The Sydney dining scene is all about the French connection. French restaurants are on the rise in Sydney, with new flags being planted in Potts Point, Surry Hills, Paddington and beyond. 

The latest to join the French fraternity is Armorica Grand Brasserie, a slick new diner by Andrew Becher, the restaurateur behind siblings Franca and Parlar. 

With so many new openings in such a short time, it’s somewhat of a surprise to see Armorica completely full at 5:45pm on a weeknight – a fact made even more impressive by the venue’s sheer size.

Taking over from the old Toko site, the newly renovated restaurant has been given a chic update with seating for 150 patrons spread across two large dining rooms. 

‘Grand’ is most certainly the word for it, with impressive handcrafted details throughout the space, from ribbed red leather seating to gilded scones and a series of art moderne paintings on the wall. 

In place of the sushi counter is a new Brescia Pontifina marble bar, behind from which a small army of chefs are busy preparing le menu. 

Group executive chef Jose Saulog has curated the line-up which focuses on familiar French classics elevated with luxury ingredients and refined technique. 

Beef tartare with horseradish cream? Oui oui. Foie gras torchon? Bien sur. Brie-stuffed doughnuts? Absolutment. 

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Each one of those dainty doughnuts come topped with creme fraiche and a glistening crown of caviar. We tear them open to reveal the gooey, bloomy brie within. It’s bloody fantastic (pardon our French). 

Truffles (cue French snorting) make an appearance on a pasta special, featuring slippery housemade spaghetti in a menage a trois of truffle, cheese and cream. We slurp it up in the most unsophisticated manner, wiping every last drop with the side of our forks. 

Steak frites has become the order du jour in Sydney and nowhere does it better than this particular brasserie. The dedicated selection features six cuts from classic sirloin to more interesting slabs like rump cap and hangar. We go for the tenderloin (or fillet mignon if you’re doing an accent), served here with the bone in for extra flavour. The steak is cooked to perfection – but its the accoutrements that really make it. We pour the rich, glossy mushroom sauce into a moat around the meat while using the buttery bearnaise as a herby dip for the chips.

To round out the menu, executive pastry chef Travin DeHoedt has created five desserts, the signature being a gold bullion, filled with Valrhona chocolate mousse and rippled with salted caramel. But it cannot compete with the clafoutis, a gooey half-baked pancake that bursts with bright maraschino cherries with caramelised brown sugar and sweet nutty marzipan throughout. 

Suddenly, it doesn’t feel like we have enough French restaurants in Sydney. If they’re anything like Armorica, we’d say bienvenue to more.

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