Bistro Vue

Introduction: At the side and rear of Shannon Bennet's fabulous Vue de Monde entrance via Chanery Lane, next to Normanby Chambers at 530 Little Collins St. in the CBD Ambience: A kind of upmarket bistro with parketry floors, wooden inlaid tables, white linen napkins but no cloths and comfortable padded straw back chairs. Spread over 2 rooms there are some rather plush banquettes. Service : Unike most French bistro's in Melbourne where abruptness and even rudeness from the waiters is par for the course here the service is peerless. The attention is unflaggingly polite, the explanations patiet and thorough. Full marks Oliver.
Food: Interesting! The entree of mussels ($18) was in a particularly salty soup. A complaint to the waiter resulted in a fresh dish of mussels being prepared which was much more acceptable although no salt had been added to the first one.

The French onion sou ($12) was beautifully presented in a La Creusette pot with a decorated pastry top. The soup was a little short on onions and sweetness because of the degree to which the onions had been caramelised. Nevertheless it was pretty satisfying.
There is a regular plat de jour which changes daily. It comes with a leaf salad or pot of cassoulet and a glass of wine ($32) I had the mixed grill, that's Wednesdays offering. All in a rich well reduced jus, the lamb was excellent, the tongue, liver and kidney a little overcooked, the sweatbreads very very good and the wine quite pleasant. This is not the place to come for wagyu steak ($29). The Potage Palourdes , a curry soup with clams ($22) an interesting dish which I find to small as a main course and the lamb galette rather poor value at $33.
We had only one dessert the Creme Brullee I needn't shout BUT THIS WAS THE EQUAL OF ANY Creme Brulee I have ever eaten ANYWHERE!
Wine: Areasonable, small list - see their enu and wine list on their web site http://www.vuedemonde.com.au/
Price: A bit dearr than most bistro's but not off the planet
Comments; I'm keen to go back for a tste of a few more things on their menu
Score: 14.25/20