Popular French restaurant earns a perfect score for brilliant service
New owners? No worries, an in-demand restaurant continues along a well-established path, with expert service and traditional food.
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When Thierry and Carol Galichet decided to sell La Cache a Vin in November last year, devotees of the veteran operators could be heard moaning “sacre bleu!” and wondering if life as they knew it had come to an end.
As well as the Spring Hill bistro, the Galichets have a strong following after running multiple restaurants across the city over the years, but are best known for establishing long-time French favourite Montrachet in Paddington in 2006.
But when the La Cache a Vin buyers were discovered to be the restaurant’s manager Romain Maunier, and Dan Arnold, who runs lauded French set-menu fine diner Restaurant Dan Arnold in Ann Street in Fortitude Valley, calm was restored.
A recent visit confirms everything is much as before. Maunier patrols the floor, Arnold has oversight but is busy in his Valley kitchen turning out his signature intricate food, and the wine is still sourced by Galichet, who continues to run his wine import business.
Service is as sharp as ever from an experienced team.
The decor in the basement of the 1886-built venue beneath what was St Paul’s Tavern is as it was, with a multitude of spaces, rough-hewed stone walls, massive wooden beams, bare rustic-style wooden tables and comfortable, upholstered chairs.
The plastic-encased menu continues on its merry robust bistro way with its small starters of, say, roquefort brulee or foie gras, motors through entrees of deep-fried lambs’ brains with capers, mayonnaise and pickles, or perhaps snails nestled beneath a puff pastry duvet, and the creamy charms of coquilles St Jacques. Mains include venison, eye fillet with house-made French fries and salad or roasted lamb. And creme brulee is still an option for the finale. Phew!
Still and sparkling water is complimentary and the drinks list remains a tome meandering from kir, Ricard or Pastis and a lengthy list of cocktails to start, before a page of Champagnes, a sequence of whites with an emphasis on chardonnay, reds with a very deep dive into pinot noir (Burgundys) before a gaggle of sweet wines such as the legendary Chateau d’Yquem.
Our immersion in classic French bistro fare begins courtesy of a thick slab of pork terrine with foie gras centre and a firm pastry crust ($32) served with pickles and soft, baby salad leaves and it’s a fine cool starter, while hot from the oven is the pillowy, oozy souffle that has become a firm customer favourite. With confit onion, gruyere cheese and Kirsch veloute ($29) it’s a cheesy, fluffy, rich delight and the crunchy complimentary bread is an essential accessory for mopping up.
Roast duck breast ($52) is well-cooked with crisp skin and a pink-tinged centre, well matched with beetroot and lapped by Morello cherry jus.
Equally appealing is the pan-roasted fish of the day, in this case barramundi, with crisp skin and moist flesh, teaming simply with beurre blanc sauce, white beans and gremolata ($49).
Desserts include meringue with cream and fruit, sorbets, dark chocolate and praline dacquoise and the creme brulee but we opt to share a rectangle of autumn fruit tart. Tonight it’s studded with figs, arrives with a scoop of vanilla ice cream ($18) and strawberry halves and is pimped up with circular drizzles of strawberry coulis.
Lovers of the traditional fare offered at La Cache a Vin need not worry, everything is in order, and a strong sense of hospitality remains the guiding principle.
Even the phone-only bookings system is a custom still in place. However, a quarterly premium wine dinner on a Saturday night is a shock innovation for a place that has
always been strictly Monday to Friday, a
tiny blip that will surely have regulars alert
but not alarmed.
LA CACHE A VIN
215 Wharf St, Spring Hill
3924 0501
lacacheavin.com.au
Open
Mon-Fri, lunch from noon, dinner from 6pm
Must-try dish
Souffle a l’oignon et Gruyere
Verdict
Food
Service
Ambience
Value
Overall
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