Gigi’s Frenchy fare is playfully kitsch and glamorously cute. Gigi is fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s dressed to impress and targets a crowd who are keen to frock up, pay up and take plenty of pics. Pop in before heading across the road to sister restaurant Entrecôte, or make an afternoon out of it – we hear High Tea à la Gigi is now being served every Sunday from noon (expect free-flowing French bubbles and wines, and the likes of ribbon sandwiches, vol au vents, lemonade scones with creme chantilly and profiteroles).
Sitting pretty perched above Greville Street, Gigi talks a big game. The menu invites you to “indulge in a little mischief and escape into a sultry Parisian dream”. It promises thrills and secret-keeping, of being pulled into the shadows and losing track of time. Perhaps it happens to be a particularly tame evening on the Thursday night we visit, but the atmosphere in the quiet parlour doesn’t seem to quite match the description of being “a portal to a world where the night feels endless, and anything – everything – feels possible”. Nevertheless, whether in this world or elsewhere, Gigi is a perfectly pleasant place to yap over drinks and slices of warm baguette spread thick with French butter.
And we’ve got to give it to them for fully committing in their endeavor to create the cheeky French fantasy they're playing at. The Gigi signature cocktail is touted as “mysterious, playful and undeniably chic…entirely seductive and always unforgettable”. Big shoes to fill for a rather small drink, but in this instance, they're right to talk it up. Gin, elderflower and lemon are elevated with the delicate addition of sweet green pea syrup, creating a bouncy, bright and botanical boozy concoction that we could sip all night. Cocktails come in at a pretty $26.90 a pop ($24.90 for the signature) and also somehow each require a full length-paragraph description. The wine list unsurprisingly leans French, with a healthy selection of Euro and Australian pours too. Our choice for the night, the chenin blanc from Patrice Colin in the Loire Valley is crisp, fruity, and hard not to like, just as our lovely waiter had described.
The charming and friendly service throughout the evening made our visit more memorable than it may otherwise have been (do you think they pay more for waiters with authentic French accents?). And despite the website itself instructing us “not to pretend this is about the food, darling”, we’re not surprised with the quality of the tempting tidbits given Gigi’s pedigree (Jason Jones and Brahman Perera are well-established Melbourne restaurateurs).
Potato crisps with dip, marinated olives, charcuterie and fromage serve as perfect appetite-whetters if you're saving yourself for the main event across the road. Or if you’re planning on spending an afternoon drinking and gossiping, the Happy Chicken toasted sandwich points (with miniature tabasco bottles to add to the cutesy vibe) and Mr Jones' sausage rolls are crowd-pleasing stomach liners. The snacks tend to lean on the smaller size, such as the mushrooms en crôute with bechamel, which are almost too svelte to get a proper taste. If you’re hungry, the cheeseburger will do the trick. While the cognac aioli, melty cheese and red wine pickled shallots make for a deliciously oozy burger, the super soft bun succumbs to sogginess rather quickly, so eat it fast.
While the space may feel a little overdone – with velvet adorned to almost any surface and chandeliers dangling in all directions – and the story perhaps slightly contrived, if you’re willing to lean into the kitschy French cosplay, Gigi is a fun and flirtatious good time. So dress up, order a caviar tartlet, split a bottle of bubbles while sitting on brown velvet poufs and embrace this little slice of make-believe French fun. Why the hell not?