The Villager - MOUNT BULLER

Beautiful eating, large service, staff very friendly and courteous

Eating it is good, but the service especially one of the girls was very rude

French inspired restaurant, probably one of the best on the mountain.Dim lighting with a fireplace makes for a lovely, ambient vibe. For starters we ordered the bread and smokey butter, plus French onion soup. Main was chicken dish and seasonal greens. Each dish was appetising and very enjoyable. Expect to pay premium prices however well worth it for delicious food.

When researching Mt Buller I had read about this place which serves French food which I'm a fan of. It has a prime location within the village. Enter in through two sets of doors and upstairs to the restaurant and bar.There's lots of skiers in early for a drink or two. The kitchen opens at 5pm and after a light lunch I was ready to go. I ordered at the counter and chose the following:Normandy Style French Onion SoupServed with Gruyere crouteDelicious soup, crunchy baguette with melted Gruyere, perfect dish for the weather.Coq au VinRed wine chicken, shallot, lardons, mushroom, herbsExcellent dish, lovely soft tender chicken with a subtle red wine flavour, love the herbed crumb, tender mushrooms, excellent dish in a cosy warm setting.Downstairs is The Little Villager which is noticeable from Bourke St as you walk back to the village after a day of skiing. Serving coffee, pies, pastries and quiches, this is an excellent place for something casual. There's also a water station to the right of the counter.I'd got a bacon and egg quiche and a vegetable pastie. Both were warmed, delicious flaky pastry, nice filling, enjoyed with tomato sauce and they're open each day. I visited again to grab some eats for the ride back to Melbourne. Two delicious bacon and quiches were thoroughly enjoyed. These are quality products.

I generally LOvE this restaurant. Most dishes generally match its mountain price and brings heartiness after a day of skiing. The ambience is really nice. This year, I tried their most expensive dish, $55) on the menu and was really looking forward to their signature Alpine Cassoulet Riz pilaf, rouille. Unfortunately, the dish was at most a simplified casserole, and fell far from its French traditions of a complex, long tendered meaty rich, warm bean hearty casserole, as it’s price would suggest. It was instead, a little bean spill with a small celebration of a tiny tasty confit Chicken drumstick, a piece of pork sausage and unfortunately undercooked hard bitey rice pilaf. Could do with a revision of price to reflect a simple casserole and perhaps better served with a crusty top and sourdough bread.. Still a good restaurant despite a one dish let down.