While we don’t encourage storming any prisons this Bastille Day on Sunday, July 14 it is certainly the time to celebrate all things Français.
What better way than to visit your favourite French restaurant and treat yourself to escargot, frogs’ legs and the best bubbles on the planet?
Dating back to 1789, Bastille Day was the turning point in the French Revolution when the people of Paris raided the Bastille seeking ammunition and gunpowder to arm themselves.
Let’s don a beret and striped T-shirt and head around the country to taste test some of our favourite dishes at these five restaurants:
Inspired by the Burgundy Region
Modern, sophisticated French dishes taking inspiration from the traditional roots of the Burgundy region await discerning foodies at La Chouette on Alexandra Street in Hunters Hill. A stylish ambience of white-clothed tables, sandstone and a light green colour palette sets an elegant vibe for intimate dining with your special someone, while a large wall wine rack promises ideal pairings to dishes on the menu.
Join the Bastille Day celebrations on Sunday with a three-course lunch and dinner menu serving up Burgundy snails, twice-baked cheese soufflé and salmon gravlax to start; followed by beef cheek and Paris mash, duck breast à l’orange, or sirloin with peppercorn sauce for the main affair. Choose between desserts of crème brûlée and apple crumble to finish your memorable French meal.
Classic French Bistro Dining
Those seeking a classic French-inspired bistro with a little ‘je ne sais quoi’ head to The Canopy to find Garçon on Rosenthal Avenue in Lane Cove. Nestled in one of Sydney’s most vibrant community spaces, this bistro is the place to live, learn and enjoy good food, whether you are craving a casual brunch, family dinner, romantic date or group celebration.
Settle in for lunch on Sunday and devour a Catalan mussel pot with chorizo, Provençal sauce and toasted sourdough, followed by truffle chicken cordon bleu, stuffed with Emmental cheese, ham and truffles, served with mushroom purée, grilled broccolini and harissa mayonnaise. Perhaps saffron risotto hits the mark, served with scallops, jumbo prawns, mussels, dill oil and leek crisps, best enjoyed with a glass of French Riesling or Chardonnay.
Anything but Ordinary Dining
From hand-glazed plates to freshly baked bread, Periwinkle Restaurant on David Low Way in Peregian Beach is anything but ordinary. Unwind with your morning latte in the Village Square on wicker chairs, where a beachy chic vibe is highlighted by pastel mosaic tiles and basket drop lights, creating a relaxed, yet elegant dining experience.
Allow Chef and creator Frank Boulay to entice with a modern French menu, where Mediterranean-influenced dishes are prepared with fresh, local produce delivered daily. Delve into starters of baked scallops, prawns, mussels, saffron béchamel and Gruyère cheese; moving on to plat principals such as confit duck leg, potato Dauphinoise, green beans and jus, or slow-cooked smoked pork belly, prunes, fondant potato, cauliflower gratin, duck fat kipfler potatoes and sauce chasseur.
Relaxed Fine French Dining
Expect a fine dining experience in a relaxed atmosphere at 99 on Park on Park Beach Road in Coffs Harbour. Chill out indoors on velvet chairs among potted greenery, beamed ceilings and recycled timber, or enjoy the rays alfresco on balmy North Coast days as you peruse a concise menu sure to entice all palates.
Entrées such as lobster and Tasmanian salmon ballotine are sure to tempt, served with Savoy cabbage and celeriac, or devour confit duck croquettes with caramelised onion and cauliflower; perhaps surf and turf hits the mark with slow-cooked pork belly and octopus, or beef eye fillet, mash, onion jam and thyme jus. Don’t go past classic vanilla and Baileys crème brûlée to finish your French feast, or lemon, verbena and meringue tart.
A Taste of Alsace
Bringing a taste of Alsace to Auchenflower, Haig Rd Bistro charms locals with everything French. Located on Haig Street and housed in a colonial cottage, this eatery presents a chic, cosy dining room with polished timber floors, an aqua green front door, potted greenery and picture windows ideal for people watching while perusing a menu boasting traditional French dishes.
Embark on a flavoursome adventure with pork, veal and duck terrine with compote d’onions, cornichons and baguette, or twice-baked cheese soufflé; then delve into plat principal such as oven-roasted duck, braised red cabbage, Spätzle, cranberries and port wine jus, or slow-braised lamb shank, Jerusalem artichoke and kale. Classic desserts like crêpes Suzette, flamed with Grand Marnier and served with ice cream, never disappoint to finish.
