It has been a while since I have returned to French Salon, but only because I normally stay at the west end of the CBD. The food was excellent, duck and Brussel sprouts. The staff were great, I travel lots, and don’t often as a 1 pax have a staff member really engage as they know I’m a “noddy no friends diner”, kudos to my wait staff member for making the effort. The restaurant ambiance was… However, I always love finding the entry. See my pic.

My family surprised me with a birthday dinner at what they believed to be a wonderful French restaurant. They worked very hard to sell us the menu. My anticipation grew as I decided to order the Dry Aged Duck breast, expecting a delightful experience. However, my excitement turned to disappointment when my plate arrived with only half of the expected portion. The most disheartening part was the lack of any apology or explanation from the staff, nor did they bother to check in with us. To add to the frustration, they charged the full price for the dish despite the obvious discrepancy. It's truly disheartening how such oversight can dampen someone's special day and leave a lasting negative impression. In the future, I hope they take customer satisfaction more seriously and strive to make each dining experience memorable for the right reasons. After all, great service and attention to detail can truly make or break an occasion, especially one as important as a birthday celebration.

Had a lovely time here for dinner. Service was attentive, helpful and friendly. Menu had a wide selection from French classics to contemporary dishes. Only had issues with environment as there were a few large parties that were quite loud. Acoustics of the main room are not great and was quite difficult to hear the servers or someone across the table. Had some issue with seating as customers and servers kept bumping into my chair even when I was uncomfortably right up the against the table. Other than those issues the food was delicious and well prepared. Would definitely recommend.

Food was delicious and in good portions. We had chicken and steak. There's lots of cheese with most things so be aware. Friendly and helpful service. Pricey but good portions and food is exquisite. Clientele is older, rich white people from the inner East or Mornington Peninsula - not that there's anything wrong with that. Atmosphere is nice.

Looking for a proper french cuisine? Here is the place. A warm welcome given by the greeter in a such pleasant dining area up on the first floor. Then, a delightful explanation about the dishes by a beautiful assistant. So don't worry for not knowing about french dish at all. To begin with, i had a mouthwatering abrolhos island scallop crudo as the first dish, then we had a warm whipped cod roe, charchuterie plate, and flounder fish consecutively. This place is romantic, not really suitable for babies though. Make sure to make a reservation before going, and double check the entrance through a dark brown door.

This is a great gem in Melbourne CBD. The place is great....Don't be afraid of the dodge door and stair... you will find a great space for a meal with friends. Clean and plenty of sun light coming to illuminate the red ceiling. The service is superb and the food is delicious. A excellent wine list will finish all the good things about French Saloon. Wait... there's more.... no annoying music.... yes.... you can have a pleasure conversation while you eat. I will come back.

An unassuming restaurant with an obscure entrance tucked in between two popular restaurants at the ground floor that you’ll definitely miss if you don’t stand around trying to search for it until a friendly staff notices you and ask - can I help you? 😃 I visited with a friend and we shared one specials entrée, one Mains, two sides, and a dessert. Everything was so delicious!! Only gripe was that the waiting time for the food was a wee long between the entrée and mains+sides but given that they’ve just reopened and it’s their fourth week, I’d say it was still an absolutely delightful dining experience.

French Saloon is a very relaxed dining room which took us back to France. With friendly staff and a modernised traditional french menu we could not fault the food. We did feel a little rushed with our sharing plates coming out too quickly... a break between each dish would have been more enjoyable. Overall a wonderful experience, will definitely be back!

Best night, incredible staff!

Probably the best lunch I had in Melbourne. The chef really knows his seasoning and the sommelier can walk you through a great unconventional winelist. I wish I could eat there everyday.

Beautiful restaurant with a lovely chilled, romantic atmosphere, friendly staff, great wine, delicious food. Feel like our friends introduced us to a hidden gem! Really loved the parfait entree, smoked eel starter, steak main - lots of favourites!

Once you find the entrance ( side door, up a flight of stairs and pull open the first non descript door) to this restaurant, you'd be pleasantly surprised by the airiness and the space. Tables are well spaced apart making it easy for conversations. Friendly staff and good food. The winelist is good and reflected in the mark-up.

Food was tasty but for the price point I really expect better. Service on the other hand was quite poor, may have been an off night but we waited 10mins to order ever meal, drink, cheque... What should have been a 1.5hr sitting was 2.5hr. And it was about half full. I will try it again but not for a while.

We had our wedding reception here. Great venue, staff, food and atmosphere highly recommend. Thanks again team

Brilliant, cosy, hidden away gem along Hardware Lane. It was surprisingly empty mid week, as I'm guessing people not familiar just get encouraged into the many lane way spots, however a few long dinners were being enjoyed by diners in the know. Cosy setting, great outdoor area. Service was superb - knowledge, friendliness, attentiveness all spot on. Great menu, we had a number of dishes to share as we wanted to try too many things. Everything was fabulous. Cheese puff's complimentary when we sat down were to die for, however quite rich and filling for what was to come. Had crudo, steak tartare and last one escapes me right now for entree's. The wagyu steak frites, parisian gnocchi and a side salad for mains, gorgeous sourdough on the side and a selection of starters. I'm a steak snob, but this was not only cooked as ordered, but super super tasty, love to actually get a strong taste. All in all, a brilliant evening of wonderful food, wine and company and looking forwards to being back. Highly recommended.

