Hotel brand QT is known for creating in-house restaurants that are destinations in their own right, not just for hotel guests, and its latest fits the brief. Neo-French Bistro Parlour opened this September and, though it’s housed in QT Sydney on the CBD’s Market Street, will no doubt be frequented by Sydneysiders having after work drinks, on date nights, or catching up with friends.
The hotel bills itself as a pocket of Paris, with low-light and a playlist of French rock and funk from the ‘60s, blended with Caribbean reggae and American jazz. Chef Sean Connolly, who’s also behind QT Sydney’s other restaurant Gowings, as well as Esther at QT Auckland, is the creative mind behind Parlour’s menu.
“I get shivers talking about the technicality of French cooking — its thought,” says Connolly. “Its thoughtful food that takes three days to get to the plate. The venue feels like an evening in Paris.”
Connolly says that to create the menu, he delved into his vast knowledge of French cuisine from his European travels and cooking history. He also tapped into what he’d learnt from working with chefs who have dedicated their lives to the art of French cooking over the years.
His dishes feature local ingredients and, wherever possible, fresh, seasonal vegetables sourced from the Sydney Markets in Flemington, daily. Seafood comes fresh from the Sydney Fish Markets in Pyrmont.
“Then the transformation happens as the ingredients cross the threshold into the kitchen,” he says. “French food is all about technique and there’s no other cuisine like it. All the ingredients work together, each having a purpose, to greet the guest with a twist and turn.”
The resulting menu, created by Head Chef Kenny Radegonde, previously at Merivale venue Felix, is a mix of starters, mains, cheeses, sides and desserts, with highlights including Chicken Liver Parfait, Crumbed Lambs’ Brains and Steak Hache A Cheval, a wagyu steak dish with fried egg and pepper sauce. Connolly’s favourite dish on the menu is the entrée dish, twice-baked soufflé.
“I love how humble it looks on the plate,” he says. “Pair it with the Ghost of Mary, a cocktail made with habanero-spiced vodka. It delivers flavour, texture, and warmth.”
The wine experience at Parlour complements the food with over 350 drops from Old World French wine regions and the New World order of contemporary Australian winemaking. The wine list was curated by Chris Morrison, Director of Beverage for QT, who led the group to be awarded 18 glasses at the 2022 Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards.
Guests can also visit the wine cellar at Parlour, called The Bureau. Once a ticket booth for the movie theatre built on the site in 1929, it now houses an expansive selection of wines within its cellar walls, curated by Morrison, alongside Head Sommelier Samantha Belt.
“When you step into Parlour, you’re at home, says Radegonde. “At ease. Parlour is like going to someone’s house and having dinner for all day and night.”
Connolly says Parlour complements QT Sydney’s existing restaurant Gowings in that it’s a lovely juxtaposition. Parlour is a Neo-French bistro, while Gowings is a New York-style steakhouse. Parlour, Connolly says, also has a very different feel to Gowings, it being nestled under a wing of the “adorable” State Theatre.
“Parlour’s architecture is like no other,” says Connolly. “It’s totally unique to QT Sydney, and dates back to the 1920s. It’s one of the most beautiful little nooks in the city, and oozes old-world charm. Every time I walk in, it screams Paris to me.”
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