Sydney gets its first look at Armorica Grande Brasserie on April 20. The restaurant, in a landmark Surry Hills site, is the latest recruit to the city’s French revival.

Given the posse of new venues sailing under a red, white and blue flag, it’s easy to forget the dry spell for the cuisine as falafels, poke bowls and sliders swept Sydney.

The turn-of-the-20th-century golden era of Banc, Balzac and Becasse, when duck confit figured on every second menu, was followed by a long dry spell where even major food developments opened without a French restaurant.

“I have a personal love affair with French food, but there has definitely been a return to a classical style of cooking,” says Armorica’s owner, Andrew Becher.

You need only look at Sydney’s rash of Gallic-centric openings in recent times.

Among their number are Bistrot 916 at Potts Point, Lavender Bay’s Loulou Bistro, Chez Crix (the new restaurant at The Cricketer’s Arms in Surry Hills), Manon Brasserie, and new CBD heavy-hitters Brasserie 1930 and The Charles Grand Brasserie.

French might tap a rising trend right now, but Becher says accessibility is another big factor in a market shaken by rising interest rates and no shortage of restaurant choice for consumers. It might have “Grande” in its moniker, but Becher wants Armorica to be somewhere “you can pop in and just have a steak frites ($39) and a glass of beer or wine”.

Armorica has a big steak selection to go with executive chef Jose Saulog’s line-up of foie gras, lobster with Grenobloise emulsion, flounder with seablight beurre blanc, and duck fat potatoes.

Becher has a track record for lush fitouts at his Potts Point restaurants Franca and Parlar. At Armorica, he has repurposed the former home of Toko and the era-defining MG Garage, introducing custom-dyed red leather booths and banquettes and a brass and red tiled open kitchen.

The restaurateur was still applying last-minute touches to the 150-seat restaurant with a $3 million price tag when Good Food swung past, with works by American illustrator David Plunkert still to hang.

Armorica – named after the ancient region that spanned modern-day Brittany and Paris – is not pitched as high as sister restaurant Franca.

“I just wanted to do a classic Paris brasserie,” Becher says.

One with a few twists and turns.

Open lunch Fri-Sun; dinner Tue-Sun.

490 Crown Street, Surry Hills, armorica.com.au