Parisian Bistro
The second dinner party of 2026 was the first time I tried leaning in to a really specific theme, as opposed to something more atmospheric. In honour of my 35th birthday, I decided to throw myself a dinner party birthday based around my all-time favourite Disney movie, Ratatouille! While the menu was tied to the movie with a few direct references, I wanted to keep the vibe sophisticated, with a nod to my favourite tiny chef.
The table was themed around a French bistro aesthetic, with rich tones of red and rust, antique touches of brass and bentwood chairs. But of course, what really tied it together was a little French music playing in the background.
THE INSPIRATION
the invite
The invite always sets the tone and comes with an accompanying Dress Code mood board.
the dress code
The dress code for this dinner was French-girl chic featuring:
- crisp collars & cozy knits
- petite plaid & gingham
- rust, rouge, cafe cream and a touch of slate blue
- berets encouraged, of course!
the table
I really have to thank the thrift stores for serving me the most perfect elements for this tablescape. I knew I’d want to have a red tablecloth as the base, but this rusty, patterned table cloth was truly more than I could have hoped for when I set out on my search. A few days later, these multi-toned, striped napkins presented themselves to me at another thrift store and I was simply over the moon. Pulled together with a bench full of assorted cushions and these rustic bentwood chairs, I felt the French Bistro vibe felt well represented.
But the one element I knew would ensure the theme was clearly Ratatouille, was this aged-look “tiny chef” table candle holder. I knew he was very important to my tablescape vision. I also chose not to use flowers for this look, and created a centrepiece of fresh fruit and candles, while a last minute addition of wooden bowls brought dimension and height.
the menu
PARISIAN BISTRO Dinner Menu
APPETIZER - Honey Whipped Brie
with strawberries, basil, balsamic & black pepper
SOUP: Spring Potato, Leek & Parsnip Soup
with chive oil
MAIN: Roasted Chicken with Fennel & Grapes
SIDES: Ratatouille
DESSERT: Clafoutis
with rhubarb, orange & vanilla
COCKTAIL: Rhubarb French 75
Let’s get into the menu inspiration…
The first course was inspired by an early moment in the movie, where Remy tries a piece of cheese with a strawberry and experiences a flavour pairing delight! This whipped brie was extremely simple and quick to prepare and was honestly like enjoying a really delightful bite of butter on bread.
Following the whipped brie was a potato, leek & parsnip soup which was probably the star of the show as far as I was concerned. The flavour of the parsnip brightened the classic potato leek combination, and I decided to go for a completely smooth consistency. This course was inspired by the scenes of Remy fixing Linguini’s soup mistake during his first day in the kitchen.
For the entree, I knew I would be replicating Remy’s Ratatouille dish from the movie, which I learned was prepared Confit Byaldi style. I knew that I wanted to pair it with a chicken dish, and I’d been inspired to try this roasted chicken & grapes recipe from Half Baked Harvest. I chose to roast mine with fennel, thyme and a white wine jus.
To complete the meal, I was looking for a French dessert that could feel a little springy, and wasn’t as well-known as crème brûlée. Though I don’t think I’d ever tried clafoutis before, the simplicity and versatility felt like a perfect match. I prepared mine with rhubarb, orange and vanilla and used almond flour so that it was gluten friendly. In preparation, I roasted the rhubarb with orange zest and sugar which left me with quite a bit of rhubarb juice - I was inspired to save this liquid and turn it into an impromptu rhubarb simple syrup for our French 75 cocktail.
