A salivating French affair at Melrose Arch.

Who doesn’t need a little les liaisons dangereuses sometimes? The culinary and cultural variety, we mean. Macaroons, champagne, bistro food, and crêpes, and some music parisienne. These are just some of the things you’ll find at the TOTAL French Street Festival at Melrose Arch. This is the first year the festival is being held and it’s drawn large crowds so far.

The (free) wine tasting area was immensely popular and featured a great combination of reds, whites, and bubbly. The VIP area served Martell Cognac cocktails. The Harvest Time is highly recommended: a blend of Cognac, Monin Morello Cherry, Monin Lemongrass, Apple Juice, and Lime resulted in an adult version of the student classic “gummy bear” juice. The Exclusive Masterclass by women winemakers in South Africa, including the first black female winemaker in the country, Ntsiki Biyela.

Stalls by some of Joburg’s best known French bistros – like “Eat” and “Michel” – served tasting portions of some signature dishes. Bistro Michel’s creamy snails with fennel-infused mashed potato, and Eat Bistro’s duck confit with plum sauce were both delicious. For desert, macaroons are a must – we recommend the pistachio and Nutella ones. And a French affair won’t be complete without some crêpes. Forget Suzette, try the Nutella and Banana.

Our only gripe – where were the baguettes with fromage?

The festival wraps up on Sunday 17 April at 6pm.

More information: www.totalfrenchstreetfestival.co.za