Mere Catherine - Potts Point

A survivor from a past age. A mum and pop operation: petite Nanette front of house and Gerard rattling the pots in a tiny kitchen. Pictures Gerard in full, starched chef's kit which adorn the wall contrast with his more Onslow like presentation while actually cooking. A very limited menu - one main dish: Chateaubriand and a specials board containing other offerings some of which are more or less permanent like the Canard a l'orange and steaks. A tiny dining room with just 16 or so seats. Plain and unadorned - the food is the focus here. The menu is a reflection of the restaurant's genesis in the French revival period of Sydney in the 1970's and 1980's and is as quirky as can be. It's necessary to book because once Nanette thinks she's got enough diners for the night she turns away walk ins with a polite "Sorry, we are fully booked!" despite there being empty tables. It's BYO only nowadays it seems too, with $8 per bottle corkage. Each dish is cooked individually to order. How Gerard manages his Lilliputian kitchen is a joy to watch. We had the Chateaubriand with Bearnaise Sauce. Perfectly cooked, the quality of the meat shines through. The whole meal was a French cholesterol bomb and delicious. The restaurant has a loyal following of diners. On the night that we attended there was a couple from Melbourne who declared that they made 2 or more trips a year to Sydney just to dine here. "There's nothing anywhere near as good in Melbourne" madam enthused as she ordered the duck a l'orange. Her husband agreed. At another table was a couple from the country who also declared that they made a trip to Sydney just to dine there. The restaurant, bistro really, has a limited sweets menu containing the French classics of Creme Caramel and Mousse au Chocolat both of which are hand made and very good indeed. Strangely, however, there are no cheeses on offer at all to finish off your red wine with. While Gerard's cooking is very professional, Nanette's table service is a bit rough and ready at times. She's easily distracted, but it all happens in the end. No flashy silver service, just honest to goodness bistro service and very French but thankfully devoid of Gauloises ash. The food isn't cheap which is probably part of the reason Nanette so readily turns prospective diners away with such ease. If you like French food the way it was done by Escoffier you'll enjoy the time warp quirkiness of this place. Yes, they have the obligatory accordion and Piaf recordings playing while you dine, but that's as fancy as it gets. No candles, no starched white table cloths and napkins. You come here for the food and to reminisce.

A survivor from a past age. A mum and pop operation: petite Nanette front of house and Gerard rattling the pots in a tiny kitchen. Pictures Gerard in full, starched chef's kit which adorn the wall contrast with his more Onslow like presentation while actually cooking. A very limited menu - one main dish: Chateaubriand and a specials board containing other offerings some of which are more or less permanent like the Canard a l'orange and steaks. A tiny dining room with just 16 or so seats. Plain and unadorned - the food is the focus here. The menu is a reflection of the restaurant's genesis in the French revival period of Sydney in the 1970's and 1980's and is as quirky as can be. It's necessary to book because once Nanette thinks she's got enough diners for the night she turns away walk ins with a polite "Sorry, we are fully booked!" despite there being empty tables. It's BYO only nowadays it seems too, with $8 per bottle corkage. Each dish is... read more

A hidden gem An old styled French restaurant with elderly chef and not so young waitress. Wonderful food that took some time to cook showing authenticity Highly recommended with wine by the glass. Maybe another visit tomorrow ! !

Very small place and a little run down, but the lovely staff who've been there for decades make up for that somewhat. Had an excellent Chateaubriand, not cheap but worth every mouthful. Their French red wine was quite nice. However the separate sides of baby roast potatoes and silverbeet gratin were fairly average.  Unfortunately the chocolate profiteroles were far from impressive: not fresh and the creme patissiere was thick and pasty. Overall a mixed bag.. but boy that Chateaubriand was tasty!

What a great experience, I loved the petite venue and the lovely staff! Really reminded me of authentic French food from my trip to France last year. I even had the chance to order my meal in French! If anyone is interested in brushing up on their French language skills, I really recommend this school bit.ly/frenchclassez. I found their classes fantastic to boost my confidence to speak French at home and abroad!