Overview
Rosebery's foodie precinct, The Cannery, is about to add some Parisian flare to its ever-expanding repertoire. Frenchies Bistro and Brewery will launch this August by head brewer Vincent De Soyres and head chef Thomas Cauquil. The craft-obsessed, French-born duo will join a roster of heavyweight neighbours, including Saporium wholefoods market, Archie Rose Distillery, Black Star Pastry and Kingsmore artisan butcher.
Inspiration for the space came from (of all things) the team's time spent trekking Eastern Siberia. "We spent two months hungry, talking about food and beer", says De Soyres. The 'French-industrial' fitout promises warm bistro lighting that will compliment the dark beams of the Rosebery warehouse, along with lots of personal touches — including the venue's hand-crafted wooden tables, made by De Soyres' dad at his farm in France.
The brewery, kitchen and bar sit on the ground floor, while the upstairs mezzanine houses the bistro where Cauquil will show off his world-class repertoire — he's cooked in Michelin-starred restaurants around the globe, including Paris restaurants Le Miroir and Le Violon d'Ingres, Madrid's El Chaflan and Sydney's Moxhe. "It's food that is affordable, with a lot of work behind it," says De Soyres. The menu will adapt on a daily basis, depending on the seasonal and regional produce available. "We will not be serving asparagus in winter," says De Soyres.
Despite being local as, the bistro menu features dishes not commonly found in Sydney, much less at a brewery — think veal tongue carpaccio, quail and pig trotters pie and bone marrow stew. But the menu doesn't only appeal to more adventurous types, either, with a North African-style confit lamb and traditional Toulouse sausage with rosemary jus also present on the menu. For takeaway, Frenchies will sell Cauquil's specialty terrines, pâtés and meat parfaits, recipes he learnt while training under world renowned charcutier Arnaud Nicholas.
The brewery side also focuses on seasonality, with the beer produced on site and meant to pair with the menu. De Soyres flexes his international brewer's muscles with the Biere de Garde range, which he describes as "a bit like white wine, refreshing while complex and interesting." De Soyres takes a very organic approach to brewing, and finds it important to convey each beer's terroir, or sense of place — a term ordinarily only used to refer to wines. The Frenchies core range also includes their Comet Pale Ale, made with wild American Comet hops, along with a German Kölsch, French IPA and an Aussie Red Rye.
Whether you're a Francophile, craft beer lover or both, keep an eye on this space.
Frenchie's Bistro and Brewery is set to open this August at 61-71 Mentmore Avenue, Rosebery.