Since its launch in August 2013, Charlie, AKA the Mansion, has been the go-to spot for an off the wall, innovative bar experience, but the team was not going to rest on their laurels until Charlie became a true foodie destination, too. With the launch of Bistro, their new and exciting dining concept in partnership with Executive Chef Damien Le Bihan, it seems they are well on their way to achieving that ambition.
Damien Le Bihan comes with an impressive pedigree, with multiple stints at Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris and abroad. Chef Damien has honed his skills at two-star Michelin restaurant Michel Rostang, followed by the legendary three-star Guy Savoy, and by the age of 28 he was sent by Guy himself to Las Vegas to oversee the kitchen in his new Vegas outpost. With various impressive Singapore names under his belt, including L’Entrecote, Sabio, Forlino, The Vintage Room, and Le Petit Cancal, Damien arrived in Bali to take the reigns at Bistro. It is the first undertaking where the chef now gets to create what he is truly passionate about – rustic French food with contemporary character, applying everything he has learned throughout his career.
At Charlie, Damien has curated a menu of no-fuss, easy-to-share, wholesome dishes inspired by the French classics, like French Onion Soup, all sorts of Rillettes and Tartines, Beef Bourguignon and Dover Sole a la Meunierre, and, last but not least, Mousse au Chocolat and Mille Feuille. To him, less is more because he is a firm believer in letting the ingredients do the talking: “From my Grandmother, I learned this lesson: to bring out the taste of good ingredients, you do not need the help of many condiments or additional items at all.”
