It’s a bright, sunny morning in spring when we meet Jean-Paul Prunetti for a coffee at his classically French restaurant France Soir. The place is closed (it’s only 11am), but it’s already humming with chefs in the kitchen and wait staff getting reading for lunch service.
France Soir has long been a Melbourne favourite for locals and those with taste for bistro-style Gallic fare. It’s meant to be a casual eatery, but one with such consistency and romance that it is right for many occasions, be it a business lunch, a midweek dinner or a celebration. There’s just something about this place that keeps people coming back for the same thing over and over, even the Rolling Stones dine here when they’re in town.
We chat to owner Jean-Paul over an espresso about why consistency is the key, how many crème brûlées they serve a day and where the best seat in the house is.
Do you eat much French food?
Not really. Often I would just eat here and I want to try other cuisines as well. And between you and me I’m not really keen on going out to eat French food.
Obviously you have a lot of regulars. Do you have a people who come in every week?
Yes, we have people coming in two or three times a week sometimes. There is a famous couple who come in here twice a week. They always eat the same things and they always want the same table.
After 25 years, we’ve had a lot of customers and they all have different habits and preferences. So you try to simplify things for yourself in the kitchen. But consistency is the key. Funnily enough, people also don’t like change. They like and are used to their fillet-steak the way it is now. As soon as you change, you’ll get customers whinging for weeks on end.
Apart from the steak frites, what are some other signature/favourite dishes?
The signature and most popular dishes are probably the fillet steak, the duck fillet steak and the crème brûlée - we do about 30 crème brûlées over lunch and dinner. The chocolate mousse and classic lemon tart are also very popular. With entrees, the escargots go very well. Basically, if it’s still on the menu, then it does well.
Which seats are the best in the house?
Well it depends. There are 74 seats in the restaurants. Most people like the front area up to halfway into the restaurant, [but] the best is probably just by the chimney (table number 7). It’s in the middle, so they can see all everything around the restaurant, and in a sense they’re always the centre of attention with the waiters. The back seats aren’t the best although some people like to seat in the back because it’s near the kitchen where all the action is. That’s where I like to sit because I can see the whole restaurant from there.
11 Toorak Road, South Yarra
(03) 9866 8569
france-soir.com.au
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