When I think of French food, I think of a cuisine that is refined, varied and delicious. From my own personal experience, the portions are smaller, the dishes well presented and the meals are expensive. My friends and I would normally joke about ordering a pizza or grabbing a burger after eating at a French restaurant because the meals are pricey and never filling.

I’ve read many positive reviews about L’Atelier Gourmand and it’s always been on my list of places to eat. I have tried coming here for breakfast many months ago, but unfortunately they weren’t open during the last public holiday long weekend. A quick perusal of their menu indicates they have about a dozen breakfast offerings, and a small selection of entrees, mains, sides and desserts. This place has a really good reputation and I came here expecting a pleasant dining experience.

L’Atelier Gourmand is not a fancy French restaurant but a small rustic cafe. The exposed brick walls and the mismatched furnishings give this place a homely feel. The space is a bit tight with about 24 indoor seats and a couple of communal benches just outside the entrance. The particular table we were seated at had a steel bar running across the base of the table on one side which limited the leg room for the side I was sitting on. I also discovered that this place only had a single outdoor toilet for the complex of shops.

We came here in a group of 4, and our appetite levels were varied. One friend just wanted a main, another wanted an entree and main, while the third person wanted a main and dessert. Living the life of over indulgence, I went for the 3 course meal which is a special that they have for $55. There’s also the Discovery option which is 5 courses, chosen by the kitchen, for $70. I’m not a fan of places choosing the dishes for you as they normally serve up the cheaper offerings.

Two people from the group ordered entrees which were ready 15 minutes after ordering. As expected with French dining, each meal, with the exception of one, was beautifully presented.

As an entree, I ordered the Nicoise Salad which is a traditional French salad that consists of green beans, potato, lettuce, tomato, onion, egg, anchovies, Kalamata olives and house preserved red tuna. This salad was so simple and refreshing, and I loved the contrasting flavours and textures. The natural sweetness of the onion was balanced by the saltiness of the olives and anchovies. The tuna had a light greasy texture while the green beans added a good level of crunchiness. It was a good combination of ingredients that was very tasty.

My friend ordered the Tasmanian Smoked Salmon with Smashed Avocado. This consisted of chives, lemon, fennel, goats cheese curd and crushed almonds served on a toasted brioche. I was told this entree was also very good.

The mains took a very long time to arrive. We waited to close to 40 minutes after our entrees because the waitress had forgot to tell the chefs to start cooking the mains. Regardless of who’s fault it was, this didn’t change the fact that we had to wait.

For my main, I ordered the Pan Seared then Oven Roasted Duck Breast. It was served with a honey and balsamic sauce and pan seared pears. Portion size, it looked fairly small, but two slices of duck breast fillet seems to be the norm with fine dining restaurants. The duck was tender and succulent, with a nice pinkish centre. I felt the duck skin could have been a little crispier, however, the natural sweetness of the pears complemented the sauce well. Had I ordered this main by itself with nothing else, I would have been visiting a fast food joint after dinner.

My friend had the Chicken Breast marinated in olive oil, garlic and thyme. The chicken is then sliced and pan seared, and then cooked in a creamy port and mushroom sauce and served with a vegetable quinoa pilaf. The same friend that ordered the entree was also happy with her main.

Another friend in the group ordered the Steak Saute Bercy, which is a porterhouse steak that is cooked medium rare. The dish is then served with traditional French potato bake that comes with a mild French blue cheese. On top is a bercy sauce which is a combination of shallots, riesling and beef stock.

My friend had two issues with her dish. In their hurry to bring out the mains, her steak wasn’t rested properly and she also commented that she received a below average cut of meat.

She also ordered the Seasonal Vegetables to go with her dish. The vegetables were cold and sent back. We weren’t charged for the side and a replacement was provided.

The final person in the group had the Pan Seared King Prawns with Fennel and Orange sauce served with seasonal mixed vegetables. I was told the prawns tasted like they were frozen, thawed and then refrozen again before being warmed up in the microwave before searing. The prawns weren’t even warm and didn’t taste right. The fennel and orange sauce didn’t complement the prawns and the dish was sent back. Again, we weren’t charged for this dish.

The second serving of the same dish were different prawns from the same batch. It was better presented than the previous dish but still had the same inherent problems.

For dessert, I had the Chocolate Fondant. It was one of the best chocolate fondants I’ve ever had. The outside was a firm yet delicate chocolatey crust. Inside was soft and moist revealing a gooey praline centre. The house made vanilla ice cream had a smooth and subtle sweetness and complemented the mixture of hot and cold. The toffee topping was crisp and chewy, and delicious in its own right.

My friend had the Paris Brest Reviste which is a puff chou filled with a French pistachio butter cream, roasted almonds and house made pistachio ice cream. This particular dessert uses a pistachio essence which unfortunately tastes like medicine. My friend told the waitress that the dessert tasted terrible and asked for a different dessert in exchange.

The waitress told us this was one of their commonly ordered desserts, but we got the feeling most people ordered it once with the idea that it tasted good. Our thoughts were confirmed when we saw a neighbouring table eat the same dessert and asked them what their thoughts were. They also thought the dessert tasted like medicine and was their least favourite.

My friends replacement dessert was the Creme Brulee. I thought the caramelisation was a bit too thin and the cream mixture wasn’t firm enough. The cream was soft and delicate, and had the distinct citrus flavour from Grand Marnier. While it wasn’t perfectly executed, it was still delicious.

The waitress that served our table made the dining experience more pleasant than it otherwise would have been. Drinks arrived promptly, plates and cutlery were exchanged for new ones with every course, plates were cleared as we finished and she politely dealt with any issues that we had throughout the night.

When it came to the bill, we were charged twice for a main course. I had ordered the entree, main and dessert special, which was specified on the bill, but then the same main appeared somewhere else on the bill. One of the owners disputed the inaccuracy of the bill. My friend then asked for a pen so that she could accurately itemise the bill but she was initially refused. When she finally got a pen, she was able to prove that the bill was incorrect. This was then confirmed by the waitress that served us throughout the night.

For a cafe, I think this place is slightly overpriced. If it was a fine dining restaurant, I probably wouldn’t have given it a second thought. I’m also in two minds about the overall experience. Half of us thought the food was really good, while the other half thought it was below average or disappointing. Taking into account the slow service, the cramped environment and the issue with the bill, the experience was more negative than positive.

Verdict: For me, this place didn’t live up to the expectations. The menu offerings, while limited, are hit and miss.

WHERE: 4 Gilbert St, Goodwood