In the heart of the Civic District, in what was formerly the Big Hotel and is now Hotel G, this super pretty European bistro’s claim to fame is its $6 wine glasses. And not just during happy hour. All. The. Time. But more on that later. Walking in, you’ll be more than a little impressed by the high ceilings, and the giant glass wall with lots of sunlight, making it perfect for long Friday lunches when you can’t be bothered to work that hard. It’s also pretty sweet for a weeknight date. With its beehive flooring, Old World furniture and some pretty plush semi-private booth seating, the sexiness quotient is high.
The menu is staid but solid. Helmed by veteran chef Sylvain Royer, who is also behind the successful Scarlett in Bangkok and Hong Kong, is a pretty classic menu with salads, sandwiches, pastas and mains. On the lunch menu are value-for-money usuals like roasted chicken salad with romaine lettuce, cheddar and ranch dressing ($11) and tagliatelle pasta with Bolognese sauce ($12). Daily specials change on the surprisingly affordable two-course set lunch menu ($18). The cornerstone of the heartier dinner menu is the apple wood charcoal grill, which fired ups premium meats like Australian Angus beef ($39-120), Kurobuta pork ($24) and organic lamb chop ($42). Desserts are classic and decadent, too: the baba au rhum ($12), for example, and the molten chocolate cake made with Valrhona with vanilla ice cream ($13).
Ok, as promised, the wines. Their wine list is entirely French, and they import directly, which might explain these crazy good prizes. The geographical range covers the usuals, from Bordeaux to Puligny Montrachet to Graves to Chateauneuf du Pape, and prices range from $30-600. Six of these babies come by the glass at $6 and four at $8. Good deals abound.
