Enjoy Bastille Day in the region
Bonjour and bienvenue! Just in case anyone needed an excuse to indulge in delicious French cuisine, it’s nearly time to celebrate Bastille Day on 14 July 2024!
Whether you’re a Francophile, a lover of culture, or simply looking for a unique way to spend a day in July, Geelong and The Bellarine offers a delightful array of festivities to honour France’s national day.
Eileen’s Charcoal Grill
2 Noble St, Newtown
Coda trained chef Mario Tambajong will be serving-up a new French steak restaurant in Geelong opening soon – Eileen’s Charcoal Grill.
Eileen’s will be the third restaurant on site at the Sawyers Arms Tavern in Newtown. The building has been extended to now add Eileen’s.
The menu features dishes such as chicken parfait with orange; steak tartare with potato wafers; and marbled steak with Café de Paris sauce accompanied by duck fat russets. Profiteroles or a cheese board are dessert options and the menu also has broader European inclusions. Guests can pre-order meat (such as 120-day-aged grass-fed ribeye) which will be aged on their behalf, ready for a special occasion.
Eileen’s opened on June 20, to make a reservation head to eileens.com.au
Felix Restaurant
9 Downes Lane, Geelong
Tucked away off a lane in Geelong’s Little Malop Street precinct, Felix serves a modern interpretation of French classics. Highlights of the winter menu (launching in June) include dry aged duck with orange and fennel; roasted cabbage with horseradish, fennel and leek (vegetarian and vegan); and a macaron inspired by the classic French dessert, the Paris–Brest pastry.
Bastille Day lunch
Enjoy a three course set lunch with glass of bubbles on arrival, $100 per person.
From 12-3pm Sunday 14 July. To book visit felixgeelong.com.au.
Claribeaux Restaurant
1345 Portarlington Rd, Curlewis
Claribeaux offers sophisticated French dining at Curlewis Golf Club, with views of the fairways and greens. Focussing on sustainable, local produce, the menu features classic French dishes such as steak frites as well as innovative fusion dishes including juniper spiced venison.
On Bastille Day, dine on a three course lunch with glass of French bubbles on arrival.
Entrée options include steak tartare; escargot persillade; and poireaux vinaigrette. The mains offering is bouillabaisse; boeuf bourguignon; magret de canard; and terrine d’aubergines. Plated up for dessert will be mousse au chocolat; crème caramel and tarte tatin.
Also enjoy the chariot de fromage (roaming French cheese cart) served with traditional accoutrements ($10 per selection, 3 for $25, 5 for $40). A roving accordion player will create the perfect ambiance, $95 per person.
From 12pm on Sunday 14 July. To find out more and book head here.
Arlo Wine Bar
1A Harding St, Portarlington
A new French-leaning wine bar in the up-and-coming coastal town of Portarlington, with views looking out over the bay. It opened in December 2023 and is run by Peter Roddy who also has hatted restaurant Noir (Richmond) in his suite, as well as Pier Street Café (Portarlington).
Arlo Wine Bar has a deliberately casual approach to seasonal food, serving up dishes such as confit duck and boeuf bourguignon. From Melbourne you can catch a ride with Port Phillip Ferries practically to Arlo’s door step, the voyage takes 70 minutes. Enjoy watching boats on the marina while you wine and dine.
Bastille Day event:
Four courses cooked by hatted chef Peter Roddy, accompanied by French wines. The maître d’hôtel and sommelier has travelled to Portarlington from Paris where his family had a delicatessen in the 15th district. $60 per person.
To book your spot visit arlowines.com.au.
360Q
2 Wharf Street East, Queenscliff
You can’t beat the view at 360Q, the two-storey restaurant sits right on the water’s edge at Queenscliff Harbour.
Arrive in style by catching a lift with Searoad Ferries from Sorrento, the passage takes 40 minutes. 360Q offers a range of cuisines throughout the year, often with an Asian fusion sway however, will be hosting a special French dining experience for Bastille Day.
Bastille Day luncheon:
Three course lunch of Parisian cuisine and a glass of Kir Royale on arrival. Dishes include salad niçoise; chicken coq au vin; and profiteroles with toasted almonds and salted caramel sauce. French-inspired music by Kelly Auty and Lisette Payet, $75 per person.
From 12:30-4:30pm, Sunday 14 July. To find out more and book visit 360q.com.au.