Beautiful and charming restaurant in an upstairs space. Delicious artfully presented food, delicate flavors, and all around good. Very attentive service. We went for lunch and had the stake frites, burrata, and a veggie dish. We were not super hungry and it was the perfect amount of food.

I'm obsessed with this restaurant. I think it's one of the best french bistro's in Melbourne. I've been here many times and the food has always been exceptional with attentive friendly service. The atmosphere is casual and cool without being stuffy and over done (love the red ceiling). Highly recommend!

This is definitely one of most consistently good spots in the CBD. The food is always excellent, as is the service. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for refund bistro cuisine and a relaxed atmosphere. It’s also a great place for business lunches/dinners.

Nice set menu. Delicious food.

Great food of course! Classy.

Food excellence, Staff wonderful , Great cosy venue

My partner and I went to French Saloon for a long lunch yesterday and loved it. We both had the four course menu with a bottle of Tasmanian bubbles. The service was spot on, everything on the menu was more than what we expected and the atmosphere lively. Highly recommended.

Very nice

One of the best meals I’ve experienced in Melbourne. The service and experience go hand in hand. They amended some items for someone who is allergic to certain food and still it was amazing. The sommelier matched our wine with our food and price range. The GSM she suggested was just perfectly bodied and was brilliant alongside the steak. Overall this restaurant will meet your expectations and some.

Perfect

Great service, food and wine!

Great food and service love the Steak Tartare

Very little can be added to a truly exceptional meal. Thank You to all of the staff.

amazing food and service - highly recommend

Delicious food in classic French bistro setting.

Loved it. Accommodating staff. Great food

Best french dinner in the city ;)

came here for a birthday dinner was a good vibe

This is such a great restaurant that would suit any & all occasions ! Having dined here previously with a big group, to then experience a second time round in a much smaller group - the service, food preparation & quality and overall experience was simply outstanding. Perfectly located a level up from a busy Hardware Lane on the corner it's quiet enough allowing you to enjoy a great dinner. Highly recommended !

Was there for a wedding reception. Great food & wine. Service was excellent

Great food with a relaxed and friendly vibe. Delightful staff and an excellent drinks list. Burgers we're available after 10am but with the new menu this has ceased - however the legend will live on.

You struggle to find it on Hardware Lane because it's on upper floor and tiny French Saloon sign just painted on wall. Food was great and served beautifully. Staff friendly and helpful.

I enjoyed the French Saloon for a business dinner. Some excellent food, including a decent plate of charcuterie and tasty burrata. Steak was particularly good. Kind of French, but didn't feel like being in Paris - more the kind of "modern European" where you get a range of cuisines melded......maybe that's a good thing as the menu had a mix of classics (steak tartare, fois gras) and more modern dishes to please all tastes. Extensive and expensive wine list (with a lot of Australian).

Excellent food matched to Curly Flat's sublime wines.

Good food, expensive drinks.

Match of taste, excellent service, a touch of vintage to the environment

Up a narrow stairwell off bustling hardware lane lies the hidden gem of the Melbourne food and wine scene. Rustic open warehouse reveals warm and welcoming staff with the food simply being the best I have ever eaten. Honestly it's world class, as is the extensive champagne and wine list. Fine gastronomic treats appear from an upstairs hidden kitchen. There is evident love in creation here and not to be missed. 10 out of 10

Excellent service

Hidden gem on Hardware Lane. No irritating hawkers on the street like the rest of the alleyway haunts of Melbourne. Service here is as attentive as it comes. Try the caviar (selection of Yarra Valley Caviar served in 30g servings or imported Italian caviar served in more expensive 10g servings). The back balcony makes for a perfect backdrop for a quiet dinner in the city. Food alone here was $140 for 2 people including $28 Yarra Valley Rainbow Trout Caviar.

Chef’s menu was delicious- very reasonably priced and good service. Knowledgeable staff and lots of local produce (cheese & honeycomb) used which was fantastic! Shame they don’t open for dinners on weekends else I will be a regular diner for sure!

Incredible food, wine and service. Treat someone special to this spot.

Tucked away up a flight of stairs is this wonderful French restaurant. Beautiful traditional french cuisine and wonder service.

The best Saloon

Absolutely delightful. Roast chicken was superb.

A quaint, charming restaurant set in an alley with devine food skillfully cooked by awesome chefs. Not always you are served with food that they tell it like it is? French Saloon does.

Beautiful food!!

Beautiful food, modern French

A bit a class, yummy bone marrow and excellent staff

Fabulous French cuisines!

The food was amazing and the staff attentive. Most places ignore lone diners, not here. Thank you for making me feel comfortable and welcome

Excellent food, service, We had an issue with the first bottle of wine we ordered, they did correct it and then the food was simply amazing A nice cosy setting, it’s not the quietest place, so be ready for that Will be back