Launceston Restaurant - Tasmania's Oldest Brasserie Cafe Est. 1956

"On my recent visit to Launceston I dined at Pierres and was most delighted at the high standard of the restaurant and quality of food in this small North Tasmanian town. The service was faultless and the wine list singularly comprehensive. Almost enough to make me pack up and move to Tasmania."

Australian Good Food & Travel Guide

"Couldnt recommend it more highly, the pork belly was amazing! Nice setting, formal but relaxed with great service."

Australian Good Food & Travel Guide

"I have visited here since I was a child & have fond memories of Chocolate Royals as a treat at the end of term & late night suppers after the theatre. I am most impressed that the current owners have retained the original atmosphere in their stunning renovation. This is a delightful place to eat, The food is no longer toasties & milkshakes; it is a sublime dining experience complemented by a great wine list and excellent service. A Launceston icon brought into the twentieth century. Highly recommended"

Australian Good Food & Travel Guide

"our visit to pierres was of the best standard, will be refering others to dine in the top class surroundings, food was excellent and the service was amazing...best restaurant in tasmania...keep up the good work!"

Australian Good Food & Travel Guide

"When planning a trip to Launceston recently my husband & I came across rave reviews in both the Sydney Morning Herald and Australian Good Food & Travel Guide. We could not have been more thrilled with our choice of restaurant. The steak tartare rivaled that we've shared in Paris, the duck confit to die for and the Scotch fillet with Cafe de Paris butter simply sublime. Add to that a clever and extensive wine list, superb service and a gorgeous, romantic setting, we knew we'd be back again and again. Congratulations to the owners on having created exactly the kind of experience people want in a night out: stroll through the doors off George Street and you can expect to be transported to a chic European destination - a bistro "en Paris"."

Australian Good Food & Travel Guide

"The fact that I have had a number of meals at this establishment says it all I guess. I find the evening ambiance in particular to be outstanding. What I really love as well as the food of course is the lighting.The light is focused purely on the food and table setting itself. Dining is extremely intimate, you wouldn't know you had diners or waiters surrounding you, hats off to the architect. Partially mirrored walls coupled with amazing oil paintings add to this fabulous dining experience. Thanks to the owners of Pierres and their great staff for choosing Launceston."

Australian Good Food & Travel Guide

As a business consultant and as a diner, I must congratulate Pierre's and all of its staff for creating a place that we can go to experience delicious food; fast and courteous service; and a relaxing and good time all in a well designed and cosmopolitan environment. I've probably said it all before, but I really wanted to say it in writing. Thank you each of you for bringing such a treat to Launceston and raising the bar on the quality of service and value.

"Pierre's had been feeding and coffeeing Launcestonians for 51 years before it was sold in 2007. It had the city's first espresso machine and had obviously been a leader of the city's culinary scene at one stage of its life. Fifty years on, it was, well, just 50 years older. Now it's been transformed into an ultra-stylish bistro with striking red and black decor, comfortable banquettes, a beautiful service bar under a massive skylight, a floor-to-ceiling display of vintage French wines and a delightful enclosed space at the back which is perfect for an alfresco drink or nibble under some leafy birches.

The food too has been transformed under chef Matthew Adams - French onion soup, steak tartare, rillettes, Croque Monsieur, la soupe au pistou, duck liver parfait, escargot with garlic, entrecote with Cafe de Paris butter, profiteroles and crepe Suzette. This is quintessential French fare, older, if you like, than the former Pierre's first menu. But such classics are timeless and it's the sort of uncomplicated, comforting, bistro-style food that has been missing in Tasmania for too long. There's an excellent wine list with (something rarely seen today) a good selection of halves and magnums including an almost irresistible top-flight few from Bordeaux."

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
Graeme Phillips, March 2009

"Pierre's restaurant in the heart of Launceston has been an institution for decades. New owners have now remodelled the interior giving it a more contemporary feel and have changed the menu to reflect the food of France. It is a reliable and relaxing venue for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

The long, thin space has been attractively decked out in bold red, broken by large food-oriented paintings that line the walls. Table settings are informal and the service relaxed, but the food is quite serious and the wine list traverses Australia and southern Europe (heavily weighted towards Bordeaux).

Your meal might include a very tasty steak tartare (served with all the usual condiments) or local mussels cooked in a fine broth or a hearty provincial terrine in the French style or brilliant slices of cured salmon teamed with beetroot, orange and horseradish salsa. This might be followed by a long-cooked neck of lamb or a steak with Cafe de Paris butter. Caring service adds to the dining experience in this lively, friendly bistro that seems to have another fifty years ahead of it."