Les Bistronomes, Canberra

I had heard from my friend that the Canberra dining scene had up its game in recent times, with lots of modern, new restaurants popping up. One of them is Les Bistronomes, a French bistro located in Braddon in Canberra. 

My friends and I shared an entree of a dozen escargots - it was not as garlicky as most escargots I had previously tried - instead, there was more of a parsley flavour accompanying them which I liked. 

For main, I opted for the fish of the day, which was Spanish mackeral with clam, pickled vegetables and raspberry coulis. I don't think I have ever had raspberry in a savoury dish before so was eager to try it. I was very impressed - the fish was perfectly cooked, complete with crispy skin and the pickled vegetables were amazing - sometimes they can be quite sour and overpowering, but here, they were more subtle and gave the dish a real zing. The raspberry coulis not only added bold colour to the plate, it provided a nice contrast to the rest of the dish.

A dozen escargots

Le Poisson Du Jour (fish of the day) - Spanish mackeral with clam, pickled vegetables and raspberry coulis

For dessert, we opted for the Passionfruit souffle which again was like art on a plate. I didn't know where to tart - there were so many elements to this dish. A white chocolate ball that when you crack open, oozes out a chilli and passionfruit syrup. The coconut ice cream was creamy and smooth, sitting amongst the sponge cake and the foam. And of course, the passionfruit souffle which is served in a passionfruit! The chilli is not too strong, and actually accentuates the tanginess and sweetness from the passionfruit. It's a very clever dessert. at

The standard of the food at Les Bistronomes is exceptional and the service was wonderful. Throughout the meal, I did get food envy looking at the dishes coming out of the kitchen - the Beef Wellington and the crème brulee looked divine. Two reasons to make a return visit!