Matthieu Mioche grew up in Aix-en-Provence, where the mistral blows hard enough to name a restaurant after. Now he is putting that wind on Rundle Street. Le Mistral, a French wine bar and bistro he runs with Christopher Richards, is due to open in July at the East End site next to Mutya’s, a new elevated Filipino restaurant.
Mioche was born in Guadeloupe. He worked in hospitality in Brisbane, Darwin and Adelaide, and met Richards at Luciano’s on the Marina in Glenelg. “What began as a professional relationship quickly evolved into a strong friendship built on shared values, mutual respect and a common vision for hospitality,” he says.
The kitchen belongs to French head chef Enzo Caridi and his partner, pastry chef Camille Dalla Favera. Her family ran boulangeries in France. His is deeply connected to restaurant life. They have been given room to change the menu with the seasons, built on classic techniques: French onion soup under a golden pastry lid, beef tartare, scallops, charcuterie and cheese boards.
The wine list splits evenly between France and Australia, so a Rhône Valley Syrah sits next to a Barossa Shiraz and Chablis next to a South Australian Chardonnay. Richards created six signature cocktails. The building has two levels, a streetside dining room and a smaller bar downstairs.
Next door
Mutya’s comes from the family behind 118 Kovenant, a Filipino restaurant in Pooraka. Head chef Christian Velasquez leads the kitchen with his wife Cielo, and his sister Danice Cruz runs front of house. Their mother, whose cooking inspired the place, moves between both restaurants.
Rather than cooking the food of one Philippine region, the kitchen draws on the whole archipelago and gives heritage recipes a modern treatment. The drinks list uses Filipino ingredients and tropical flavours. Co-founder Cris Joshua Cruz says the restaurant aims to show “the depth, diversity and sophistication of Filipino cuisine.”
Both venues are at 277 and 279 Rundle Street. The precinct has long drawn diners, drinkers and people-watchers, and Mioche wants Le Mistral to hold on to guests. The atmosphere, he says, “will encourage guests to linger, share stories and embrace the French philosophy of enjoying life’s simple pleasures.”
Sources
- Meet the neighbours bringing global flavours to Adelaide's East End – CityMag | InDaily, Inside South Australia
- A slice of Provence lands in Adelaide Rundle Street – About Adelaide
- Three new Adelaide restaurants to book before they open – FIFTY+SA
