Melbourne and Sydney are saying ‘oui oui’ to French restaurants again. But, like all new and existing venues in Australia, the French restaurants adapting to the rising cost of living and changing dining habits.
In the last five years, Melbourne and Sydney have welcomed almost a dozen new French restaurants, including Loulou, Chez Blue, Le Foote and Porcine in Sydney and Reine, Bisou Bisou and Tartine in Melbourne. The interest in French food will only likely grow with the Olympics Paris 2024 drawing more attention to the culture and cuisine that France provides.
“I believe COVID lockdowns and the inability to travel helped to drive this resurgence of French restaurants in Sydney over the past few years,” says Sebastien Lutaud, director of culinary at Etymon Group, which owns Loulou Bistro and Loulou Boulangerie and Traiteur, among other Sydney restaurants.
“People couldn’t travel to France anymore, and they missed the comfort factor of French food. Loulou opened at Christmas 2021, and so many customers tell us it reminded them of their travels to France.”
Mark Williamson, head chef of Chez Blue in Sydney’s Rozelle, says the French restaurant resurgence is to be expected, as it’s following a pattern in how society interacts with food.
“I think all foods and cuisines have their on-trend moments,” Williamson says. “We have seen it over the years with burgers, Mexican, caviar bumps. French seems to be generating a lot of attention right now.”
Chez Bleu has a prix fixe menu, available at lunchtime and early evenings. Two courses are $55 per person, while three courses is $65. For locals, the restaurant also has a rotating specials board so that they can try new dishes.
“There is definitely a focus on affordability in what we do, but I think it’s about consistently offering your guests a great value for money experience,” Williamson says.
The team at Loulou’s has a similar focus, ensuring its pricing is approachable. The restaurant has a prix fixe menu, available Tuesday to Friday, when you can enjoy a two-course lunch for $70 per person. The restaurant also serves $12 petit cocktails and discounted snacks during its happy hour Tuesdays to Saturdays from 4pm – 6pm.
Like Chez Blue, Loulou also caters to locals — Lutaud says some visit up to a couple times a week – so it keeps the menu fresh for them with rotating specials. The restaurant has a boulangerie (bakery) and traiteur (produce and ready-made meals) next door, which Lutaud says puts it in a good position to cater to any diner and occasion.
Bistro Guillaume, the French restaurant that opened inside Crown Melbourne in 2008 and at Crown Perth in 2012, is also adapting to today’s climate. As diners are becoming more aware of the carbon footprint of food, it’s leaning into its paddock-to-plate philosophy, and as diners are faced with rising living costs, it’s offering meal deals.
The high-end restaurant offers a Monday steak special where you can get a 200gm Bavette steak with shallot sauce, served with fries or salad, for $25. It’s available for lunch and dinner.
A recent survey found that around 21% of Australia’s French migrants live in Melbourne. This number shows the importance of French food in Australian culture, says Enda Cunningham, Crown Melbourne’s executive general manager of food, beverage and retail.
“French cuisine is highly regarded as some of the best in the world, so it takes incredibly talented chefs and high-quality ingredients to create authentic French experiences here in Australia,” says Cunningham. “Australian diners appreciate the sophistication and depth of flavour French cuisine provides.”
Williamson says he thinks French food suits the Australian lifestyle — whether eating natural oysters with mignonette dressing by the water in summer or watching your favourite league team play at your local pub with steak frites and peppercorn sauce.
“I believe French cuisine has greater influence in how Australians eat than perhaps they realise,” he says.
Related: Tastemakers: Chef Manu Feildel on His Favourite French Restaurant in Sydney
Related: Sydney’s New Wave of French Restaurants Serve “Joie De Vivre” With a Side of Frites
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