A La Bouffe Bar & Bistro

This dinner was the ‘authentic’ French bistro experience we had not experienced in many years (the last I recall was in Chicago, USA).
The menus are large, the tables small, and the service effective and efficient, with just the right amount of Parisian sass — we asked what was in the chef’s assiette of starters, and were told that «No, it’s a surprise», until we mentioned my wife’s shellfish allergy! Then our waiter was forthcoming, and detailed in his description of what was on offer.
Excellent experience for two, and worth making a booking for. The owner stopped in to see how we were enjoying the meal, and that’s the icing on a nice night — no more room for dessert. Salut!

If your looking for a great French restaurant, look no further. This is the place to go. Fantastic menu of all the great classic dishes. Also try a cocktail by a very talented bartender. Staff are friendly and very helpful if you can’t decide what to eat or drink. I can’t believe it has taken me so long to go but I’ll be back very soon

I came here for dinner and was very lucky to get a table without a booking and to order what I wanted before the food was sold out.
I ordered the kangaroo and went with the suggestion of it being cooked medium rare. It was absolutely delicious! It was very juicy, tasty, and seasoned very well. I feel like most places in Australia underseason their food, but this place was spot on.
The service was good. A waiter even ran after me when I forgot my shopping bag there.

If you want French cuisine without the attitude of the one up the road, come here. The steaks and game are brilliantly prepared and the sweets sublime. Staff are great. Remember that the serves are modest so do order sides.

Love love love this restaurant. Have had many delicious nights here with fabulous company. Thank you every time to the brilliant waiter’s

My third time there and brilliant as always. Friendly staff and they can really cook a blue steak. Tres Bön!

We had dinner at A La Bouffe a few weeks ago and I have to say that it was very very nice. For a start, it’s in a great location on Toorak Road just off Chapel Street and you only have to take a short walk to get to all the shops, bars and Jam Factory. There’s also parking at the Como across the street, which is pretty handy.
Walking in, you can’t help but feel drawn into this relaxing and intimate atmosphere. It’s perfect for a date (well a very expensive date!) or to enjoy a beautiful dinner service with close friends. I loved it from the moment I walked past the front door. The bar is also a nice touch and it gives you the option of grabbing a seat and having a drink while waiting for your table if it’s busy.
The staff are amazing, the ones who looked after us were all French which contributed to the whole experience. They are really nice, welcoming and took time in running us through the menu as well as the wine list.
Seriously, everything on the menu looks good. We had the escargot and terrine for entrée and they were really nice. For the main, we went with the lobster ravioli et crevette and the coq au vin — wow! Just wow! We were quite full after that but, credit to us, we soldiered on and had the mousse au chocolat and crème brûlée a la lavende — Oh mon dieu… C’etait pas croyable! It was as orgasmic as you’d get…
We had such a great time and were the last ones to leave I think but they never pressured us to go and were very accomodating all the way.
This place is a must-​try! I will definitely return and I can’t wait to go back. Make sure you book first — great places like this fill up pretty quickly.

We dined at A la bouffe with a voucher deal and a la carte for the children.
The restaurant has a calm ambience, not over crowded and comfortable.
They offer a good selection of wine and cocktails and all the staff spoke with french accent. Blink and pretend you are in France ;)
We had:
Tasting plate — perfect size and includes oyster (big plus for a tasting plate). Not too heavy but enough to start your night.
Escargot — With garlic butter, beautiful!
Steak, Lobster and prawn Ravioli, seafood millefuille, and salmon. The steak seems like a popular choice but my favourite is the ravioli and the seafood bisque it is served with.
For dessert we had:
Chocolate mousse, Crêpe with Cointreau Grandmarnier and the sour cherry tart.
The crêpe was a show as it is flamed on the table, and finished our meals well, with the favourite being the mousse.
We had a lovely meal and satisfying dinner and I could eat the seafood bisque all day.
To me it seems the restaurant sits on a higher end price, thankfully this is reflected on the freshness of the seafood.

I’ve been eating at A La Bouffe since it was Boucherie Parisienne and despite the sensational black pudding being deleted from the menu, I keep going back. «And why is that, Kim?» I hear you ask. «Basically,» I reply, «because it’s conveniently located around the corner from the Jam Factory, home of my traditional Saturday afternoon Gold Class session.» Oh, and did I mention the fact that I’ve never had a bad dish there?
I started with a Rickard topped up with sparkling mineral water (my own twist on this French classic — at least I’ve never seen anyone else drink it like this) and ordered the mussels for entrée. These were served in a white wine and parsley sauce with a bowl of fresh, crunchy bread for mopping up any liquid leftovers. Simple and delicious.
For main I had the millefuille with seafood; a plate of scallops and prawns set on a rectangle of pastry saturated in the rich, creamy sauce with a light crispy version sitting on top. Another winner.
By now I’d upgraded from Rickard to Henri Bardouin (world’s best pastis) and although not at all hungry decided to force feed myself a slice of d’Auvergne. This was firm, not too salty but full flavoured and quite creamy — everything I love in a blue. Being a cheese Phillistine, I had it with a side of red onion.
Once again a la Bouffe delivers in spades.

Excellent food with brilliant service from the two lovely young French madmoseilles on duty on 21-​April. Tres Bön!

