Le Bistro de l'Ouest
287 Hunan Lu,
Xuhui
near Wukang Lu
湖南路287号
近武康路
6433-8561
Open 6pm-2am
Price Y200-Y299 per couple
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- City Weekend says
The selection may be small but the food is a rare treat. Call ahead to reserve your spot at this hidden gem of a French restaurant as chef and owner Johnny Ti cooks according to the reservations made each day.
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Great (simple family style) French food with fair prices. Wow- that's a concept for Shanghai!
It was a decent meal experience ~ reservations were made for 4, and altho we needed to navigate through the french only menu, we ended up ordering the charcuterie plate, the homemade foie gras, the roast chicken and the duck confit ~ salad and bread were provided.
I think the food and the price is average - the roast chicken was great and the duck was acceptable ~ however, personally I've had much better starters and the house salad is nothing to write about
All in all I would say that its fun for a small French cuisine experience, but trying the lamb next time might improve my impression
I am simply amazed a wonderful little place like this doesn't get more buzz. This is not exactly your hole-in-the-wall French joint but there are not more than 3 tables on the each of the two floors of this marine-themed restaurant (really steep staircase).
The owner/chef is from Hong Kong via Paris so it helps if you speak either Cantonese or French. The menu is simple but solid with mostly the traditional offerings. But the serving is where things get interesting as the portions are large and they serve family style - just the way most locals like it. The leg of lamb is probably large enough to serve eight so it helps if you have a large party. And it is some of the most tender and flavorful lamb I've ever had. The preparation of the roast chicken may not be anything spectacular but the flavor is un-matched by your every day free range variety. All the sides from baguet to escargot and foie gras are solid also. A real pleasant surprise was the quality of the RMB120 bottle of wine.
A four course dinner with wine set us back about RMB200 per person and there was leftover to be taken home. This is proof positive great French food doesn't have to break the bank here in Shanghai.
Tired of the usual over-rated and over-priced French restaurant? In France you will never find a bistro masquerading as a restaurant. The Bistro de l'Ouest has no tablecloths and serves straightforward, home-cooked bistro food, “comme il faut”. Choices include the great classics of French cuisine such as a gigeau d'agneau (leg of lamb), entrecote ou filet de boeuf de Limousin (steak from the grassy central plain of France), poulet roti (roast chicken), home made fois gras, escargots, charcuterie, baked ham hock, dorade royale en crout de sel (baked gilthead fish in a crust of French sea salt), and cod fish with aioli (garlic mayonnaise).
The main dishes are served with roast potatoes, salad with French vinaigrette and the freshest market vegetable available in Shanghai. Without fixed and formal suppliers, you're as likely to find a superb cheese that a friend from France has just brought over, as the sweetest fine asparagus in early June that Chef Ty has found in the local vegetable market. In his one oven, Mr. Ty does all the cooking, serving and shopping himself. That might explain why he only opens his bistro for dinner. Be sure to phone ahead to see what’s cooking or to order your favorite dish and Mr. Ty will search the markets for you.
Having escaped Vietnam at the age of 17, Mr. Ty married and lived in Paris until 1998 when he retired and opened the Bistro de l'Ouest in Shanghai initially to cook for his friends. He recently opened the doors to the public and hung out a sign. Decorated with family photos from the coast of Brittany, the stark and pristine townhouse interior is reminiscent of a sailing yacht with its highly varnished wood, skipper's wheel, and bar where one pauses for an aperitif to stimulate the appetite and a chat, before climbing up to the captain’s quarters to dine.
No need to worry about gaining weight, we all know that the French don't get fat, the bread is baked fresh to order, and no desert is served. Who needs desert after such regalia? Well, have a French liqueur instead! No charge for corkage.
Food was fantastic, especially at the given price. At a typical French restaurant a similar meal would cost at least double of what the bill came out to be tonight, not to say that there was any drop in quality. The quality of the food was fantastic and the service was nothing to complain about. Definitely will be back, but two minor qualms. The desert is relatively normal (nothing outstanding, as compared to the meal), and the food took quite a while to serve (which might just be part of the French dining experience).
Anyways, fantastic meal for fantastic value. What more could you ask for?