French chef Reymond gets it right with L’Hotel Gitan in Prahran

L’Hotel Gitan is a canny mix of on-trend elements with classic hospitality values. Source: Supplied

Joining him in delivering “well-priced French family feasting” are three of his children.

The reality: Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Reymond makes the switch from haute to hot look easy in a place with all the verve and vitality that his other family business nearby, Bistro Gitan, has failed to muster. L’Hotel Gitan is a canny mix of on-trend elements — centrestage kitchen with showpiece rotisserie, accessible pricing, one-page modern bistro menu — with classic hospitality values: the staff seem like naturals and the place only gets better under pressure. (We’re reminded of South Yarra’s Botanical Hotel in its heyday.) SJB Architects’ redesign of the art deco heritage building means it all looks very smart, too.

The cuisine: You’re in a pub, but the food muse is more bistro than gastro. Cured salmon, oysters, housemade boudin noir and blanc, steak tartare, Nicoise salad, several steaks of provenance … thus far, the menu reads like that of a certain French bistro not far from here, France-Soir. But then there are perky deviations: Crab Salad Creole with green papaya, mango and avocado; Pork Indochine, crispy pork belly in a milk bun; Peach Melba with black venere rice, lemon myrtle ice cream and caramelised popcorn. And yes, there will be various meats and fish cooked “a la broche” (spit-roasted) on the cherry-red rotisserie when it finally fires up next month.

Highlights: You can actually have a conversation! Not that it’s exactly quiet here, but the din is dimmer than some. The steak frites — the big test of a bistro. Ours was the Cape Grim grass-fed porterhouse, at $44 (for 330g), the priciest item on the menu and just so good. Frites are hot, golden, well-salted and not too skinny. The crab salad starter, liberal with the hero ingredient and as refreshing as promised. Good bread and butter.

Lowlights: A special of tuna tartare with cauliflower wasabi puree, finger lime and wakame lacked the bright flavour/texture contrasts of the crab salad. The two-sittings-at-dinner policy is hot-restaurant reality these days, but did we have to be told tersely, twice, that they needed our table back precisely two hours after the booking time? Oh, and I know it’s a quibble, but mustard is always a good thing to offer with a bistro steak.

Will I need a food dictionary? Unless you’re fresh back from a dining-out tour of France (not out of the question, given the affluent South Yarra customer base here), you too could be stumped by “rice venere”, “espelette” and so on.

The damage: Food prices fair, wine prices predictable for the times and the place. Which is to say, you don’t expect any bargains on a list that kicks off with NV Pol Roger at $155. And unlike France-Soir, you can’t BYO.

Source:  The Australian - 17th January 2015