Although Manchester is experiencing a huge surge in restaurants, French cuisine doesn’t seem to be on the agenda with just a few scattered around the City. For some reason French food isn’t something I would automatically think of when dining out despite my love of a particularly good cheese or wine. So when Bistrot Pierre opened their doors in Altrincham I was excited to see how this multi site restaurant would fit in the growing suburb.
Altrincham is growing into quite the place to be. The Market has grown from strength to strength and you will regularly see me wandering around with a cappuccino in hand browsing the stalls of the local traders at weekends. Growing around this success is the rest of the town and it is so nice to see a high street so busy and bustling again. Bistrot Pierre has acquired a large site in the Stamford Quarter over two floors with a bright interior and friendly staff who are surprisingly excellent considering the infancy of the restaurant itself.
When presented with the menu I spent far too long trying to decide what to have. The starters offer a wonderful mix of classic French dishes and twists on the classics, I was really torn on what to choose. In the end my love of cheese won and I went with the St Marcellin with my friend choosing the Calamari.
The St Marcellin is a mild and creamy cheese that is melted with the rind still on before being served with a lightly spiced pear chutney and sourdough toast. The slight nuttiness of the cheese compliments the chutney really well and the chutney brought back memories of Christmas time with the light spices, it certainly warmed up a miserable January night.
The Calamari has a thicker than normal coating which provided a satisfying crunch and the roasted garlic mayonnaise on the side had a really garlicky kick that so many garlic mayo dips just lack.
Mains were much easier for us both to choose and I had already looked at the menu online so knew I would go for the Chicken and Lentils whilst my friend chose a more traditional Bouillabaisse.
Now I have to say that I am not the biggest fan of lentils and, with this new revelation, I am guess you are wondering why I would choose this dish. Hear me out. When I have had lentils in the past they have been cooked for far too long and the texture of overcooked lentils reminds me of the chalkiness I despite about kidney beans. So really, I was placing the chef at Bistrot Pierre on a pedestal by choosing a dish where a certain element had to be a certain way for my approval. Luckily for us all they were just cooked so still with bite and that lovely nutty flavour that complimented the fatty bacon and creamy sauce. The chicken was soft and juicy sat atop the mound of lentils, I was in a happy place.
The Bouillabaisse is a very filling dish with a lovely mix of fish and seafood with a rouille, aged gruyere and sourdough toast. The sauce was lightly spiced yet rich and hearty, the perfect winter comfort food without being too heavy.
Rarely missing dessert, there was no way I was leaving without trying the classic creme brûlée. I wasn’t expecting such a large portion but this could have easily satisfied two people! Just the right amount of sugar gave a good crack with the spoon and the vanilla cream had been cooked perfectly. No lumps and bumps, no sign of curdling and not too sweet.
My friend chose the chocolate fondant which was rich and dense with a gooey, oozy chocolate centre. The ice cream lovely and smooth, and like my creme brûlée not too sweet. Both very balanced desserts to send us on our merry way with full tummies.
There is a nice menu of lighter dishes which are perfect for those watching the waistline as well as some great monthly deals including a six course set dinner for £22.50 every 2nd and 4th Tuesday in the month. A French gem in a thriving foodie town, I’m glad it is only a train ride away.
I was invited to dine as a guest of Bistrot Pierre and was not asked to pay for my meal.
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