Bistro Gitan

Bistro Gitan

Someone from this business manages this listing.
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+61 3 9867 5853+ Add website
Hours
Mon
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Tue
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Wed
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Thu
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Fri
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Sat
5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
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What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Ratings and reviews
4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles

RATINGS
Food
4.4 of 5 bubbles
Service
4.5 of 5 bubbles
Value
3.9 of 5 bubbles
Atmosphere
4.3 of 5 bubbles
Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
Learn More
CUISINES
French, European
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Drinks
features
Can a vegan person get a good meal at this restaurant?
About
Set opposite Fawkner Park in a stunning classic Victorian building, Bistro Gitan reflects a warm and intimate choice for your next dining experience. Charming and comforting, the Bistro is the perfect environment for celebrations, as well as inviting enough to become your next local. At Bistro Gitan, we celebrate the generously welcoming style of dining that the Reymond family has enjoyed for generations in France. Named after the gypsy travellers of Europe, Gitan reflects a style of cuisine drawing from the best of contemporary French bistros accented by inclusions from Spain, Italy and around the Mediterranean.
CUISINES
French, European
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Drinks
FEATURES
Reservations, Seating, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles270 reviews
Excellent
143
Very good
90
Average
21
Poor
9
Terrible
7

Angie Bee
Melbourne888 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023 friends
I loved stepping into this gorgeous restaurant/bistro. It's very French inspired in a beautiful part of town with good parking and easy to get to. The decor is lovely and you're greeted the second you step inside and all staff were friendly. I personally found the menu a little limiting; to those that don't eat seafood or pork, but still managed to find something. There was only one option for me for entree and of course they were out of it, which I found at a 6pm on a Saturday night to be very poor. I therefore had to skip entree and for the main, I chose the pasta (French??) and Gratin Dauphinois (which were scrumptious). Dessert was a beautiful sponge with cream and strawberries. It was light and delicious and you didn't feel too bad that you'd eaten so much as it wasn't heavy and sickly. The presentation was also outstanding. My friend loved their meal too, and I would most likely go back again, both when their menu is completely available, and also when it's an occasion as it wasn't cheap. Overall, service was good and food, though not plentiful or with a lot of variation, was tasty. I'd recommend it.
Written 11 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Claudia L
14 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 family
I eat at this place regularly. It became my favourite restaurant in Melbourne for a few reasons. The variety of dishes on offer and also that there are small medium and large sizes, which means you can order a lot of different things. Last time I visited however the food was bland. I had raw fish and it was served with melon and melon juice. Not great. I wonder if there was a new chef. The price of alcohol is exhorbitant. I wouldn’t have drinks with dinner again.
Written 10 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rotiman1
Sydney2024 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022 couples
Decided to have a French lunch and choose Bistro Gitan. Were pleasantly surprised to see a sign advertising a Prix fixe menus when we arrived. Greeting was warm and we were quickly seated. Menus and water arrived quickly. As we usually did in France we choose the formulee lunch menu as we knew portion sizes would be smaller and it offered what we’d have chosen from the a la carte menu. Waiter was knowledgable about the French wine we were considering and it proved a good choice. Food was well presented, perfectly cooked and full of flavours and tastes. The steak tartare was a standout Shared the pistachio sweet where it’s presentation was matched by its flavour. You know you’ve chosen a restaurant well when service is friendly and efficient, wine and water are topped up without request and timing between courses is perfect. Will definitely make a return visit. Decore and ambience were “bistro” perfect
Written 14 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JanineON
Melbourne114 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2022 friends
Our group dined on Bastille evening. Two of us had the chicken special - it was a generous serve, but bland, a creamy sauce with a few sliced mushrooms and about 5 slivers of truffle, sitting on some pasta. Absolutely no flavor of truffle ( or anything else). Side dishes of pomme frites were good, the steamed veg OK. Desserts of crème brûlée and pear tart were good. I had profiteroles - the choux pastry was over cooked and crisp and filled with what tasted like unsweetened whipped cream, not crème patisserie as our waitress had promised. As the chocolate sauce was bitter the dish lacked any sweetness. Service was patchy and brusque. And we had trouble getting our bill as two staff were too busy resetting empty tables. We have enjoyed it here in the past but won’t return.
Written 16 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Marguerite Moreau
10 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2022 family
I visited a few months ago. Ambiance was decent and staff were friendly and attentive. Nevertheless, the food is extremely hit and miss, as well as the mixed beverages being sub-par, certainly not worth the unreasonably high prices.
Written 20 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mildred2011
London204 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 couples
Our best meal so far on our trip to Melbourne Delightfully friendly yet sophisticated bistro with a strong menu and daily specials The steak frites was cooked to perfection with a wonderfully fresh salad. The tarte tatin to finish was straight out of the oven on the lightest pastry base Excellent wine choices too Well worth a visit
Written 9 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