Lovely waiters, great ambience and delicious. Pretty trendy too actually — well, it is Toorak darling.
The Ravioli À La Langouste Et Aux Crevettes (Lobster prawn ravioli in a crayfish sauce) is one of the nicest things I’ve ever eaten. I wanted to lick the bowl. Such simple flavours — pasta and crayfish — but my goodness, there was a hint of magic in there that danced with my tastebuds.
The meals were so elegantly presented — in a way that only a French restaurant can do.
This is French food at its best — affordable, delicious, robust and extremely satisfying.
You’ll enjoy every bite. Eat and slowly so you can vocalise… ooohh ahhh oooooo
bon appetit

Favourite french in Melbourne!!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
also interestingly not expensive…

With an off-​white frontage that one could walk by without a glance, A La Bouffe is a recently-​opened French bistro deftly translating the natural elegance of French sartorial style into the culinary sphere. Arranged over dual levels, the ground level’s window and bar seating has a casual aspect. Greater formality is found in the upper dining area, comprising paper-​topped tables draped with white linens, black cushions dramatically scattered over claret banquette seating, and sepia photographs capturing iconic and nostalgic Parisian scenes. Bringing dimension to the typical dark wooded bistro furnishings, deco mirrors line the walls and are scrawled with the specials of the day. It’s all set alight by discreetly sparkling crystal lighting and golden fabric lanterns. Well-​suited for any number of occasions, A La Bouffe is intimately French — a classy affair with an injection of je né sais quoi.
…As supposedly the most European of Australian cities, Melbourne is not wanting for fine French cuisine. There’s the pricey though generally reliable CBD stalwarts that MoMo & Coco have frequented for after-​work, pre-​theatre or special dinners (par exemple, Vue de Monde, Bistro Vue, Comme, PM24, Bistro Guillame, Bistro D’orsay, French Braisserie). There’s also the more character-​filled, albeit mostly ordinary inner city venues (Paris Go, Libertine, Madame Sousou, Jacques Reymond, Bistro Thierry, Koots Salle a Manger). In the immediate South Yarra neighbourhood, Chez Olivier is a favourite for a casual meal in a charming nook, and of course, the long-​standing France-​Soir must be mentioned for its classical renditions, its breathtakingly corset-​tight seating and the equally breathtaking egocentrism of its service staff. By stark contrast, A La Bouffe surpasses both neighbours by possessing the best of both — beautiful heartfelt food delivered by unpretentious staff in an utterly elegant setting. And oh, the sublime desserts deserve a very special separate mention — of a generosity of flavour and spirit most pleasing in a dining landscape increasingly invaded by high-​priced tapas-​style small plates of gimmicky experimentalism and just passable vagueness. Overall, A La Bouffe is a fine showcase of rather authentic, accessible French luxury. With a name derived from the French colloquialism to «let’s eat,» MoMo & Coco believe that it woud be a bonne idée to hurry to A La Bouffe before the hoards discover this new, and what will undoubtedly prove to be an immeasurably timeless, treasure of French Melbourne. On y va, mes amies!

Etes-​vous un amoureux de la cuisine française? (Are you a lover of French cuisine?) Then look no further than A La Bouffe. The staff at this tremendous French Bistro have managed to really capture the essence of French dining and cooking and made it all available to patrons on Toorak Road.
Upon walking through the doors of A La Bouffe you are greeted by a large marble bar downstairs and private more intimate seating upstairs. The whole venue is very elegant and light making for a classy and relaxing atmosphere. I came to A La Bouffe for dinner and was thoroughly impressed; I ordered the Salade De Saumon Fume as entrée. This was Smoked Salmon Salad with a Citrus and Dill dressing; very light, fragrant and not to mention tasty. For my main I decided on the Coq Au Vin — Boneless chicken marinated red wine, mushroom and bacon sauce with mash potatoes on the side. Terrific! Washed it all down with a very smooth glass of Shiraz, needless to say I slept like a baby after this meal.
A La Bouffe is a perfect French dining experience right in the heart of South Yarra, perfect for lunch or dinner or even a cheeky glass of vins rouge.

Bonjour!!! When French cuisine when is done well its excellent and I consider dining at ‘A La Bouffe’ a privileged experience. Not privileged in a Platinum AMEX/​exclusive reservation/​Toorak bollocks way, but a privilege that dances on your taste buds and reminds you why France is still such a highly regarded culinary force.
Lets start with the décor. A newly refurbished two storey restaurant with a comfortable bistro atmosphere. Theres a marble front bar with mirrored walls featuring daily specials, opulent lighting and seating stretched through to the large tinted window that allows you to see through to the kitchen. Upstairs there is more seating and the potential for a private dining venue. Just think relaxed luxe.
Snails! If you do dine here please order the garlic/​fennel/​butter escargot. Its around $ 19 and theres eight per order so good for sharing. Soaked up with bread these garden pests make a delicious morsel.
For the mains there are vegetarian and gluten free options and is full of words like «Moules Marinières» (Mussels marinated in white wine) Saumon De Tasmanie, Poisson Du Marche and Ballotine De Poulet. The owner/​head chef is French so the meals feel tres authentic, and any where that employs a ‘Sommelier’ is definitely committed.
Despite its location and pricing there is little wank in this place, the staff are super friendly and knowledgable, no snobbery. For an entrée, mains, a bottle of wine and shared dessert expect to pay around $ 80 pp. A Tres Bien romantic or special evening out.