NOW EXPERIENCING:Smith St Bistrot
Drinks Directory|Recently opened|Melbourne – Inner North|Restaurant

Smith St Bistrot

Thursday: 5:30 – 10:30 PM
300 Smith Street, Collingwood, VIC, 3066
Phone
(03) 9419 2202
Website
smithstbistrot.com.au
Instagram
@smithstbistrot

Read time 3 Mins

Posted 12 Jul 2024

By
Michael Harry

Chef Scott Pickett’s sexy ode to the Paris bistro features a compact menu of French classics and great drinks served in a romantic, split-level dining room that’s perfect for date night.

People in bar
Why you goYou’re in safe hands with Scott Pickett, one of the city’s best chefs and a prolific restaurateur who has nine venues across town, from Chancery Lane to Estelle, along with Audrey’s on the Mornington Peninsula. His low-lit, slinky French bistro is a reimagining of one of his most successful joints, Saint Crispin, on a buzzing stretch of super-hip Smith Street. The venue has been overhauled, and now includes a lacy wrought-iron staircase leading to a mezzanine over the bar. Intimate banquettes with round marble tables are lined up for see-and-be-seen dining, while the punchy menu of so-Frenchy-so-chic favourites doesn’t put a foot wrong, with the likes of steak with peppercorn sauce and crème caramel served on mismatched vintage crockery. It’s the definition of date-night glam.
Why you stayIt’s a little bit Left Bank, a little bit Moulin Rouge cabaret. Think flickering lamps, patina-scarred mirrors, slippery banquettes, and lots of dark corners offering a 1920s Parisian mood that might have been imported from a Hollywood set. Luckily, Pickett has the chops when it comes to French cuisine, having trained under legendary Melbourne chef Philippe Mouchel as a teenager. While Pickett is now known for his high-end occasion restaurants, he designed this place to be a more casual affair. The high stools propped against the bar are ready to receive spontaneous visitors for a knockout French Martini stirred with pineapple, Chambord and absinthe and a round of oysters (natural, Kilpatrick or Rockefeller), as jazz purrs through the speakers. A warning: casual doesn’t exactly mean cheap here. 
food at bar
food on table
What drink to orderThe cocktails chime with the Francophile theme, the list including concoctions such as La Rue, Riviera Spritz, and Parisian Spring Punch on offer. None of these is a bad way to start the evening. The wine list also leans French (specifically Burgundy and Bordeaux), with chardonnay and pinot noir taking up a sizeable chunk of real estate, too. A buttery Chablis is arguably the thing to drink – a Domaine Gueguen ($114) is well priced for its ilk or go for the Domaine Laroche “Les Clos” Grand Cru ($435) if budget allows.
What to pair it withHead chef Daniel Southern (formerly of French-ish underground CBD brasserie Bar Margaux) brings a modern edge to classic dishes on a short, crowd-pleasing menu. There are a handful of trendy small bites (anchovies, house-cured meats, and whipped goat’s curd dip with vegetable sticks), six great entrées and as many mains. Strap yourself in for a retro ride with smoked ham hock and pea soup and escargot vol-au-vents – snails revved up with garlic butter in a puffed pastry pocket. While there are saucy staple dishes of chicken, fish and lamb, most tables go straight to the steak frites – a meltingly tender dry-aged eye fillet arrives drenched in deeply savoury peppercorn jus, with a metal cup stuffed with golden fries on the side. It’s such a ubiquitous dish, there’s no margin for error, and this version scores a perfect 10. Then there’s the textbook crème caramel for dessert, made fresh daily. Mon Dieu!
people talking at a bar
The bar
Why we love itIt’s the sort of just-fancy-enough neighbourhood diner that this end of Collingwood – perhaps better known for its pubs, bars and lo-fi restaurants – has been waiting for. It’s a bit special, but not intimidating, and your buy-in can top out at a craft gin and tonic and a plate of spectacular oeufs mayonnaise: boiled eggs with curried mayo dotted with chives and avruga caviar (an update on the original recipe from Pickett’s grandmother).
Regular's tipOne of Melbourne’s best private rooms is tucked away on the top level, past the mezzanine. La Vie en Rose is a high-ceilinged salon with gilt-framed mirrors and a grand dining table seating up to 56 guests. The muralled walls appear to have witnessed a few raucous evenings over the 1888 building’s 134-year history.
Make it fancyLook no further than the “classique” caviar service ($250), an all-out starter with beluga and Italian caviar, little blini pancakes, and other trad trimmings like crème fraîche and chives. It demands to be paired with a flute of something fizzy – may we suggest a bottle of the 2007 Billecart-Salmon Champagne ($580). 
Who to takeFile this one away for a major anniversary, or a fifth app date. “I know a little place in Collingwood,” you might say, and this will exceed all expectations.
food served
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In partnership with Melbourne Food & Wine Festival
image credits: Alex Squadrito
Authour image
Michael HarryMichael Harry is the food and lifestyle publisher at Hardie Grant Books. He was previously the editor of The Age Good Food Guide and lifestyle editor of Good Weekend.
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Drinks DirectoryBarKiller cocktailsRestaurantFancy occasionRecently openedMelbourne – Inner NorthDate nightTop notch wine listMelbourneParty vibes
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