Societi Bistro are ready to whisk you on yet another culinary tour through Europe. Remember the Tour Through Italy? This time they’re off to France and, as of the 24^th of this month, they’ll be serving up three-course menus inspired by various parts of the country that changes each week.

To celebrate the kick off, the restaurant invited a few of its friends and media peeps to come sample the fare.

Of everything myself and my friend Jax tried, we were most taken with the French onion soup (R42). It had bacon in the mix and boasted a giant Gruyere cheese-covered crouton so how could it be anything another than perfection? We also really enjoyed the moules au cidre (R58), West Coast mussels in a cider and butter broth that was so delish we drank up every last drop.

Weirdly enough, my two favourite wines from the day just so happened to be attached to my two favourite dishes; the onion soup with Joubert-Tradauw Syrah (a juicy, berrilicious blend with mint and spices) and the mussels with Lourensford Winemaker’s Selection Chardonnay (zesty yet creamy with melon and pineapple notes). A very happy coinkydink.

Oh! Another dish that deserves a special mention is the warm oysters a la Poitou-Charentes (R50). While I’m a huge fan of oysters served on ice with a squeeze of lemon and loads of Tabasco and pepper, the thought of a warm, saucy oyster didn’t really appeal to me. Once I tried it, however, I was completely won over. It kind of tasted a bit like a mussel but without any awkward rubbery bits and the creamy veloute sauce that covered it was utterly delish.

If you’re interested in treating yourself to a virtual culinary tour of France, make a point of booking your table at Societi. To see various French menus to help you decide when you want to go, clicky over here.

Bon appetit!

Leigh