.jpg?fit=900%2C1051&ssl=1)
The French know how to party and on Bastille Day, France’s National Day, they go particularly hard. For those looking for somewhere to celebrate south of the equator, here’s our pick of Bastille Day bashes at French restaurants across Australia. Vive la France.
MELBOURNE
[Bistro Vue
](http://www.vuedemonde.com.au/bistro_vue) Bistro Vue puts the spotlight on nouvelle cuisine this Bastille Day, with a five-course dégustation dinner inspired by the cooking of Paul Bocuse. Expect smoked eel with oysters, Jerusalem artichoke and truffle soup, and pigeon with Brussels sprouts and wild mushrooms. For those who’d rather keep it lower-key there’s also a $60 lunch menu on offer throughout the week. $155 for five courses with matching wines. Bastille week lunch menu runs from 14-19 July at $60 per person, $90 with matching wines; Bistro Vue, level 55, Rialto 525 Collins St, Melbourne, Vic, (03) 9691 3838[
Albert St Food & Wine
](http://www.albertst.com.au/) Albert St Food & Wine’s Jason Rodwell has a thing for regional French cuisine. He’ll be paying tribute this Bastille Day with a hunting-themed shindig, kicking off with hors d’oeuvre (hare and foie gras royale, terrine de chasseur and raclette cheese among the offerings) followed by the pièce de résistance: a whole Côtes du Rhône and juniper berry-marinated boar with a specialty handmade pasta from the Savoy region and a Cacao Barry single-origin chocolate sauce. $75 for dinner; Albert St Food & Wine, 382 Sydney Rd, Brunswick, Vic, (03) 8354 6600
ADELAIDE
The hottest Bastille Day ticket in Adelaide? Bistro Dom, where set-menu share plates in the form of terrines, charcuterie (duck liver parfait, hot rillettes and house-cured duck ham – yes please) and smoked salmon with oyster cream, matched with top-end French and local wines, are set to steal the show. $80 for five courses, $120 with matching wines; Bistro Dom, Shop 1, 24 Waymouth St, Adelaide, SA, (08) 8231 7000
BRISBANE
Brisbane’s original French restaurant is ringing in Bastille Day with a four-course menu of trad favourites: onion soup with Gruyère croûtons, salade Lyonnaise and passionfruit soufflé among the offerings. Diners also have the option of ordering from the à la carte menu and there’s a $200 gift voucher up for grabs for the snappiest dresser. $85 for four courses; Baguette Bistrot & Bar, 150 Racecourse Rd, Ascot, Qld, (07) 3268 6168[
Montrachet](http://www.montrachet.com.au)
Truffle-lovers, rejoice. Montrachet’s Bastille Day specials are available in the form of a four- or six-course set menu that includes truffle and foie gras brûlée, lobster spaghettini with shavings of fresh truffle, and seared scallops with gnocchi and, yes, more truffle, plus a glass of Champagne on arrival. C’est très bon. $120 for six courses or $95 for four, with a glass of Champagne on arrival; Montrachet, 224 Given Tce, Paddington, Qld, (07) 3367 0030
PERTH
Must’s Bastille celebrations include a week-long menu of bistro classics, putting the spotlight on the likes of French onion soup, steak tartare and classic beef Bourguignon with Paris mash, plus a La Fête Nationale lunch and dinner menu on the day itself. Add a whopping selection of Champagne and French wines and you’ve got a winning package. Bistro classics menu available from 14-20 July for dinner; Bastille Day lunch and dinner menu available on 14 July; Must Winebar, 519 Beaufort St, Highgate, WA, (08) 9328 8255
SYDNEY
Forget Bastille Day, Ananas is going full swing with an entire week of French-accented events. From 13-18 July, patrons can take part in Champagne brunches, wine and cheese talks, cocktail workshops and dessert tastings. Those keen to take their celebrations outside can pick up a picnic hamper packed with snacks such as house-made baguettes, cheese and pâté, and there’s plenty to love from the kitchen, too, with a seven-course dégustation menu from chef Paul McGrath. Picnic hampers $100 each, serves up to four; dégustation menu $110 for seven courses, $190 with matching wines. For full schedule and prices, see website; Ananas Bar & Brasserie, 18 Argyle St, The Rocks, NSW, (02) 9259 5668
There are few more suitable places to celebrate the storming of the Bastille than the determinedly French room at Felix. This year’s celebrations see a three-course menu from chef Nathan Johnson, offering the likes of pork rillettes with pickled zucchini and rye sourdough, confit duck leg with green beans, orange and hazelnuts, and crème caramel with poached rhubarb and Perrier-Jouët granita, plus a glass of Ruinart at the bar to kick things off. $100 for three courses and a glass of champagne on arrival; Felix, 2 Ash St, Sydney, NSW, (02) 9240 3000[
Yellow](http://www.yellowsydney.com.au/)
Let’s face it, you’re not celebrating the French National Day without good wine, and Nick Hildebrandt’s list at Yellow is a very good place to start. This Bastille Day they’ll be serving a six-course set menu featuring the likes of beef tartare with shaved radish, egg yolk and mustard, foie gras parfait with pear and bitter leaves, and Aylesbury duck à l’orange, pairing each dish with a suitably smashing selection of French wines. We’ll raise a glass of gamay to that. $80 for six courses, $145 with matching wines; Yellow, 57 Macleay St, Potts Point, NSW, (02) 9332 2344
HOBART
Tassie favourite Remi de Provence’s Nîmes-inspired Bastille Day line-up includes the likes of 12-hour slow-cooked duck leg in a bergamot-infused lemon and rhubarb broth, grass-fed Scotch fillet with grilled pear and vanilla, and quince tarte Tatin. C’est magnifique. Remi de Provence, 252 Macquarie St, Hobart, TAS, (03) 6223 3933
