Sydney Eat Street: Best French food to celebrate Bastille Day
Overseas travel is still out for the near future but Sydneysiders can celebrate France’s national holiday closer to home this year. Break out the berets and say ‘oui’ to French food to help commemorate Bastille Day on July 14.
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BISTRO PAPILLON
Bastille Day, or Fete Nationale (National Celebration), is held on the anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille which led to the French nation’s unity and the peace that followed.
“Bastille Day is all about celebration. If ever there was time to get out and celebrate, this would be it,” chef and Bistro Papillon co-owner Ludo Geyer says.
“Plus, it would have been a really big deal if we (Bistro Papillon) didn’t celebrate Bastille Day. It’s the best time of the year for us with all our family and friends.”
For the occasion, they’re offering a five-course meal ($110pp) featuring both traditional foods and customer favourite, including escargot, French onion soup, Bouillabaisse (mixed seafood stew), coq au vin (braised chicken) and hot chocolate sauce-topped profiteroles.
This year is extra special for them as they’ll also be celebrating their 10-year anniversary, so in the festive spirit, this special menu which they usually just serve on July 14, La Fete Nationale, will also be offered for dinner on Friday, July 10 and Saturday, July 11.
Ludo says that in light of everything that has transpired of late they
just had to do it”.
“We talk about Bastille Day all year. Even right after it’s finished, we talk about the next one.”
Sounds like a great reason to raise a glass of champagne and toast to tradition.
— 98 Clarence St, Sydney; bistropapillon.com.au
FRENCHIES BRASSERIE
The City of Light. It bewitches artists, enthrals authors, enraptures gourmands, and in the northern beaches, inspires Frenchies Brasserie’s head chef Jeremy Pace to share that joie de vivre with Sydneysiders via a special Bastille Day three-course menu ($95pp) from Tuesday, July 14 to Saturday, July 18.
“While we can’t travel to France at present, we wanted to create a special Fete Nationale du 14 Juillet for our guests,” says Pace.
“The cuisine, wines, cocktails and ambience are designed to transport guests to the ‘backstreets of Paris’ for just one night.”
The menu includes such as dishes as celeriac velouté with fresh Australian truffle and chestnut; pan-seared pink snapper; roast lamb and baba au rhum (rum cake) with chantilly cream for dessert.
To start the night right, Pace suggests the Late Night in Paris cocktail (Frenchies Brasserie’s special espresso martini) or a glass of French champagne.
“It’s a wonderful French dining experience – without having to travel,” he says.
— 54 Kalang Rd, Elanora Heights; frenchiesbrasserie.com.au
LOLUK BISTRO
Outside of France, it’s the grand military parade and spectacular fireworks display that typifies Bastille Day celebration, but for Parisians and those in the north-central part of the country, the real party starts the night before – the Firemen’s Balls – and goes till the wee hours.
Forego the ball-gown as these are lively events with food, music and dancing held at fire stations across the city.
For French native Luc La Joye, co-owner of LoLuk Bistro, it’s one of those quintessential traditions that he misses.
“However, this year as we are far from our birth home we will celebrate it at LoLuk Bistro in our heart home. We are doing a set menu for Bastille Day and will be celebrating in the pure tradition of the French, a four-course feast with matching French wines,” he says.
The meal starts off with a beetroot velouté, followed by leek ravioli with hazelnut and chicken stock, then duck confit or John Dory and finally, dessert ($94pp or $144pp with matching wines).
“Just bring in your best attitude and we will take care of the rest in the Frenchest way. Vive la revolution.”
— 2/411 Bourke St, Surry Hills; lolukbistro.com.au
FRANÇOISE ARTISAN BAKER
It’d be an epic faux-pas to forego the pleasures of freshly baked croissants and pain au chocolate on France’s national day of celebration, so in the name of foreign diplomacy (that one always gives you carte blanche on calorie counting) head down Bondi Rd where pastry chef François Galand will get you sorted.
While you’re there, be sure to pick up some fun and clever Bastille Day treats he’s made just for the day: little meringues of Eiffel Towers; Le coq (rooster); and a little “Frenchie guy” complete with beret and handlebar moustache.
“It’s always lovely to celebrate Bastille Day in Sydney with my family and friends,” Galand says.
“We always have a few people come over and my wife cooks up a traditional French dinner of beef bourguignon and ratatouille served with baguettes and then always followed with cheese and a good couple of bottles of wine.”
Tres Bien.
— 91 Bondi Rd, Bondi; francoisartisanbaker.com
BITTON
If you can’t be in France for Bastille Day, fear not as the next best thing is at Bitton in Alexandria, Oatley and Rose Bay where owner/chef David Bitton channels his Parisian heritage to present a special menu at each of his three locations.
Start off with choux pastry filled with goats cheese mousse and red onion jam (from his Bitton Gourmet line), followed by confit salmon and the Wagyu beef rump with braised short rib, bone marrow croquette and sauce soubise for the main course.
Finish off with chocolate delice, salted caramel macaron, French vanilla ice cream, raspberry gel, and fresh berries ($85pp). All that and no luggage required.
BIBO WINE BAR
The trio behind bibo Wine Bar masterfully parlay their years of working together at hatted-restaurants to produce a memorable meal throughout the year, but it’s Bastille Day where they really excel.
Hailing from France, co-owner/venue manager Jonathan Mallet leads the team with head chef/co-owner Jose Silva (Guillaume/Bennelong) and sommelier Louella Mathews (Rockpool) to produce an event that celebrates French dining.
Enjoy a four-course meal that starts with a glass of glass of NV Louis Roedererto champagne on arrival.
From there, delve into oysters mignonette, foie gras, choux Moreton Bay bugs with truffle, followed by duck breast a l’orange and finally a pear Tatin with vanilla bean ice cream and chocolate truffle ($115pp).
For the wine lover, Louella can suggests pairings that suit the food and your personal taste.
— 7 Bay St, Double Bay; bibowinebar.com.au
Originally published as Sydney Eat Street: Best French food to celebrate Bastille Day