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Review: Le Bistrot Pierre

Our Lifestyle Editor, Emily Griffin, was invited to dine at Bath's new Le Bistort Pierre, here's how she got on...

As someone who likes to think of themselves as quite the French fanatic, I was thrilled to be invited along to Bath’s newest French offering; Le Bistrot Pierre.

There is something about the way the French do things, from their fashion to art, and especially their cooking that really hits the mark for me.

Le Bistrot Pierre is situated in the heart of Bath along George Street, and oozes French style and character. It’s part of an independent group of restaurants providing authentic French cooking from locally sourced produce.

The restaurant itself is beautifully decorated with a stylish French interior; including vintage advertisements, mirrors and even bunches of lavender.

One of the best things about Le Bistrot Pierre is the space. So many restaurants try and squeeze in too many tables so that it can be difficult to manoeuvre around. This was certainly not the case for Le Bistrot Pierre.

To nibble on, whilst we pondered over the menu, we had a little dish of Mini Chorizos au Miel. These were deliciously tangy and moreish miniature chorizo sausages full of sweetness and spice. They were so moreish that we actually ordered more after we’d ordered our starters.

The menu is packed with great French dishes so it took us a while to take our pick.

My starter of choice was a delectable Tarte aux Cèpes et Bacon. This was a lovely warm tartlet, made with freshly baked crisp pastry, Alsace bacon, Gruyère cheese and cep mushrooms with caramelised onion and fromage frais. It was a great mix of tastes and textures. The pastry was perfectly cooked and crumbly, and the filling light and full of deep flavours.

My date for the evening chose the Pâté de Campagne. This was a rustic home-made coarse pâté with pork and pistachio nuts. It was served in a generous portion and accompanied by warm sourdough toast, and crisp pickled cornichons. The pâté was meaty and intense, and worked perfectly with the lightness of the sourdough toast and the sharpness of the cornichons.

Both these dishes were expertly cooked and beautiful presented. The service was quick and friendly too.

For mains, I went for Pavé de Steak cooked medium rare with a side of dauphinoise potatoes. This was quite simply heaven on a plate. The steak was cooked to perfection, it was pink in the middle and full of flavour – it just melted in my mouth.

My potatoes were served in a small side dish and were seasoned with rosemary as well as garlic; a very welcome addition.

For my date’s main he decided on the Burger Maison. This beast of a burger was made of 100% prime British beef and dressed with pickles, Gruyere cheese, red onion and salad. It was served with a side of thin French fries. The patty was well seasoned and juicy, everything you’d want from a burger. Through nods of satisfaction it was very clear that he enjoyed his main, this was again confirmed by his empty plate.

By the time we got round to dessert, we were feeling pretty full. The restaurant’s atmosphere was great, we were able to sit and chat whilst we were given a little break to order our pudding. As we so often do, we decided to share a dessert. And, as per usual, I got to choose.

There is one thing I always order from a French restaurant, and that’s Crème Brulee. I have tasted my fair share of this creamy dessert, on both sides of the Channel, and it’s something that will have me coming back time and time again if it’s done properly. I was completed and utterly overjoyed when Le Bistriot Pierre’s Brulee appeared on our table. It was perfectly executed. The caramel top was a light beautiful sheen of gold – with not a burnt dot in site. It was a true French Crème Brulee – even the size was just that of the traditional desserts I’d experienced the eateries of Paris itself.

The texture was smooth and creamy, and the vanilla was beautifully balanced. I do not say this lightly, but this was by miles the best Crème Brulee I have eaten anywhere in England.

Our evening at Le Bistrot Pierre was really wonderful, the restaurant’s character and French vibes were perfectly complimented by its friendly and attentive staff. We had a fabulous evening, with great food and will definitely be venturing through the doors again. A true taste of France in the English city of Bath.