Once upon a time Sydney was awash with French bistros whose je na sais quoi provided both the culinary heartbeat of the city and the technical backbone for most of our chefs, too. Waves of new cuisines forced French to take a backseat and for a moment, we feared our souffle days were numbered. Of course its recent renaissance has set many food hearts aflutter and if you’re talking French influence Down Under, few if any have had the impact of Guillaume Brahimi.

Although he sent us to the peak of haute cuisine for a decade at former Guillaume at Bennelong at the Sydney Opera House, the Bistro Guillaume model – found in Perth, Melbourne and now Sydney – is bringing the everyday essence of Paris to the hoi polloi.

It’s dark and sophisticated, but with a relaxed swagger too. Think brass, blue leather chairs and banquettes, dark brown wood and marble benches. It’s got that old world bistro charm, but hasn’t forgotten it’s 2017 either. And although the service can be a bit hit and miss, the wine list doesn’t skip a beat.

The menu is a line-up of Parisian bistro classics that will have you second guessing your selection for fear of missing out. Escargot benefit from a grassy parsley butter. Rich Roquefort sauce added oomph to twice cooked souffle. There’s steak tartare, nicoise with yellowfin tuna, and onion soup. Then a classic steak frites manifests as blushing slabs of beef, shoestring fries and a big, velvety bearnaise. Lentils, turnips and carrots provide a provincial nest for confit duck leg, while whole roasted Barrosa chicken comes with silky Paris mash and a tarragon jus.

Must eat dish: Steak frites with bearnaise sauce
Instagram: @bistroguillaumesydney