This gold patterned little French hideaway on the sleepy streets of Neutral Bay is a hidden gem. In an age of share plates, it was nice to settle in for a three-course-meal of continental cuisine. I started with the delightful Chicken Liver Parfait ($16) with cherries, while my dining companion opted for Scallop and Crab Boudin Blanc ($18) – a kind of seafood sausage, served swimming in crab bisque and caviar, basically the south of France on a plate.
Descending the stairs of the CBD’s go-to French bistro Le Pub, this seemingly trendy, tardis-like, Parisian-style establishment opens up to reveal an odd mix of the after work drinks’ crowd, family diners, and girls’ night victims. Nonetheless, the tastefully decorated venue is quite comfortable, albeit a little raucous on the evening I dined.
Every neighbourhood should have a little Parisian bistro. Better still, one with young French chefs from the south-west of France in the kitchen who play to their seaside strengths and offer up a clattering mound of Moules Marinières ($25) in a white wine and cream sauce, slightly smoky from a good flambé.
It seems fitting to do my thousandth review at one of Sydney’s smallest restaurants. Weighing in at just sixteen seats, this tiny terrace on Victoria Street, Potts Point, delivers a disproportionately memorable dining experience.
In the week that former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam died, I spent time in his old electorate, Werriwa. I was there visiting Fairfield RSL, touted as the gastronomic destination of the West.
While the new Délisse flagship store isn’t breaking revolutionary ground, what with global chains like Délifrance being in operation for twenty-five years, it does have a demonstrable commitment to excellence that’s already winning fans.