Valley newcomer offers 20 dishes matched to 20 wines

Wine geeks listen up! There’s a new Brisbane restaurant serving up all your drinking dreams matched with top-notch French fare.

The king fish carpaccio at Petite, Fortitude Valley. Picture: David Kelly

Twenty dishes matched to 20 wines by two of Brisbane’s most respected vino gurus. No, this isn’t a one-off, special chef’s dinner – this is the nightly occurrence at the new Petite wine bar and restaurant in Fortitude Valley.

The work of vintner brothers Cameron and Jordan Votan, Petite takes the corner tenancy along East St, besides its siblings, the hugely popular restaurants Snack Man and Happy Boy.

With wraparound windows, industrial concrete warmed up by vintage rugs, walnut furniture and hefty leather booths, the space is a contemporary answer to the classic French wine/champagne bar or bistro found in Paris.

The downstairs dining room at Petite, Fortitude Valley. Picture: David Kelly

The brothers run the floor, helping diners with the menu which is cleverly split down the centre offering 20 food options on one side and 20 matching glasses of wine on the other.

It means guests can easily make the perfect dish pairing without the help of a sommelier. But they are equally encouraged to gravitate towards their favourites and enjoy the benefit of having so many wines by the glass to try.

And try you certainly will want to do, with the enticing, entirely French list offering glasses from $15 up to $38. There is also a separate list of cremant and champagne, leaning into the brothers’ strong French connections to deliver unique grower champagnes that are usually only available in limited quantities.

French bistro and wine bar Petite, Fortitude Valley. Picture: David Kelly

Upon arrival, we’re directed to a seat at the bar where a highly knowledgeable staff member recommends we begin with a glass of the semi-sweet rose Renardat-Fache Bugey-Cerdon NV ($18). Bursting with pomegranate, strawberry and raspberry, it’s highly quaffable and my only regret is ordering a glass instead of a bottle.

But there’s more to try like a Loire Valley muscadet with baked scallops or a Christophe & Fils chardonnay with kingfish carpaccio or perhaps a Jura savagnin with the steak tartare. We select the pairing of the grenache blanc from the Rhone Valley with the pan-fried gnocchi ($29) which turns out to be the ultimate indulgence. The potato dumplings arrive caramelised from the pan, their soft centres melting like cotton candy in the mouth with a comte-infused cream sauce ensuing a battle between me and my dinner date over the last spoonful.

Pan-fried gnocchi with comte cream. Picture: David Kelly

Continuing on the fromage theme are the goat’s cheese croquettes ($16) – with the sourness of the cheese helping balance out any oiliness from the deep fryer. The cheese souffle, potato pave, green beans and hamburger have all sold out on our visit, but the onion tarte tatin ($16) makes an appearance from the siblings’ temporary venue Mini, which opened next door to give diners a taste of what was to come with Petite while it was under construction.

This version has soft rings of onion encircled with buttery, flaky pastry juxtaposed by a dollop of creme fraiche. A French bistro menu wouldn’t be complete without a classic cordon bleu and this incarnation ($27) is Instagram-worthy with gruyere cascading from its tender centre like a waterfall when cut open.

Roasted baby carrots. Picture: David Kelly

On the traditional path there is also the likes of confit duck and two varieties of steak frites, but we opt for the braised lamb ($35) which has been crisped up in the pan before a dousing of bubbling confit garlic cream, alongside a silken pea puree. It’s winter comfort food, with the palate refreshed by a side of iceberg lettuce as recommended by our waiter.

Dessert is a creme brulee, chocolate souffle, basque cheesecake, ice cream or sorbet. We select the souffle ($24), which while its crust has just set, its centre resembles that of a chocolate fondant – an oozing puddle of dark cocoa perfectly offset by vanilla ice cream. Whether the kitchen meant to undercook the dessert, I’m not sure, but it didn’t stop my guest from scraping the ramekin clean.

Basque cheesecake with blueberries and basil. Picture: David Kelly

While its name may be Petite, pairing 20 wines to 20 dishes is no small feat, and that’s exactly what makes this newcomer exciting. So leave the car at home, and bring your appetite because you may just find your perfect match.

PETITE

East St, Fortitude Valley

0413 246 890

petiterestaurant.com.au

Open

Tue-Sat 5.30pm-late

Must try

Pan-fried gnocchi with comte cream

Verdict

Food 4

Service 4

Ambience 4

Value 4

Overall 4