La Cachette is an intimate, family run, modern bistro.
For Owner and Chef Patron Matthew Podbury, it’s the ultimate family-run ‘neighbourhood Bistrot’ – complete with incredible food, and drink paired with generous hospitality.
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Podbury is Geelong born and raised. When finishing his apprenticeship, he headed off to Europe and was fortunate enough to work in several world-class restaurants in London, Lyon (France) and Puglia in Italy. He has worked at venues with Michelin stars and restaurants that cooked at a level, and with produce that could never be achieved in Australia, and was so lucky to be exposed to so many opportunities to learn from a deep and rich dining and culinary culture.
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La Cachette follows the principal of ‘bistronomy’, a French term for restaurants opened by chefs who have experience in top level restaurants aiming to cook with the same attention to detail and care but serve food in a more relaxed/accessible setting. They just want people to have a lovely meal and a lovely time, and to want to come back – to make La Cachette their new local!
Receiving a Good Food Guide Hat in their first year, they went on to retain it the following year of 2023. They were also a finalist in the 2024 Good Food Guide Best Regional Restaurant Award, and the only Geelong restaurant to retain a hat in 2024 – you know they’re the real deal.
When they opened, Podbury made a deliberate choice to offer a constantly-changing menu that is seasonal and that shows-off the wonderful produce that they can source when it is at its peak. So, they change their menu every three weeks, and it is always the same structure: choice of two entrees, two mains, two desserts, beautiful sharing salad, and of course the best cheeses you can get!
The new menu includes entrées of Pressed Ox Tail with Crapaudine Beetroot and Horseradish, and a dish of Poached Leeks, Crispy Quail’s Egg and Cantal Cheese. The Mains are Margra Lamb, which is bred with a micro-marbled finish and low fat, so it is incredibly succulent, accompanied with Broccoli and anchovy. The other main is Fillet of Orange Roughy ‘Bonne Femme’ with Vermouth and Mushroom, Bonne famme is a classical French way of cooking the fish simply and retaining the integrity of the pearly white flesh. Then for dessert, a reworking of Podbury’s favourite classical French desserts – Île Flottante but this time it is teamed with Persimmon, Cardamom Custard and Pink Peppercorn. The alternative is a gorgeous Valrhona Chocolate Tarte with Jerusalem Artichoke Ice Cream..
Because it is a new menu every three weeks, each time guests can look forward to going in and trying something new and exciting!
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La Cachette sources the best produce they can find – cooking it with technique and finessing and serving in a relaxed and accessible bistro. Trying their best to get local ingredients, whether that be Geelong, Bellarine or the Western District. Sometimes they are going wider afield, but they try to buy Victorian if they can. While some Australian Cheeses, including The Otways are world class, Podbury isn’t going to stop offering Cheeses from Europe as well.
They also try to support small and/or family-owned businesses where they can; bread from Newtown, free range eggs from Coororooke, milk from Timboon, tomatoes from Queenscliff, honey from the Peninsula. Sometimes the need is to go wider afield but they always come back to the question, what is the best quality that they can access consistently at the quantities that they need and can afford?
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La Cachette aims to be a relaxed Bistrot with sensational food and wine! It’s a tiny venue, and everyone can see (and hear) the Open Kitchen.
One-off artworks that were commissioned adorn the wall, completed with candles on the hand-crafted sustainably-sourced Tasmanian X bare-timber tables, knives hand-crafted for them by a French Knifesmith, and unique moody lighting fixtures. Behind the bar features the mainly imported wines and spirits that are served on or off-list. Guests can elect to sit at the custom-made bar counter (the same timber used on the tables and the bar display) where they can watch the workings of the Open Kitchen or get a close up look at what’s on offer from the bar, or for the Cheese Course.
Every year on Bastille Day, 14 July, La Cachette is turned into a Bouchon – the style of restaurant that anyone who has visited Lyon will have tried; checkered tablecloths, glasses served upside down, a special new menu. It’s an event you won’t want to miss.
Visit La Cachette, book a table or check out the menu here.
Shop 10, Steampacket Place, Eastern Beach Road, Geelong CBD
Open Tuesday – Sunday, 5:30 – 10:30pm, Saturday & Sunday, 12 – 2:30pm
