What exactly is a bistro, anyway? When Bistra was first announced as Carlton’s newest hot thing, that was its decided classification. The Oxford Dictionary’s definition for the word is “a small, relatively simple restaurant, especially one offering French or French-style food”.
Everyone knows we’ve got quite a few of those around Melbourne. There’s Smith St Bistrot, Bistro Thierry, Bon Ap’ Petit Bistro, Bistro Gitan, Bistrot D’Orsay, Paris Go Bistro… do we really need another one?
Well, Bistra’s not quite one of those, to be fair. Though it borrows a little inspiration from France, to be sure, there aren’t any rules at this relaxed yet refined Elgin Street restaurant. On the menu you’ll find classically Gallic dishes like French onion soup, mussels with dijon and panisse (a kind of chickpea fritter from the south of France). But you might also find eye battered king prawns with pickled ginger and macadamia, cacio e pepe spaghetti or curried fish with coconut, depending on the season. The concept is unchallenging food, delivered with a degree of finesse reminiscent of our city’s semi-formal bistros of the ‘90s – if you can remember such places.
A suitably dressed-up pair of friends and I head in one Thursday night to suss out the food. Straight up, the energy inside is great. Picture a sleek, two-storey hive that’s all mirrors, tasteful lighting (read: not too warm, not too cool), sheer curtains and white tablecloths. Then fill it with groups of people having a good time and that’s Bistra. They’ve nailed the interiors; I don’t remember the last time a restaurant as classy as this one felt so easeful and welcoming.
We’re started off with very good bread and butter and a pair of dishes to share. It’s a deliciously oily beginning to things; twin shallow pools of butter respectively coat the plates of our entrées – one with parsley for a trio of bright, lemony scallops, the other with sage for a small mound of spinach and ricotta dumplings. The familiar flavour combinations are understated in a comforting way, like friends so old they don’t need to make a big song and dance to try and entertain you.
We’ve cracked open a bottle of 2022 Commune of Buttons ‘Clover’ chardonnay to share and it’s a suitably acidic drop to cut through the fat. The wine list is excellent and next time I’d order by the glass to taste more variety, but tonight I just want to have a nice time. And Bistra certainly is the right setting for that. By now, the restaurant is totally packed out or at least it feels like it. There’s ample din yet our table of three upstairs still feels intimate. They’ve also nailed the vibe.
The mains are brought to us a perfect amount of time after the entrées (consider the service officially nailed, too) and the evening stretches out into a pleasant night of conversation between bites. These dishes are well executed if subtler than expected.
Fork-tender snapper and pretty little clams sing of the sea, and the chef’s ginger and chilli-spiked sauce is delicate enough lest the song be drowned out. A piece of fried bread underneath the seafood medley presents more oil and carbs to mop up yet another approachable flavour pairing. No complaints, but by this stage I’m craving a diversion.
I’d heard great things about Bistra’s cheeseburger and there’s no denying it’s a hearty stack of quality ingredients (butter lettuce, A-grade meat, housemade sauce, etc) and as fine a choice as any. But truth be told, there are burgers around Melbourne I like better. This bun is dark enough a hue to verge on slightly bitter, and I find myself yearning for either a sweet or tart element within its contents. Note that it’s possible that years of frazzling my dopamine receptors with fast food-style burgers have ruined me. This, after all, is a very grown-up burger. Its allies, a crunchy dill pickle and salty French fries, work better to satisfy my inner child.
It’s the desserts that most excite us. In fact, we’re rather infatuated. One friend has ordered the coconut custard with lychee and lime granita, and it instantly becomes an all-out spoon war as we compete to eat the lion's share. Bistra’s apple with vanilla creme anglaise brings a level of comfort akin to a rainy school night in, when your parents have let you stay up and you’re eating something sweet past bedtime. There’s also a rhubarb and kiwi trifle I’d like to try next time.
And there will be a next time, for Bistra is a truly lovely restaurant. Elegant and modern with just a sprinkle of nostalgia, it’s a versatile new home in Carlton for special occasions and casual catch-ups alike.
Time Out Melbourne never writes starred reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills for reviews so that readers can trust our critique.