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Say bonjour to Rundle Street’s newest addition, Le Mistral – a warm, intimate venue that’s shaping up to be the perfect place for a mid-week knock-off or cosy date night that’ll have you seeing la vie en rose.
Brought to Adelaide by owners Matthieu Mioche and Christopher Richards, Le Mistral is all about bringing the French traditions they grew up with to our streets.
“Le Mistral has been created to capture the way people really dine in France, where meals are shared, wine is poured generously and guests are encouraged to stay long after dessert has been served,” tells Matthieu.
Having spent his childhood in Aix-en-Provence – an utterly charming gem of southern France – Matthieu says the venue reflects the style of hospitality he experienced growing up.
“The best restaurants in France aren’t always the most expensive. They’re the places where locals meet after work, families gather on weekends and people return because they know they’ll always receive good food, good wine and genuine hospitality,” he explains.
“That’s the feeling we wanted to create with Le Mistral.”
And after months spent bringing that vision to life, seeing the restaurant finally filled with diners proved to be one of the most rewarding moments of the journey.
“It was amazing to finally have our first customers walk through the doors,” Matthieu explains.
“After spending so much time getting everything ready, seeing the venue come to life with people inside, smiling and enjoying a glass of wine, was just incredible.”
“When you open a new place, you’re the new kid on the block, so there’s always a lot of interest. French cuisine has always been appreciated, and so far it’s really just been a series of happy moments”.
The restaurant isn’t necessarily expansive or fitted out with lush and lavish centrepieces. But you wouldn’t want it any other way. Cosy up in a booth with your nearest and dearest, where the warmth of sharing good food and wine isn’t lost to grandeur. Instead, it lingers in the cosy walls, bounces off the bar and settles beneath the hanging plants and warm lighting, creating a sense of familiarity and lived-in atmosphere. The upstairs dining room is intimate, but with some of Adelaide’s best French chefs working just behind you and the smell of melting cheese enveloping the room, it feels almost as though you’ve been invited into a French family kitchen.
Matthieu and Christopher’s welcoming vision radiates through the venue. From olive green walls and warm golden tones that echo the Mediterranean landscape, to an enticing hidden underground bar, the finished fit-out is exactly what the team had hoped for.
“We designed Le Mistral as a two-level venue, with a cosy French restaurant upstairs and a more relaxed wine bar downstairs,” Matthieu describes.
“Upstairs is perfect for lunch or dinner, while downstairs is a bit funky, with dim lighting and good music”.
Designed for lingering over a shared bottle of wine, and maybe a little French jazz, the hidden bar area has a definitive ambience that’ll make you want to stay for a drink or two more, once dinner is done.
And whilst France may be one of the world’s great wine capitals, the wine list feels right at home here in Adelaide. Tracing the influence of French winemaking on Australia’s own vineyards, the lineup invites guests to pair and compare wines, like a Rhône Valley Syrah with Barossa Shiraz, or a Chablis alongside South Australian Chardonnay.
But if wine isn’t quite calling your name, Christopher behind the bar is more than happy to shake up one of six signature cocktails created exclusively for Le Mistral.
And let’s not forget the food.
Led by French couple Enzo Caridi and Camille Dalla Favera, the menu is less about fine dining accolades and more about family traditions and recipes.
“We’ve never worked in Michelin-starred restaurants. Our greatest reward has always been seeing people enjoy our food. When you cook with passion, love and sincerity, it creates something special,” explains Camille.
On opening night, we were lucky enough to sample the menu ourselves. While our Instagram feeds are currently full of everyone else gallivanting around Europe, with a table full of French classics, generous pours and plenty of cheese, if we squinted our eyes a little, we could almost imagine that we’d escaped Adelaide for a little holiday of our own. But it seems we weren’t the only ones leaving impressed.
“We’ve already had people leave some incredible messages,” Matthieu says.
“It’s been really rewarding.”
The meal begins with a complimentary amuse-bouche (or “mouth amuser” for those yet to venture into French lessons on Duolingo). For entrées, choose from classics including French onion soup gratinée, scallops baked in white wine béchamel and salmon carpaccio, all of which we’d happily order again.
For mains, you’ll find slow-braised Boeuf Bourguignon, house-made Chicken Cordon Bleu and a Croque Monsieur Maison. Our pick? The Croque Monsieur, if only for the glorious cheese pull.
According to Matthieu, the Coquilles Saint-Jacques has quickly become one of the restaurant’s standout dishes, while the classic steak tartare has also been receiving glowing reviews from diners.
And for the few readers still not convinced, did we mention there’s dessert? Crème brûlée, chocolate fondant, baked French-style cheesecake and caramelised tarte Tatin are all calling your name.
Le Mistral isn’t trying to recreate France in Adelaide, as they know it’s a novelty that inevitably wears off after a few visits. Instead, through great food and the warmth of Provencal hospitality, Matthieu and Christopher want to build something far more enduring.
After a glowing opening week, we asked Matthieu how he aims to continue this momentum.
“Over the next couple months, and with the last weeks of Illuminate, it’s going to be absolutely incredible. What excites me the most is just showcasing the great [food and wine] we have, and meeting all the new customers.”
And dare we say that sums up Le Mistral perfectly. A place, and a team, with a simple passion – good food and a place to enjoy it.
Le Mistral
Where: 279 Rundle St, Adelaide SA 5000
When: Wednesday–Thursday, 5pm–10pm; Friday–Saturday, 11am–3:30pm and 5pm–11:30pm; Sunday, 11am–10pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday
For more information, click here.
