You won’t need your passport to try some of the best French food in Sydney at Frenchies Brasserie.
Tucked away in the sleepy Northern Beaches suburb of Elanora Heights is Frenchies Brasserie. Born from the iconic city of love, this relative newcomer is a far cry from the Parisian cobbled streets. That being said, it offers just as much charm, if not more so. The French like to say mangez bien, riez souvent et aimez beaucoup (eat well, laugh often and love abundantly), and we can think of no better place to do it than at this hidden gem.
Once you’ve settled in, let the competent waitstaff provide some recommendations as to their Parisian themed cocktails. The C’est la vie Elanora ($16) tastes like a stroll along the Seine in the summer. It’s a floral blend of house-infused Chamomile tea and dried strawberry Yellow Chartreuse. The sweet elderflower liqueur and fresh lemon mingles beautifully with the sparkling wine. This is the kind of chamomile ‘tea’ we would like to sip on every evening.
Margarita lovers can’t go past the La Basquirita ($17), a Parisian take on the Mexican classic. It’s a spicy blend of fresh citrus, triple sec, capsicum sugar syrup and a dry, red pepper salt rim. Using vodka instead of tequila, it’s an afternoon by the French Riviera instead of a Mexican vacay.
The Saint Agur soufflé ($19) is nestled on a bubbling sheet of molten cheese. It’s light enough to melt in your mouth, but so flavourful that you will need to take a moment to try comprehend the immense flavour. Twice baked with Heidi gruyere, we guarantee you’ll lick your plate clean (very classy, very French).
The hand cut steak tartare ($22) lends itself to classically French flavours – Rangers Valley Black Angus beef is chopped finely, blended with salty capers, topped with a delicate quail egg and served alongside crostinis. Would we sound insincere if we also described this dish as melt in your mouth? Because it was. So fresh and so tender, you may want to order this as a main.
We were determined to order as traditionally as we could, opting for the Moules à la provencale ($29) and the Duck Confit ($35).
The mussels swam in a fruity tomato sauce, which in part masked the salty flavour of the mussels. If you’re a true lover of all things the sea, this might not bode well. But for those a little wary of the unusual shape and flavour of the mussel? This is your kind of meal.
The duck confit was rich and decadent, the ultimate comfort food for the French. Drenched in a thick gravy, the meat just fell off the bone. The little petit salad added a welcomed relief from the richness of the duck and little pickled onions scattered throughout the bed of potatoes added a nice crunch.
Julia Child was known to commonly verse – “If you’re afraid to use butter, use cream”. We’re almost certain that extended to ice-cream too. The Warm Apple Tatin ($15) was moist and tart, accompanied with a big scoop of white chocolate salted butterscotch ice-cream which melted away on top. The creaminess extended onto the classic Crème brûlée ($15).
For those who want all the desserts on one dish, look no further than the Café Gourmand ($15), the classic taste tester plate.
At times throughout the meal, we longingly yearned to be sipping on Champagne under the Eiffel Tower. One glance however around the cosy brasserie with the evening Sydney sun still shining had us backtrack. Parisian food under the Sydney Northern Beaches sun? Truly the best of of both worlds.
