We took a little drive to Akaroa from Christchurch to enjoy what this beautiful, French inspired town has to offer. We have been before but haven't stayed long enough to catch a meal in town. Hearing nothing but good reviews, we decided to make a reservation and pop down to The Little Bistro. The atmosphere was warm and cozy. A close-knit style so you can easily see what people around you are dining on and eavesdrop on their conversations ;). The name is fitting because it is in fact a little bistro. It seemed a little cramped for the staff to deliver food, but they seemed to manage just fine. With the exception of one of the girls accidentally spilling wine on the lady next to me. But she handled it professionally and no one was angry. Accidents happen. We felt welcomed and at home with the staff. Our waitress was very attentive and helpful. We had questions on the wine and specials and she knew what she was talking about right away and what to suggest. I wish I could remember her name, but she was from down south. Everyone was friendly though, so no complaints there! We decided we weren't hungry enough to get a starter or entree so we shared a bottle of Sanctuary Sauvignon Blanc (not a bad wine) and got one main each. From what I saw at the other tables, the entrees were quite small, but I guess that is the point. They looked really yummy though. Instead of regular table salt, they had a little rock salt grinder that you could use. Quite quirky but it was cute. I ordered the famous Akaroa salmon with a mussel and caper mashed potatoes and bok choy and my boyfriend had the venison with green beans and potato terrine with a truffle jus. We were very excited to see our mains arrive and when they did, they looked incredible so we were ready to stuff our faces! To be honest, the food was really disappointing. I mean for the price at about $40 a main, I would expect pretty great flavor. It was so-so. My salmon didn't really taste like anything, the mashed potatoes tasted really sour and the bok choy was just kind of there. I had to dump some rock salt on there to liven it up a bit, and I hate putting salt on food. I would have been happier if we spent a lot less on the meal. We ordered dessert thinking we'd give the place another chance. We went with a safe option of the creme brûlée. Again, disappointing. The texture was off and it was on the eggy side. We heard such rave reviews for this place and in the end, it was okay food. Apparently they have changed owners so maybe that's why we didn't enjoy the food as much as we heard. I really would give it a 3 1/2 stars because the staff were that nice but yelp doesn't do halves so it's 3 stars. I hate complaining but people have to know. I would really love to come back if it's improved! read more

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What a lovely place, guys! We've came from the US to New Zealand and after a long flight were so happy to have a delicious meal at "The Little Bistro". They really have a great service, relaxing, cozy and creative atmosphere. Staff is friendly and a whole place is super clean. For a dinner we have a wild salmon, lamb and "Parfait" with a Straight 8 Rose! Everything was do good! But my "Parfait" was the best one! Great job, chief! We were at the restaurant in the evening and it wasn't crowd, but if you'd like you can make a reservation to be sure. Also this place was a good advice from our Canadian friend, who fell in love with New Zealand And we did not regret it! Really a great place to visit. I advise!))) read more

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We wended our way down the winding, narrow road into Akaroa exhausted but happy after a long day's drive, rolled past the Little Bistro, and I thought "that place will be good." Why? Maybe it was the cozy amber glow of light and happy faces I saw through the window? Perhaps it was the word "bistro" which always portends (or at least should) delicious unpretentiousness? Perhaps it was the word "little" that contrasted so completely with the grandeur of the setting? But I was right. This one is really a gem. We finished our meal and made a reservation for the next night after paying. I did actually chew on the bone of my Flintstone's 500g rib eye (proud to admit it!) and delighted in the rustic Dijon scalloped potatoes smothered in Burgundy beef reduction. My partner had what may be the single best veggie entrée I have eaten (I ordered it the next night): smoked cheddar polenta deep fried to limpid perfection, a fascinating contrasting salad herbed with mint and oregano, and grilled veggies - utterly not missing meat delicious. The next night diver scallops wrapped in bacon (pictured), velvety risotto, and "the Mess" for dessert, a girly, fruity sundae with flowers and very pretty indeed. Their bread is delish as well, satisfying so that one piece with butter was superb. Our servers both visits were relaxed, charming, and knowledgeable. And the co-owner delivered dessert to announcer she is opening a new resto in CC so that is another reason to return to the rebuilding Garden City. read more

The Little Bistro - Divers scallops wrapped in bacon with apple quince butter and a micro-green salad. Divine. - Bistros Near Me - Akaroa, CAN

We made reservations at The Little Bistro based on reviews in guidebooks and looking at the menu during the day. We typically eat at home in our camper van, being good cooks and on a budget, but thought we'd spend money in what appeared to be a lovely spot. We were seated in this tiny restaurant as soon as we arrived for our 8pm reservation. The table was unstable and we figured out how to fix it. We ordered our food and wine but when the wine arrived it was not the vintage shown on the menu. The server gave us a couple of samples of other wines and we made a new selection. We ordered the seafood chowder appetizer, which was lovely...fresh items and liked the saffron. The main courses of the lamb trio and also the salmon, were disappointing. There was no salt on the food, providing little taste to what could have been great. The quality of the salmon was stellar such that it was ok even without flavoring. The lamb sweetbreads were absolutely disappointing, with no flavor. I'm sorry to say we'll likely not visit other restaurants in NZ during our holiday as the value has not been apparent to us. We can purchase a great wine and procure meats from a butcher to enjoy a home cooked meal. read more

Lamb and steak was phenomenal, well presented and quite tasty. Service good, but some wait staff had some difficulties understanding English orders. read more

We ate dinner here twice during our stay in the area on vacation. The food was delicious and fresh! The only reason I knocked 1 star off was it could get pretty stuffy and hot in there! The tables were close together, the window openings were pretty small and they didn't have aircon (which we learned wasn't unusual for NZ...but we are from Texas, so there is a/c every where we go :) ) read more

Best lamb I've ever eaten!!! Tender and flavourful!!! :) The salmon was very fresh but honestly lacking a bit of flavour. However the lamb was outstanding. I would go back just for the lamb and potato terrine. I also really enjoyed the creme brulee. read more

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Incredible service and food. Lovely quaint atmosphere and ambience made for a great dinner. Would recommend to anyone visiting Akaroa!