Set Lunch at Bistro du Vin

Entering Bistro du Vin at Shaw Centre, one immediately feels the atmosphere of an authentic French bistro. From the classic French items on the menu to the dark wood-paneled interior with the tiny marble-topped tables, the setting placed us in a warm, cosy mood for lunch.  As usual, the place is packed for lunch and we suspect the main reason for this is the very enticing set lunch that this bistro offers.

Many other places may have set lunch deals which offer good value, but they are often quite limited in the menu selection.  Here, you are spoilt for choice with seven options for both the starter and main course and six options for dessert. The three-course lunch plus coffee costs $30 (a couple of the menu selections require a small ‘top-up’).

For starters, we had the escargots stewed in red wine and the homemade rabbit terrine with nuts and spices.   The escargot was served with pieces of bacon on a fried egg.  This was a combination of three strong flavours.  The earthy, grassy taste of escargot blended well with the crisp oily bacon. With a coating of runny egg yolk, each mouthful was a riot of complex flavours. In contrast, the terrine had a pure and light taste. It was refreshing and had a nutty taste with hardly a hint of a meaty taste.  We were both satisfied with our selection of starter and would recommend it. But be warned that they were served in quite substantial portions.

Choosing the main course was quite difficult as all the options were very attractive. We settled for the duck confit and grilled lamb ribs.  The lamb ribs were nicely grilled with a coating of honey mustard and herbs and rested on a bed of lentils.  It was excellent, The meat was delicate and the seasoning and herbs gave a common dish an unusual twist.  The duck was served with stewed haricot beans and lamb sausage. Again, this added new flavours to an otherwise usual dish.

Our meal came to a sweet end with a creme brulee and caramelised apple and raisin whipped cream.  After the rather generous portions in the preceding courses, we were glad that the dessert portions were modest and manageable.  We enjoyed the lunch at Bistro du Vin, especially with the reasonable pricing.  This is a good place right in the heart of town to have a casual French meal.  Its location at street level also provides a good vantage point to people watch.  Do ask for the window side tables when you make your reservation. The bistro also offers a comprehensive wine list. Look beyond the usual big names of Bordeaux and Burgundy and you can sample lesser-known but good-tasting wines here by the glass or carafe if a bottle is too much.

Ratings
Food: 4
Service: 3
Value: 4
Atmosphere: 4
Overall Rating: 4 TOPs 

Bistro du Vin
1 Scotts Rd, #01-14 Shaw Centre
Singapore 228208

Tel : +65 6733 7763

Opening Hours:
12:00pm – 2:00pm, 6:30pm – 10:00pm

Nearby MRT Station: Orchard

www.bistroduvin.com.sg