Restaurant review: Bistro Papillon French noshery in Clarence St, Sydney
BISTRO Papillon is a solid, confident and reliable French bistro, Anthony Huckstep writes. [Substitute images]
WE don’t always want all the pomp and ceremony when we dine out.
Sure, we have our special occasions at the restaurants carving a new path for our culinary landscape, but the truth is, we just want somewhere we can rely on.
Dining is as much about those you break bread with as it is the venue that you do it in, and thus, all we really want is to see the people that are important to us, eat delicious food and free ourselves from all our worries, if for but a brief moment.
If a restaurant can fill our bellies with happiness and leave our wallets relatively unscathed then it’s a good night out.
The underlying theme of all restaurants that deliver on this premise is consistency.
Those that do the simple things right, stick to their strengths and manage guest expectation are usually the ones that take flight each evening and land with a room full of sated souls.
This is the embodiment of Bistro Papillon (French for butterfly).
It’s not breaking new ground, experimenting with new cooking techniques or trying to be something it’s not.
Rather, it’s a solid, confident and reliable French bistro. Tucked away in the hustle of the city’s bustle, Papillon, owned by friends and French expats Xavier Hultorel and Ludovic Geyer, is proudly knocking out classic bistro dishes to a throng of happy punters every night.
Repro art deco and belle epoque period posters adorn the wall of a tiny, cute room where French waitstaff pirouette between tables that line up two by two along the wall.
And with an apt, albeit tiny French wine list, boasting a few quaffable hits, you’d think you were anywhere but Sydney.
In the kitchen chef Ludovic Geyer keeps things pretty simple but rolls out honest interpretations of the classics that are worth the visit.
Six succulent escargot bathe in garlic and parsley butter. Their sweet and tender flesh remind me to indulge in the slippery little suckers more often.
Meanwhile a veritable Noah’s ark of flavours decorate an honest charcuterie plate. The creamy chicken liver parfait and rich rabbit terrine the highlight as they make a bed on slices of baguette.
A rewarding green lentil and winter vegetable ragout makes for a perfect respite from colder climes, and when topped with two gloriously confit duck legs, it’s a quintessential example of the joys of this kind of cookery.
And although the broth of a seafood, chorizo and potato stew has plenty of gusto, and the mussels deliver that mild egg-yolk brininess, the salmon is a tad overcooked and flaky.
But, it’s a minor oversight because the flavours are true.
A carefree mess of bread and butter pudding, maple syrup and walnut ice-cream signs off with the stamp of satisfaction. And really, it’s all about that contentment, and ain’t that one of the sweetest things?
Follow Anthony Huckstep on Twitter: @anthuckstep
Bistro Papillon
Address: 98 Clarence Street, Sydney
Phone: 9262 2402
Food: French bistro
Drink: Licensed
Opening hours: Mon-Fri. 12pm-3pm; 6pm-10pm; Sat 6pm-10pm
Price range: Entree $15-$20; Main $34-$37; Dessert $13-$15
6.5/10
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