RESTAURANT REVIEW: LE BISTRO DU PARC, DEFENCE COLONY

For Bread Baskets and Jazz Nights

 



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I really wanted to like this place and that compulsion might end up coloring this review. Le Bistro Du Parc has opened up across Flavors in place of another French place I was really fond of. I forget the old place's name but can't forget a memorable winter evening I spent there elbow deep in fondue while eavesdropping on a gay couple who were celebrating their dog's birthday. The place wasn't very crowded but I got the feeling (and this may just be because of the cheese induced endorphin rush) everyone there was happy. It's a specific kind of magic Delhi sometimes bestows us with on its winter evenings.

 

But this is not a review of the last French restaurant at the site, this is about Le Bistro Du Parc.

 

 

 Looks Like

 

I love the bright blue wooden French windows of Le Bistro Du Parc and when I went around Christmas time the blue was even prettier against the festive orange of the marigold garlands. See that kind of tiny aesthetic pretension - using indigenous marigold to decorate for our tropical Christmas instead of foolishly copying a gimmicky American Christmas ambience thrills me to bits. Of the spate of French restaurants trying to take over the city, Le Bistro Du Parc gets my vote for trendiest interiors.

 

 

Unfortunately, beauty comes at a price and the much lauded menu on a chalkboard is kind of a pain. The handwriting isn't very clear and I couldn't go through the options as leisurely as I'd like because I felt really bad for the poor waiter holding it up.

 

In the pursuit of cuteness the tables are so tiny and scrunched together so tight that on a busy night you're knocking elbows with the sweet couple of strangers by your side. Also, tiny tables drive me nuts - where am I supposed to put my bag? And how is the waiter supposed to fit more than one dish at a time in front of me without setting up a food version of Jenga?

 

 

Tastes Like

 

I love that the menu is specialized and limited but the consequent implication that they serve a few but excellent dishes doesn't hold true. The options keep changing so what I ate might not be available anymore but the sum of my experience was underwhelming. I appreciate that the restaurant tries to use fresh, local produce - I wish that conscientiousness could extend to the cooking of said produce so I wouldn't have such a hard time writing this review.

 





Love their bread basket! They have really nice, yeasty, slight sour bread.



Le Bistro Du Parc has a lot of promise and clearly also the self awareness and resources to be very good. But right now, at the prices they charge I could get a much more satisfying meal elsewhere.

 



Fresh Garden Salad with Grilled Chicken with overcooked chicken



 Feels Like

 

In terms of ambience Le Bistro Du Parc accomplishes its goal to come as close to a bistro atmosphere as Delhi will permit. The service is mediocre and lacks the sophistication you would expect from this kind of establishment. The kitchen is also really slow considering the limited number of dishes they're working with.

 



Gruyere and Walnut Souffle which was a little too doughy though I'm not even sure it had flour in it.

Le Bistro Du Parc is a fun way to peek into the lives of the chatterati of Delhi who flock here in droves and their jazz evenings sound nice. But if they aspire to be more than just this season's place to be seen they're going to have to knuckle under and figure out their food and service.