The first clue that this dinner was going to derail all sensible Tuesday night behaviour came when I found myself elbow-deep in a plate of hot fries, jazz floating through the room, while someone at the next table applauded a flaming crêpe suzette like they’d just witnessed live theatre.
Brisbane’s C’est Bon has officially entered its cosy Parisian era with the new L’Entrecôte Jazz Soirée, and during my first visit I already texted the group chat to inform them we’d be going back.
The Woolloongabba favourite has turned fortnightly Tuesday nights into a full-blown French brasserie ritual built around decadent entrecote steak, bottomless frites, mood lighting and live jazz. It somehow manages to feel elegant and relaxed at the same time, like the sort of place where you accidentally stay for hours because nobody wants the evening to end.
I always feel incredibly chic when I walk into C’est Bon. The lighting is soft, glasses clink across the dining room, and this time live jazz rolls through the space without overpowering conversation. Every table seems locked into the exact same mood: happy to be there and in absolutely no rush to leave.
There’s a special menu created just for the Jazz Soirée nights, and within about thirty seconds of reading it we made the deeply responsible decision to order basically one of everything.
To start, we had the Duck Bay oysters with champagne mignonette, plus the brioche with bone marrow butter, because restraint felt completely inappropriate for the occasion. The oysters were beautifully fresh with that perfect icy chill, and the champagne mignonette added this bright little sharpness that made them taste even more luxurious. Then came the brioche, warm and glossy, ready to soak up every last bit of the rich bone marrow butter.
Then came the main event: Phoenix Wagyu bavette steak with bottomless frites, salad verte and a silver dish containing the cafe de Paris butter.
The steak arrived sliced and covered in this glorious green sauce that I still can’t confidently identify, but I can confirm it was outrageously good. Herby, silky — whatever was happening there worked. The wagyu itself was tender with that deep rich flavour you want from a proper steak frites situation, and every bite somehow became better once dragged through the sauce.
Alongside it came the salad verte with the most delicious mustardy dressing that cut through all the richness perfectly. It felt very French to balance steak and endless fries with a salad and call it moderation.
And then there were the fries.
Golden, crisp and dangerously easy to keep eating long after you’re technically full. We ended up ordering two extra serves because the café de Paris butter arrived in this little silver dish on the side, and naturally we started dipping chips straight into it like civilised people with absolutely no self-control.
The jazz tied the whole night together. Sitting there with a great steak, endless fries, that sharp little salad verte and live music playing in the background felt like the perfect way to switch off after a long week. Nobody was rushing, everyone looked relaxed, and the whole restaurant had that warm brasserie energy that makes you want to settle in for another glass of wine and stay a little longer.
Then the tableside citron crêpe suzette arrived. If you’re considering skipping this optional add-on, I’m going to stop you right there.
The dessert is prepared beside the table with full fiery theatre. Flames leapt from the pan while nearby diners turned around to watch, which felt fair because I also would have stared. Hidden inside the crepe is frozen custard that slowly melts after the flambé, turning into this creamy citrusy ice-creamy centre that tastes like the dessert equivalent of wearing cashmere near a fireplace.
I left understanding exactly why C’est Bon keeps calling this a ritual instead of an event. It doesn’t feel overworked or overly polished. It feels like the kind of dinner people romanticise after coming home from Europe, except this one is sitting right in Woolloongabba waiting for you on a Tuesday night.
Also, for the record, if anyone needs me over the next few months, I’ll be at C’est Bon dipping fries into butter and pretending I live in Paris.
WHAT: L’Entrecote Jazz Soiree
WHERE: C’est Bon Restaurant and Le Bon Bar, 609/611 Stanley Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102. P. 07 3891 2008
WHEN: Fortnightly on Tuesday nights. Call for bookings.
In her spare time, she likes long walks down the makeup aisle and performing in Brisbane theatre. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and TikTok @thebeautypalate.
