C'est Bon

My daughter Kelly and I dined at C'est Bon and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The scallops for entree melted in our mouths, the steak was cooked to perfection and we shared the pastry chefs selection for dessert, fantastic. Great food and service, we will return and recommend to our friends.

Having eaten at various french restaurants in the past I was very disappointed with the C"est Bon. The food was of low standard. The scallops not cooked all the way through and the lamb extremely tough and tasteless. My partner had the pork belly and lentils: lentils salty which he was unable to eat.

Staff so! so! the more mature female waitress was surly too serious. Went to pay and viewed the cooks scooping food into their mouth while working in the kitchen.

Wont be back ??

What an experience,the food,ambience,and the second to none service!!!Unforgettable,and a great place to meet new friends.Will be back very soon,Vive la c'est Bon,tres bien,?I rely must brush up on my French,Jock

This place is a bit of 'hit and miss'. The first few times I dined here the food was spectacular (the salmon was to die for), but more recently there seems to be lacking in the detail and flavour. Still is a nice place for lunch or dinner, I guess it's just the luck of the draw...

We dined here twice and had 2 totally conflicting meals, although we ordered the same food! The first visit we ordered the Rabbit and Pork Belly. The rabbit had really well developed flavours and soft, not chewy, as rabbit can sometimes be. It was really well seasoned as well. The pork belly was crisp and tender and the lentils had the perfect texture, melt in mouth, but not mushy.

The second time we ate here was the total opposite. The Rabbit was not seasoned, crewy and messily presented. The pork belly was flabby and crewy and sitting in a pool of too wet unseasoned lentils.

The manageress refused to believe that it was not cooked to a high standard and basically told us that we were wrong.

What a shame, we won't give it a third try.

I too had a bad experience at C'est Bon. I followed all the wonderful reviews to entice me to make a booking and left the restaurant thinking how come it is so bad yet the reviews are so good. I suspect the restaurant must spend a lot of time writing them because I found the food to be less than average food.

I agree there is no atmosphere and the main dining room seems very unorganised. Service is not personal and you are just put through the process with some smiles along the way.

I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone who is expecting French food let alone good food.

My daughter and I went (with anticipation) to C'est Bon in Cairns last night. On our arrival the manageress seated us outside, gave us a menu and in less than 2 minutes came back for our order. This woman spent the entire night rushing around like a chook with her head cut off....busy busy busy she was. She even cleared plates off the table behind us before people had even finished eating. I heard "oh sorry, thought you were finished". The other interesting note is on the website it says "Smart or Casual - shoes and shirts must be worn at all times" but there was countless people in shorts, t-shirt and thongs. After all, we did take the time to dress up a little.

Meanwhile we continued to watch the manageress doing a hundred mile an hour in and out of the door....so so busy.

I ordered the Duck L'orange while my daughter ordered the Rabbit. Mine came as a piece of left over duck confit that was fried to such a crispness I could not find a piece of soft meat anywhere and even the bone broke up with gentle pressure from my fork. The orange sauce (what little there was) was bland and not at all a professional example of French cooking. Oh, we got mashed potato which again, was as good as my 10 year old could make at home....not French about that. Some oily fried long beans that were also tasteless.

My daughter's Rabbit was disgusting, dry, tasteless and with 100s of tiny broken bones in it. On her 3rd or 4th mouthful, my daughter had to get up from the table walk down the stairs then down the street out of sight to spit her food out in the street gutter. Perhaps a fitting place for this pretence of French cooking.

I believe the restaurant won and award back in 2008....must have been a completely different restaurant back then.

There is NO atmosphere in the restaurant, the staff "seem" to be so so busy, the 60++ year old manageress in a backless dress (imagine) was not very hospitable and seemed to rush us to order.

Personally, I would not recommend this restaurant to anybody as it far from upmarket (as per the prices) nor does it resemble French food if you have travelled anywhere in France or you can cook then you would know it is rubbish.

Simon

Went here with my boyfriend. although it was a little noisy inside we opted for outside, not the best in cairns climate but it cooled down as the night went on. The snails were amazing and would highly reccomend them to everyone, just give it a try , they taste like mussels. the duck with red cabbage was delicious. awesome service, very sweet and kind. Didn't break the bank, romantic.

We went up to Cairns on holiday and I found this little restaurant by looking online (I never would have found it by walking around town – it was a little tucked away secret). Everything about this place was just fantastic. The service was fast, the waitstaff were friendly, and the food was marvelous.

My partner had the scallops for an entrée which were very tasty and we were also pleasantly surprised at the serving sizes for all dishes (none of that tiny-overpriced-served-on-a-giant-plate stuff going on here). The lamb main was delicious and the blueberry and citrus tart that I had for dessert was amazing!

If you are in Cairns, you simply must try this place. You will not be disappointed.

Went to lunch at C'est Bon, with out-of-town friends yesterday, for my first experience with the restaurant. Without exception, C'est Bon is one of the best restaurant experiences I've had in years, anywhere, including New York, London and Melbourne! Relaxed atmosphere, crisp linens, attractive table setting, impeccable service, excellent value for money, superb food, attractive waitstaff, etc., etc..

Given other less-than-terrific restaurant experiences I've had in Cairns, at less-than-affordable prices, C'est Bon is a breath of fresh air, indeed.

C'est Bon c'est magnifique!!.

