Dinner at Bistro Gaston - French Restaurant at Keong Saik Road

Bistro Gaston is an all-day French restaurant and wine bar in the heart of Keong Saik, Singapore. It is said to evoke a sense of being in the heart of a kitchen in Burgundy serving authentic, comfort French fare and delicious wines. We took a trip to Chinatown on a wet rainy night for some Burgundian cuisine and to practise our parallel parking.

French Restaurant at Keong Saik Road

We picked a weekday to have dinner at Bistro Gaston. The plan was to have a quiet meal and an easy time finding a parking spot at this popular dining enclave near Chinatown. But things did not go according to plan. The streets in the Keong Saik area were congested. No parking lots available and we did not get to practise our parking skills. Fortunately, some parking spots were still available in the multi-storey carpark at Craig Road, a 15 minute walk away.

Bistro Gaston French Restaurant

The Gaston restaurant has a narrow and compact space. Dim lighting and a woody rustic decor gave it a casual bistro atmosphere.

It was a full house on that day and noise levels were high. Don’t be fooled by the photos of empty seats here. They were taken at the end of dinner when most of the other diners had left. This may not be a French restaurant for those seeking a quiet romantic French dinner. But if a lively atmosphere is acceptable, there are some small tables suitable for couples such as this one next to the wine shelves.

French Wine

Bistro Gaston French Restaurant Wine List

Predictably, French wines take centerstage in the Gaston wine list. This is a page from the wine menu. Wine prices start from around $100 a bottle. We tried a white wine from the Loire Valley : 2022 Pouilly-Fumé “Les Racines” Domaine Alain Cailbourdin ($108) which was dry, fresh and enjoyable.

Bistro Gaston Menu

Here are pictures of the Gaston restaurant a la carte menu. Separate set lunch and brunch menus are available.

Bistro Gaston French Restaurant Menu — Gaston Menu

Burgundian Dinner

Dinner started with appetisers foie gras ($36) and escargots ($35 for 12 pieces). The foie gras was served with brioche and compote. It had a restrained liver flavour which was good for me, The escargots were innovatively prepared with ‘fake’ shells made of pastry. I thought that this was a good idea as we need not have to extract the meat out of natural shells.

We added another starter to share. The Royale de Champignons ($27) which comprised of wild mushrooms, egg custard, Bayonne ham & red wine sauce. The taste was rich and creamy. Good for dipping the sourdough bread.

For main courses, we tried two French classics. First up, Boeuf Bourguignon ($40), a beef stew in red wine sauce with bacon, mushrooms and mash potatoes.

Followed by Pôchouse Bourguignonne ($44), a fish stew with barramundi, mussels, scallop and potatoes. This was served with a side of garlic bread. I thought that this was the best dish of the day.

Finally, we could not leave without ordering some profitéroles – choux puffs stuffed with ice cream
and covered with melting Valrhona chocolate. A sweet end to our French bistro meal.

La Cabane

Located across the street from Gaston is La Cabane, a French wine bar by Bistro Gaston. It serves “typical French bistro dishes and a varied selection of wines in an intimate setting”. It also serves as a private room for your private events.