William S
Melbourne9 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2020 none
We tried the Bistro Gitan take-away dinner package for 4 people on a Saturday night. The crumpet with the blue cheese was stodgy. The potato agnolotti and the confit ocean trout was okay, the side salad delicious. Most disappointing was the strawberry tart. Although great pastry and delicious raspberries (no strawberries), the really disappointing thing was that there were only two small tarts for 4 people! I thought that there must have been a mistake so I drove back to Gitan but was told by Victor that there was only half a tart per diner! I said that this came across as a cheap shortcut, given how little it would cost to make 4 tarts instead of 2. I requested that he get management to call me to consider providing 2 more tarts and he said that he would ask them to call me that afternoon but we heard NOTHING. Not a good way to encourage a previous customer to return!!
Written 12 May 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lloyd G
1 contribution
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 family
Unfortunately underwhelming experience. The place is quite dark and very noisy. The menu while simple offers a decent range but for a place with an excellent reputation it under delivers. The food was under seasoned and nothing special. I had stake tartare with beetroot chips as truffles were out of season. The beetroot chips were soggy making it difficult to eat with the steak. Spatchcock was dry and forgettable. The wait staff were professional but not engaging. At $100 / head food only I expect better.
Written 24 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Aussieptraveller
Melbourne42 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 none
Wow Wow Wow... This was an outstanding dinner that we will remember for ever. We were warmly greeted at the door, the staff member was aware that it was my birthday dinner and we were located as requested at a lovely window table. The restaurant was busy early evening in early January. We were immediately given menus, water and left to ponder our drink and food selections. The staff nearby when required but not intrusive and very well informed on specials and food and wine pairings. Our food choices were superb! We unusually ate three courses it was so wonderful. The apricot tare tatin is to die for! We will be back and this restaurant has become our special occasion restaurant. The food is extremely well priced for the quality and quality of service and restaurant ambience. Oh what a lovely evening!
Written 12 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LHotel-Bistro-Gitan
Thank you for taking the time to express your kind words. We are glad we could make your birthday dinner even more special. We hope to host you on a future occasion at Bistro Gitan.
Written 13 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Dom C
Cape Schanck47 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2021 friends
Dinner with friends at Bistro Gitan. This is the first time we had been at Gitan for a couple of years. Although the service was good, my critique is directed to the pitiful quality of the main course I had selected, which was a lamb rump. This was served sliced into thin pieces, with each piece having a large section of fat, typical of lamb fat from the night before roast one has at home. It even reminded me of the sliced cold fatty beef served up for lunch at boarding school. By the time the fat was removed, the serving was little more than an entree. It was appalling. It was tough. It was expensive. And Gitan privileged us with a charge for paying with credit card.
Written 16 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Matilde595
Melbourne85 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023 none
We started off with Croque Monsieur with a twist and Chicken liver parfait with croutons . Both delicious . My partner had Spatchcock with mustard crust, butter savoy cabbage, bacon, a devil sauce of pepper and verjuice and I had Piccata of chicken livers, bacon, balsamic, fresh pappardelle, watercress, and a salad . Washed down with excellent french wines . We shared a dessert of Creme Brûlée . We enjoyed our meal so much abd cant wait to go back . We have bedn to this Bistro many times and it never disappoints! Well done to the chef and the attentive waitresses !
Written 12 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

g0girlmelb0urne
Melbourne63 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 couples
This restaurant never disappoints. Consistently excellent service, delicious food and a relaxed vibe. As I’m a small eater, I particularly like the ‘moyen’ ( medium size) dishes. On our recent visit, I had leek tarte tartin with goats cheese and walnut salad. It was just lovely. My husband had pork which he described as melt in the mouth. A side of French fries and you can’t go wrong. Staff are very happy to help navigate the wine list. I don’t want to over explain the dessert menu- pick one and enjoy! The restaurant is beautifully renovated and well designed for couple, families or larger groups.
Written 20 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sara H
Melbourne119 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 none
We've done this twice now and both times the 'hamper' was excellent. This is not 'smack you in the face' creative fine dining. It's beautifully prepared and delicious French bistro food. How they can make such apparently simple dishes so delicious I have no idea! The serves for the mains are very generous. We buy the hamper for 2 and it lasts 2 nights: one night we have one of the mains between us and the starter, and the other night we have the other main (we add our own vegetables for a side) and dessert. Lovely not having to think about cooking for two evenings! We also paid for the delivery and it was prompt and safe. We will be back for a third visit before lockdown is over. I'm sure.
Written 7 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

177Maryann
Melbourne101 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2020 couples
What a great Bastille Day celebration! I’ve tried several top end restaurants for take-away and have largely been disappointed. Not so last night! Exquisitely seasoned salmon tartare, succulent duck a l’orange, with perfect green beans and sumptuous gratin dauphinois and a delicious, silky Creme caramel for dessert. Every mouthful as a wonderful flavour sensation. Thank you SO much! I’ll be back for more!
Written 14 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Annie C
Canterbury453 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 friends
We have not dined here for many years, but decided it was a good restaurant to dine with friends from the country. We were not disappointed! We all chose the Lunch Special, which consisted two courses, with bread. $49 each. To me, great value. Washed down with an excellent French Rose. Now we have reacquainted ourselves with this dining gem, we will be back Also, easy to park! Well done to all the staff, a great day.
Written 26 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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