I went to C'est Bon for a Christmas party in 2006. I thought the food would be good being french and all, but what i got exceeded my expectations by miles. I had the seafood souffle for the entree and it just melted in my mouth. Absolutely delicious! For the main course I had turkey with cranberry sauce. The meat was so tender I could cut it with my fork. Then, for dessert, I had the Christmas log. BEST DESSERT EVER! It was like a bomb of flavour went off in my mouth. Definitely one to visit.

THIS IS THE BEST RESTAURANT IN CAIRNS!!!

MAKE BOOKING AS SOON AS YOU CAN.

We had been looking forward to trying C'est bon for sometime. On a whim we dropped by and the very friendly staff squeezed us in. The waitress did say that the normal chef/owner was away but his replacement was very very good.
The atmosphere was pleasant and both waitresses proved themselves efficient, knowledable and delightful. So C'est Bon had passed the first test with flying colours red, white and blue service...excellent.
We ordered entree which arrived very quickly. I had the capachio and Robyne the scallops. The scallops were particularly good. For mains I ordered the rabbit and she the duck. Both were very ordinary I'm affraid to say. The rabbit was over cooked and way too dry for my taste. The sauce though was very good. Same story for the duck, dry. Dessert was soufle and was ok. We finished with coffee, good and tea was ok (hint don't use the coffee machine water for tea) but no C'est Bon chocolates.
I got the distinct impression the waitress was aware of the lower quality of the night's fare. BUT despite this and because of other rave reviews we'll be back when the main man is on board. So service; 9/10(lost a point for the chocolates) food 5/10 mostly for the sauces.

I dined at C'est Bon on Christmas Eve and was delighted by the warm, friendly and attentive service, excellent wine recommendations and supurb food. The atmosphere is lovely, the menu pricing was very reasonable and I highly recommend dining there!

A real Success Story indeed!
I have known Michel Bonnet for over 30 years, and Amelie when she was only a baby. When reading all the reviews and media critiques, I am not at all surprised by the overwelming and justified accolades, just very impressed! You could say that Michel has always had some " je ne sais quoi" meaning something very French about savoir faire, and I am so pleased that Amelie is following his legacy. Bravo Amelie and papa.
A good friend and chef in arms
Owner of the original "Andre's" in Burleigh Heads, now living in Canada for the past 25 years...

What a taste bud frenzy... Fantastic food, fantastic staff, fantastic atmosphere... Viva La France... I will be back...

My Husband took me to C'est Bon for a romantic dinner last night. I am a bit sceptic about restaurants as I lke to eat something better than I can cook at home. Every part of the experience was delightful, the waitress, the food, the atmosphere....I felt like we were somewhere in Europe again and the food was superb. Every piece of food in my meal was a sensation.

My wife and I spent her 40th birthday at C'est Bon and enjoyed a fabulous evening of fine food, excellent service and a welcoming ambience. This restaurant serves what we feel is some of the best French food in Australia at an unbelievably reasonable cost. Chef and his staff, please move to Perth!

Merci beaucoup

Allan & Yvonne

The French swoon into Cairns
Reviewed on: 2003-09-02
Reviewer's rating: 5

Of all the cuisines throughout the world, there are two that are enduringly linked to love and romance. One is very popular and has proliferated widely in Cairns: Italian. But the popularity of Italian food has resulted in these restaurants losing their sense of uniqueness and romance, becoming <i>normal</i> restaurants located on dozens of street corners. Heck, you can get pasta-on-the-go. That's hardly romantic.

The other cuisine linked to love struggles to make an impression, and until now has occupied the fringes of the restaurant industry: French.

Ah, the French - it's all about the heart. Imagine the warm colours, smooth food, elegant and refined service and copious wine. For couples, this is romantic dining direct from the banks of the Seine River. It is a combination of excitement and passion, plus the calm sensitivity of a gentle touch. For others, C'est Bon is a wonderful experience immersed in European culture that cannot be surpassed.

C'est Bon offers the best contemporary French cuisine and exemplary service in town, indeed, it is the only French restaurant in town. The location is ideal. It resides in a round room with a high ceiling, and large windows allow an abundance of light to flow inside and provide a fresh atmosphere. A brickwork path leads up one side of the building - charming. It comes close to recreating the feel one experiences in the small squares, or 'places', of Paris.

Host, Amelie Bonnet, has a wealth of experience that is evident in each morsel of C'est Bon. Raised in a family of French chefs, her entire life seems to have been geared towards this restaurant. Continuing the family tradition, Amelie has worked in international cities such as London, New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Sydney and The Gold Coast. Now she is in Cairns and I can affirm without any hesitation that Amelie offers the most professional and non-obtrusive restaurant service in Cairns. We are fortunate to have dining of this calibre at our doorstep.

The menu is sprinkled with French dishes such as escargot, salmon and rabbit pie for entrees and mains, and lemon tarts and chocolate cakes for dessert that are as rich as the culture they come from. The food is presented beautifully and mains are priced around the $25 mark. I have dined at C'est Bon twice, and even though my review budget has been decimated I will return again this week because I believe this restaurant is impeccable. This appraisal may appear to overemphasis my liking of C'est Bon, but I challenge anyone to disagree with me.

All that is left to say is this French restaurant is a true reflection of its name: C'est Bon - It is good!