The story
Outside of the inner-city, Brisbane’s western suburbs have become the unofficial go-to areas to source French cuisine. Before moving to Bowen Hills, Montrachet long flew the tricolour flag from Latrobe Terrace in Paddington, while Graceville’s Boucher Bistro has been dishing up classic French cuisine for years. More recently, neo-French eatery Haig Rd Bistro opened in Auchenflower in October 2019 and La Belle Vie is now running with the baton passed to it by lauded chef Romain Bapst. As of this week, Red Hill has a French eatery of its own, with Le Coin Bistro officially opening on the corner of Waterworks Road and Enoggera Terrace in the space that formerly housed Plum Tucker. The brainchild of Haig Road Bistro’s Arvid Noack and business partner Marcus Kerschbaumer, Le Coin (translated to The Corner) is a multifaceted eatery that takes cues from the local bistro culture of France – eateries where locals regularly gather for coffee and breakfast in the morning, snacks and wine in the afternoon and multi-course feasts at night. Le Coin is looking to fill a similar role for the Red Hill community, slotting in nicely next to Botanica and the Red Hill Cinemas, and boasting a comprehensive dining offering that spans from breakfast, casual drinks and fine dining.

The space
The Le Coin team has sought to establish two markedly different interior vibes in order to suit different dining styles. Downstairs sits the green-tiled bar and coffee counter, which services both grab-and-go pick-me-up orders and late-night cocktail shaking. A colourful makeover has been applied to the alfresco space, giving it a feeling reminiscent of St. Tropez beach huts, complete with grey weathered seating, street-side tables, cushioned banquettes and plenty of greenery. Upstairs is Le Coin’s formal dining area, which strongly resembles Haig Rd Bistro’s sophisticated interior, down to the glassware and cutlery. Sturdy wooden furnishings are offset by some detailed murals and a collection of vintage French posters above the staircase.

The food and drink
When we say Le Coin has something for any time of day and appetite, we seriously aren’t kidding. Haid Rd Bistro’s head chef Yann Bouton has designed the menu, which draws inspiration from France’s southern regions as well as Paris, Bordeaux and Alsace. The fun starts at breakfast (naturally), with quintessentially French eats like croissants with house-made condiments, croque monsieur and madames, eggs Benedict served on a freshly baked croissant, brioche French toast with whipped mascarpone and seasonal berries, and four kinds of omelette. As the day progresses, the menu shifts to offer a selection of share-style eats including escargot, steak tartare, house-made terrines, black mussels with white wine, garlic and chilli sauce, barramundi meunière with butter, garlic and capers, and six kinds of tarte flambée (French-style pizzas) – perfect for pre- or post-movie snacking. Le Coin’s dinner service takes shape as either a two- or three-course set menu, with many dishes carried over from spiritual sibling Haig Rd Bistro. Heart-warming mains such as oven-roasted duck with braised red cabbage, poisson en papillote (fish oven baked in a paper bag with potatoes and vegetables) and côte de boeuf are joined by entrees including duck-liver parfait and twice-backed goats cheese souflee as well as chocolate parfait, French cheeses, affogatos or an espresso martini for dessert. The restaurant’s beverage list is headlined by Perrier-Jouët champagne and house wines (a semillon sauvignon blanc, petit verdot and a sparkling) from Clovely Estate, which are backed by a substantial selection of French wines, six kinds of gin and tonic (each made using a different Australian craft gin) and an array of house cocktails.

Le Coin Bistro is now open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For operating hours and contact details, head to the Stumble Guide.