Le Mistral - Menu

We had Saturday lunch at Le Mistral, and it was exceptional. We were seated in the sun room type area with cafe blinds to keep out the cold but allow the sun to... read more We had Saturday lunch at Le Mistral, and it was exceptional. We were seated in the sun room type area with cafe blinds to keep out the cold but allow the sun to warm us up. The waiters were very friendly and helpful with explaining the courses. All of the food was excellent, but highlights were definitely the Black Angus beef fillet for main course. Cooked to perfection and one of the best pieces of beef I have ever eaten. The souffle for dessert was amazing and quite a bit bigger than we expected. The vanilla bean ice cream accompanying it was amazing too. Just a great place to eat during our stay in McLaren Vale.

We came for lunch on a Saturday in July. The weather was terrible, cold and raining with forecast of storms. Le Mistral was dry and comfortable- not hugely warm... read more We came for lunch on a Saturday in July. The weather was terrible, cold and raining with forecast of storms. Le Mistral was dry and comfortable- not hugely warm which was good as we didn't freeze when we left. It is a small restaurant, wooden floors and chairs with small tables. it looks rustic with simple table settings. As it was our first visit- we decided to go 'traditional' in our choices. When I think of French food I think of decadence in relation to butter and garlic, cheese and pastry. We had the onion tart and snails with beef cheek croquette to start- the snails were lovely, firm but juicy and dainty- the croquette was moist. The aioli was subtle in flavour although you could taste the anchovies- it wasn't strong (and I don't like anchovies at all). The tart was a perfect balance of crisp pasty, sweet onion, creamy cheese and lightly acidic tomatoes to balance. The side bits of salad were dressed and tasted lovely. We decided to share the Rib eye house special - the herb salad is the perfect side- with pickled beetroot and luscious herbs- it balances the richness of the rib eye perfectly. The Bearnaise was smooth and the French fries seasoned perfectly and crisp. Couldn't really taste the coffee and pepper butter that was with the rib eye- but the meat was so lovely we didn't care. We ordered a side of green vegetables with almond and garlic butter. This turned up as brussel sprouts, broccolini and sauteed kale. The flavour on this was amazing! The garlic level was perfect- this met all expectations. We had chosen at the beginning to have the set 3 course for $59 (which just means you order what you want but order all three courses at the beginning. Creme Brulee and Souffle for dessert. Both lovely- was the souffle a little eggy? Was the creme caramel a little too sweet?? Matter of opinion- we loved the both. This is a small menu small establishment next to a pub in the heart of Willunga. Did we feel like we were in a rustic French farmhouse? No, just we did feel indulged. Lovely menu- will keep eye on the website for updates to see what changes they have so we can go again (this is only thing that would stop us immediately re-booking- the limited menu- I don't eat seafood so the options are limited at the moment from what we saw).