WHERE: 128-132 Victoria St. (09) 309 4264
OUR MEAL: $305 for four glasses of wine, one cider, five entrees, five main courses, a bowl of pommes frites and four desserts.
OUR WINE: Seriously French list that stretches from $8 for a glass of Cotes de Nimes to $59 for an excellent bottle of Burgundy pinot noir.
VERDICT: Delicious and hearty French food in a delicious French atmosphere.
OUT OF 10
FOOD: 8
SERVICE: 8
VALUE: 7
AMBIENCE: 8
What is it that makes a true French restaurant different from all others? Sure, it's the lilting accents and off-hand-but-efficient waiters, the mildly rustic surrounds - but most of all, it is the food. And as ordinary New Zealand restaurant food becomes more refined, the sheer gutsiness of French provincial food becomes more of a stand-out.
At Pastis on Victoria St the food smells fabulous. The terrine ($17.50) has that rich, musty whiff of truffle and meat. The onion soup is oniony and cheesy, the warmed vichyssoise ($10.50) creamy and perfumed, the escargots ($15.50) drenched in butter and sweet garlic. Similarly, the patrons are obviously relaxed. This is not a trendy place to see and be seen.
Instead it's like a pub - a place to meet friends, stretch out, rest your elbows on the table and indulge in Pastis' excellent selection of wine. It is also one of the few places in town where you can drink French cider with your meal as they do in north-west France where the apple trees grow. And it's only $4.50 a glass. Pastis, like most French restaurants, works well in winter. The food is hearty and satisfying.
The servings are large by Auckland standards. There is no sign of impenetrable, stacked meals or complicated fusion dishes. Instead we have the French classics: Vichysoisse, escargots, cassoulet, profiteroles and tarte tatin, plus Pastis' specialities of sweet crepes and galettes (savoury crepes).
As the younger sibling of Bouchon in Kingsland - now usurped by the even younger Torchon - Pastis has much to live up to. And it gets a good start, with its wonderful location on the corner of Victoria and Nelson streets. The room, with its floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides, is graceful and elegant; the tables with their white cloths more upmarket than Bouchon's; the menu similar.
We spent ages poring over the rather slim menu. The vegetarians, particularly, found their choices narrow. However, when their special fish ($31.50) and king prawns ($32.50) arrived, they were well pleased. Brian, meanwhile, had no trouble at all deciding, falling on the cassoulet ($31.50) with yelps of delight.
It was, he assured us, thick enough to need a knife and fork: it contained the obligatory chicken, pork and sausage, plus masses of garlic and herbs. Perfect. Indeed, I was the least satisfied. I'd opted for the galette of the day, not because it was inexpensive at $18.50, but because galettes are Pastis' speciality and they do them brilliantly.
Last time I'd tried the Provencale version which, stuffed with ratouille, was quite marvellous. This one, filled with chicken, did not work so well. The crisp and light batter seemed all wrong with the large-ish piece of chicken served in a creamy sauce. But all was forgotten and forgiven when we moved on to dessert.
The tarte tatin ($10.50) was much better than any tarte I've eaten in France. The apples had been cooked into a macerated, soft custard edged with toffee. The crust was crisp yet amazingly drenched with sweet juices that had leaked through during the cooking process. Served with vanilla icecream (better than cream with a really hot dessert), it was perfect. The others, despite protesting they were already replete, demolished their profiteroles ($10.50) and chocolate mousse ($9.50) in record time.
Both, apparently, were fabulous. Certainly, by the time we left both young men were thoroughly satisfied, the older couple smiling with delight while willowy Carin was approaching a food coma.
Pastis serves authentic French food in elegant relaxed surroundings that take me straight back to Columbiere. I kept waiting for a violinist or flower seller to arrive.
