Two weeks ago mis amigos and I were craving for some French cuisine and blue cheese. I've been to quite a few French or French-fusion restaurants in the past (more reviews incoming) and the one that I wanted to go was fully booked out for dinner that day. So I decided to jump on Eatability.com and try one of the highest-rated places there. Tastevin was among the highest-rated French-style restaurants on the wesbite so I made a booking and went. And we were pleasantly surprised.
The restaurant is tucked away on the busy Victoria St in Darlinghurst. We made a terrible mistake of driving there at 6pm on a thursday. It took us 40 mins to find a parking spot. Word of advice: cab it or leave it. By the time we got to the restaurant the long hunt for parking had tremendously damaged our dining mood so the food had to be exceptional to please us.
The waiting staff were very friendly and helpful. Services were swift and waiters walked by to check on us frequently. We ordered pate de foie gras and cheese plate for appetizers. The pate was very rich and aromatic with just a hint of brandy. The bruschetta it came with were cripsy and went well with the smooth texture of the pate. The cheese plate came with four different types of cheese: Camembert, Roquefort and a special Swiss cheese, all of French origin. My personal favourite was the Roquefort, rich, indulging with a very distinct and satisfying flavour. The Swiss was a little bit too savoury for my liking and I was never a fan of Camembert.
For main course, we ordered three dishes since there were three of us. I ordered confit duck leg with parsnip purée, red cabbage choucroute, duck sausage & jus gras, my two friends ordered beef Burgundy pie with celeriac purée & salad and duo of lamb à la provençale; roast rump & braised shoulder with ratatouille aumonière. I've had my fair share of dining experiences and I have to say, the duck leg absolutely blew me away. It was very tender yet maintained the texture of the meat. Each piece of duck leg melts in your mouth and turns into an explosion of flavour and indulgence. I could tell the chef spent a long time marinading the duck since the flavour was thoroughly absorbed into the duck leg from skin to bone. All in all it was a great dish.
Dessert was the only shortcoming in this otherwise magnificent dinner. I ordered creme brulee. It was just too sweet to me. The chef overdid the caramel on top and overpowered the actualy taste of the pudding below.
Finally regarding the price, Tastevin is cheaper than most other French restaurants I've been to. Main dishes range from $20-$35. The menu and pricing can be found on its website.
So there you have it, Tastevin Bistro & Wine Bar, definitely recommended for French cuisine lovers who don't mind too much about view and decor and just want to have some authentic, tasty food.(Image Source: http://www.tastevin.com.au/)
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