I’ve been thinking of having cheese and wine for some time now and it finally happened when I passed by Café Gavroche and realised they do have cheese platter and decent wine selection.
The interior design of this space is lovely too, sticking strongly to the Parisian theme. On a Saturday night, the place was empty, creating the perfect atmosphere for chilling out.
In the day, the back of the restaurant will look like a courtyard because of the glass ceiling but at night it has a different kind of charm which is still beautiful.
They have another restaurant across the road, Brasserie Gavroche, serving classic French fare with an equally strong Parisian theme, but slightly more formal.
At Café Gavroche you’ll find more casual offerings like French breakfast, charcuteries, rillettes, cheeses, dessert, wine and other drinks.
I liked how they offered a wine tasting menu where you get to sample different wines in smaller portions, instead of ordering just 1 full glass or bottle. On the tasting menu, they have several different combinations, and I picked the one which offered a variety of white.
White Wine Expectation – $21.00++
Each glass was thoughtfully tagged with the name of each wine for easy identification. I was given 4 types of wine (4th glass added later) to taste and my favourite one was the 2011 Sancerre “Les Baronnes” Domaine Henri Bourgeois Sauvignon Blanc (I remembered really liking a Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre too at Buyan Russian Restaurant a few years back). Ranked closely behind was a Chardonnay from Loire too which was sweeter than usual.
More casual French establishment should do this. It’s way more fun having a bit of everything than drowning in one type only (read: boring).
Planche de Fromages – $26.00++
French cheese platter selection, dried fruits, walnuts, served with toasted bread
This portion is just right for 2 to share and with the wine 3 hours flew by just like that. With the interior totally empty (some customers opted for al fresco), I felt like I had the whole place to myself. It’s also great that they remain open till midnight, making it a good place to chill after dinner, and despite the place being close to empty, the staff never once pressured us to leave close to closing hour.
The experience here was nothing short of wonderful.
*****
Ambiance: 8/10
Food: 7.5/10
Value: 8/10
Overall: Perfect place for post dinner wine & cheese
*****
Café & Bar Gavroche
69 Tras Street
Singapore 079008
Tel: 62254869
*****
TUESDAYS – FRIDAYS: 12pm till late
Lunch: 12pm – 2.30pm; Dinner and Drinks: 6pm – 10.30pm
SATURDAYS: 10.30am till late
Weekend Breakfast à la Française: 10.30am – 2pm, Raclette Dinner & Drinks: 6pm – 10.30pm
SUNDAYS: Weekend Breakfast à la Française: 10.30am till 2pm
Hungry Bird 