Let’s skip straight to dessert. It’s worth considering the art of the Paris-Brest: a crunchy, sweet ring of pastry, filled with a hazelnut cream and its centre occupied with chocolate ice cream, is perhaps the tangible exemplification of this slice of Paris in the centre of Sydney.

Bistrot Gavroche Sydney, one of the newer installments in the revival of Chippendale’s Kensington Street, is reminiscent of any classic Parisian bistro ”“ except that it’s a floor above the new trend-heavy Central hub. There are plenty of dark red tones here, alongside linen-clothed tables and wooden furniture imported from France. These elements play off the original interior ”“ which formerly had lives as a rug store, a movie stage and a storage space ”“ with exposed beams, huge original windows and floorboards. An assortment of antique chests, wooden fridges and cycling gear adorn the space.

Backtracking from dessert, dinner is a sumptuous and buttery affair. Snails are served drenched in a paste of butter, garlic and earthy spinach. Salty, heady washed-rind goat’s cheese sits on slices of crusty baguette with radiccio, walnuts and rocket. Seafood is also done well. Shucked Coffin Bay oysters sit in a bowl of ice with metal lemon-squeezers at the ready, while a dish of poached egg-and-pikefish quinelles (fluffy and light) dances with a rich broth of saffron, crawfish cream and butter. (And for those unfamiliar with the nuances of French cuisine, a stellar team of French-speaking wait-staff are waiting in the wings.) Stick around for the drinks trolley too: the ornate antique is stocked with a selection of French and island rums and whiskeys and whisked around the restaurant by an eager and educated waiter. Paired with the gentle jazz, it could very well convince you you’re back in the 2^nd.

http://bistrotgavroche.com.au

Bistrot Gavroche Sydney
Level 1, 2-10 Kensington Street
Chippendale, Sydney, Australia 2008
+612 9281 6668

Riley Wilson is Melting Butter’s Assistant Editor. A native Sydney-sider who grew up between Australia and the USA, with extensive travels throughout Europe along the way, she is also a freelance writer and editor, contributing to Broadsheet Sydney, The Sydney Morning Herald, and a variety of publications in Australia and overseas. She’s deeply passionate about olives, oysters, postage stamps, and punctuation.

(All images courtesy of Bistrot Gavroche Sydney.)

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