Baptiste Redfern, a bistro for any day of the week
Baptiste Redfern is an 80 seat French bistro on Baptist Street from Orkhestra, the group behind Olympus, Cho Cho San and The Apollo. It’s made for dropping in, with oysters and Champagne at the bar, a pavement table for a glass of wine and a menu that keeps French classics light.
Owner Jonathan Barthelmess and Head Chef Luke Papalia have gone for proper bistro cooking with a lighter touch and Australian produce, so French onion soup, chicken liver pâté and confit duck feel easy rather than heavy. The wine list is the real draw, with around 250 French and Australian bottles curated by sommelier Chris Morrison, including rare aged wines from Orkhestra’s own cellar, and a changing selection poured by the glass each day. Matt Whiley’s cocktails put playful spins on the classics, and George Livissianis has given the room its layered, art filled character, with an open façade that pulls the street straight in. It’s a bistro you can treat as an ordinary Tuesday spot, with set menus and banquets on offer when you want to gather a table.
Quick Bites
EAT: Steak frites with Café de Paris butter, or the veal sweetbread on sweetbread if you want the dish people will talk about.
DRINK: The Ananas Royale, a mix of white rum, pineapple liqueur and coconut sorbet with Laperrière Blanc de Blanc.
PLAY: Time your visit for happy hour, which runs twice a day, with oysters and Champagne in the afternoon and hand cut fries and a final drink late at night.
VIBE CHECK: Lively neighbourhood bistro
