French Corner

Ph: (03) 9555 1199; 493 Highett Rd, Highett 3190

cafe, $ -
Open Lunch Thur-Sat; Licensed, BYO, Corkage $3 person; AE DC MC V
Chef Daniel Airoldi (21-08-07) Owner Daniel Airoldi (7-11-07)

Other published opinions

Herald Sun 10-06-08 Score: ** "Another culinary gem offering sound to good French bistro food"

The Age Cheap Eats 2008 "Eat me' says the food, but like Alice in Wonderland you may feel too big for this tiny red cafe"

Herald Sun Dining Out, Stephen Downes, 21-08-07 Score: 13/20 "Melburnians love their French tucker, and the French Corner joins a short list of restaurants doing it well in our town. But don't expect anything more than traditional offerings. The wine list is short, representative of grape varieties and fairly well priced. It features a few French drops, and four table whites and five reds are available by the glass."

Age Good Food Guide 2008 Score: 13/20 "Dordogne-born Daniel Airoldi trained with noted chef Jacques Reymond but had always wanted his own casual place serving rustic, traditional French food"

Herald Sun Eat, Bob Hart, 28-07-07 "And thanks to this fine little bistro, it is all happening with a distinct aroma of garlic, a flourish of baguette and a French accent. Now, there is something particularly gratifying in stumbling upon a culinary gem where you least expect it. ... But fine food, all of a comfortable, traditional, but entirely expert nature, is what we found when a mate and I dropped in for lunch last week - just over a week after the place had opened its doors."

The Age Dani Valent, 30-4-2007 "The toilet situation isn't the only thing about French Corner that seems half-baked. The chairs are a random assortment, some of them frankly uncomfortable. Groceries sort of fill some shelves. A drinks fridge spills unfriendly light into the tiny dining pit. And yet, I like it instantly. Whether it's naive or confident, there's something endearing about a place that thinks it can get away without interior design flourishes such as - yawn - banquettes, polished concrete and even upholstery. I also like the proximity of the kitchen, which takes up half the small shopfront. You can see and hear the chefs and even feel the heat from the gas jets whenever there's a particularly vigorous flambe."