead we settled with Bistro Vue.
They offered a set menu $ 165 and matched wine $ 80. I didn’t order the wine.
The first course was baby vegetables with an amazing dip, and hand cut potato and sweet potato crisps. All really nice but nothing mind blowing.
The fish course was crayfish served with a herby-​butter-​sauce (my words, not the menu). This would have been the sand out dish of the day (the one I’m telling my friends about on New Years Eve) but, unfortunately the thicker part was raw. Think under cook squid — chewy and stingy. Not good.
The main was beef, cooked to perfection! Could not fault it.
Dessert was offered off two separate roaming trollies. No stand out dishes infact, you could find better options at your local bakery.
Our waiter appeared disinterested and didnt smile once (yeah ok you’re working Christmas day, but I’m sure you’re being paid triple time and a half.
Overall, the experience was underwealming.

A little part of France in Melbourne — great for lunch or dinner, business or personal — a personal favourite in a city of many great places.
If Steak Tartare is your thing — here they do it best.
Great wine list… as one would expect.

Good but not the best I ever had… admittedly I’m splitting hairs here and a saffron infused bouillabaisse can’t really be anything short of outstanding! Nice ambiance and décor too… I think I’m just stilted that I still haven’t been to the main event i.e. Vue itself…

Have heard alot about Vue de Monde, Café Vue and Bistro Vue yet haven’t managed to go to any as yet. So naturally i was extremely excited when my manager arranged to take me to Bistro Vue for my farewell lunch (i tried not to take offence that it wasn’t Vue de Monde… i think i am worth it!!) Anyway, we went Monday for lunch, so the place was a little empty, but the section they seated us in was so quaint and homely that it was still lovely.
i found the menu confusing (mainly cause i am not familiar with french dishes), however, the waitress was very helpful in explaining the dishes to me, so much so that my manager who had already decided to have the 120 day grain fed steak changed to the Veal Milanese once she described the dishes to us.
i decided to have the Confit Duck petites pommes sautées, we also got side orders of green beans and petit pois a la francaise (peas with shallots, bacon and chicken stock sauce). The food overall was lovely, but to be honest i felt a little let down, maybe because of the expectations i had, but it was beautiful food, maybe not necessarily worth the hype.
The highlight for me was the dessert… crème brûlée — they have a winning formula in that. Instead of serving it in a deep ramekin, they serve it in a larger shallow dish, that meant that the beautiful sugar top was across more surface area meaning each mouth full has the creamy custard AND the the crusted sugar, PERFECT!!. (even did the Masterchef test to crack the sugar… perfect!!)
To drink we had the 2008 Pinot Gris cornelius by Scotchman’s Hill Bellarine Peninsula which was really enjoyable, nothing better than a few wines at lunch then going back to the office… work is so much more enjoyable in a wine haze!!!

For Christmas, I thought I would book a reservation some place nice and have a boozy lunch with my boyfriend. I really enjoyed Café Vue, but didn’t want to spend the money for Vue de Monde. I made a compromise and booked at Bistro Vue. The experience was great. Although the service was a bit too much when you’re trying to have a relaxing lunch, I’d rather have too attentive a server than a server who wasn’t attentive at all.
On the menu are the usual French dishes. I ordered steak tartare (of course) and oysters for the entrée. For my main, I ordered a trout en papillote, which is trout in butterfly, a style of cooking the trout. My boyfriend had the duck — what is a French meal without duck? To round everything, we ordered an Alsatian Pinot Gris.
The steak tartare was absolutely amazing. I’ve had my fair share of steak tartare and the one at Bistro Vue was quite memorable. I also really liked the green beans we ordered. It was served with a simple sauce made from homemade chicken stock, butter, and shallots.
Overall, a great experience. I really enjoyed the food and will definitely be coming back. However, it is a bit pricier than what I thought it would be. Probably not as expensive as Vue de Monde, but you’re looking at $ 100 per person for food and wine at Bistro Vue whereas Café Vue is around $ 60 for the entire meal.

Provincial French at its best. A hearty yet sophisticated menu that won’t leave you craving for anything more. It’s Age Good Food Guide hat award is well deserved. The service is exceptional and unpretentious. Looking forward to Christmas lunch at Bistro Vue this year.