Vive la France! Where to celebrate Bastille Day in Brisbane
On Monday July 14, France – and Francophiles the world over – will gather to celebrate La Fête Nationale, otherwise known as Bastille Day. A number of Brisbane’s finest purveyors of French cuisine will be hosting their own Bastille Day celebrations with one-off dinners, limited-edition menus and covetable confections. If you’re eager to get amongst the Bastille Day action, these are the best places to do so …
Bisou Bisou, Fortitude Valley: Ghanem Group’s chic French-inspired brasserie Bisou Bisou is shaping up to be a great spot to celebrate Bastille Day this year, with the Fortitude Valley restaurant adding a bunch of winter specials to its lunch and dinner menus throughout July. Swing by for beef bourguignon, coq au vin, duck a l’orange, croque monsieur topped with Manjimup black truffle and some limited-edition Tricolore-inspired cocktails until Wednesday July 30. Bisou Bisou will also host Bastille Day editions of its popular Oui Oui High Tea on July 12–13 and 19–20, with mouthwatering morsels including chicken and tarragon-mustard mayonnaise brioche rolls, brie and fig jam vol au vents with fresh honeycomb and chocolate profiteroles with vanilla pastry cream.
C’est Bon, Woolloongabba: Paris will come to Woolloongabba on Monday July 14 when C’est Bon hosts its elegant Bastille Day Jazz Soiree. The restaurant will be honouring the history of the day and the ideals of liberty, equality and unity with a sumptuous share-style menu crafted by C’est Bon chef and owner Andy Ashby, which will include reimagined classics of French gastronomy. The offering will include escargot, French onion tarte tatin, spanner crab souffle, Icon Wagyu with pomme frites and golden pain d’epices savarin. The evening will also be accompanied with the sounds of a sounds of live jazz band – get your tickets here.
Bar Miette, Brisbane City: Supernormal’s Euro-inspired terrace bar sibling, Bar Miette, will be marking the French national holiday on Tuesday July 15 with a terrific pairing – cassoulet and Beaujolais. Guests can saunter in and sit down to a serve of Bar Miette’s take on the iconic slow-cooked dish, which will boast duck from Victoria’s Aurum Poultry Co. sausage and haricot beans. Meanwhile, the team will also be pouring a curated selection of Beaujolais wines from some of the region’s top producers, including Daniel Bouland, Olivier Coquard and Domaine du Petit Pérou. If there’s a better combo for battling the winter chill, we’d like to see it.
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Belle Époque, South Bank: One of the city’s best spots for French cuisine is getting into the Bastille Day spirit with a host of activations taking place over the coming weeks and months. On July 12–14, Belle Époque’s pastry chefs will be serving up a show-stopping croquembouche – a towering dessert made with vanilla creme patissiere-filled profiteroles and almond nougatine. This dessert is best shared between two – pre-orders for dine-in or takeaway are essential and must be placed by 5:00 pm Friday July 11 (order here). On Thursday July 17 and Thursday August 21, Belle Époque will be hosting Soirée Française, an evening of French delights. For $40 per person, enjoy a two-course set menu featuring classic French onion soup followed by steak frites with unlimited fries (book your spot here).
La Cache à Vín, Spring Hill: One of Brisbane’s best spots to sample some high-end French cuisine is encouraging gourmands to pop in on Monday July 14 for a special Bastille Day dinner. The four-course menu will include a glass of champagne from small grower Franck Pacal, followed by a number of classic French dishes. We’re talking souffle au Kirsch, grilled Japanese scallops with ‘Albufera’ butter, beef tartare, snails in puff pastry with artichokes and poulette sauce, plus your choice of poisson du jour roti, poireaux caramelise and sauce bonne femme (roasted fish of the day, caramelised leek and bonne femme sauce), eye fillet served with home-made French fries and green salad, confit duck Maryland served with broad beans and white bean ragout with orange sauce, and choux pastry gnocchi with candied walnuts and blue cheese sauce. Head to La Cache à Vín’s website for more information.
Hervé’s, Albion: Keen to dine like a Parisian on Bastille Day? Hervé’s at Craft’d Grounds is giving foodies two opportunities to do so on Monday July 14. First, head chef Marco Valcarcel Alonso and Hervé’s culinary ambassador Shannon Kellam will be crafting a lunch menu showcasing a selection of elevated French bistro fare, including chicken and cognac parfait with orange marmalade, local sand crab souffle with baked 18-month Comte cheese and bisque, and pan-roasted Stockyard Black Angus carved from the bone. At dinner, Hervé’s is offering two curated menus, each including a glass of Perrier-Jouët on arrival. Head to the Hervé’s website for menu info and booking details.