Felix

RESTAURANT REVIEW:

If you're a bit of a restaurant nerd, you might already know that Felix takes some of its cues from New York brasserie to the stars, Balthazar (Time Out New York review) itself a homage to the classic Parisian bistro. And if you're not, who cares? It's all about the atmosphere and Felix has captured it perfectly, from the floor-to-ceiling tile work (including some saucy frescoes, if you look up) to the bentwood chairs and polished brass.

The big difference at Felix is the quality of the talent. Chef Lauren Murdoch, for instance, could take down anyone working in the Balthazar kitchens with her eyes closed. Her menu of bistro classics is, in true Murdoch style, deceptively simple but for the most part beautifully executed. Take her long, thin, tender slices of tripe slow-cooked with buttery onions: it's the spag bol of offal with its sticky richness. And how about a big beefy amen for the flank steak? Here, it's sliced across the grain and smothered in herb butter with a big pile of golden chips. A salad of poached egg, frisee and duck liver is only slightly let down by the liver being a little overcooked. On the floor, there's Ash Street Cellar star Teneille Scurrah plus third generation French waiter Mathieu Mozzicanacci, fresh from NYC's Restaurant Daniel. Mozzicanacci, the triple-threat armed with a waiter's friend, has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants since he was 16.

Felix also features one of the most beautiful bistro-style bars to have appeared since the Bayswater Brasserie met its end last year. And it's at this bar where you'll want to be drinking a bone-dry Martini while eating your colossal Reuben sandwich - rich, salty corned beef on rye with pickled cabbage and a gigantic pile of pickles. And just because you can't keep us away from that bar (or, indeed, that sandwich), we'll be heading back to order a Bloody Mary, served here with a splash of port.

You'll find Felix directly opposite Ash St Cellar in the ivy complex and it's the perfect place for a long, boozy lunch. A fresh bar off the centre in the main dining room features outstanding fresh-shucked oysters plus all the fixings for that seafood platter everybody's talking about (it's not really our scene, but Don Draper would be in heaven).

It's the little touches that make Felix somewhere you'll want to eat. There's Tabasco on every table. The wine list put together by sommelier Franck Moreau mixes classic and new world drops and includes a few from wine importer Andrew Guard. The (fairly noisy) dining room is built for good times. Does it matter that Felix is a facsimile of a facsimile? Mais non!

BAR REVIEW:

It’s a Sydney take on a French bistro to be sure, but don’t discount Felix as restaurant fodder alone. It also has quite the bar. The beautiful, tiled room with its brass fittings, low lighting, mirrored back bar and fresco ceiling all work together to deliver a classic Parisian brasserie experience. And while you might go for a Felix Bloody Mary with your Reuben sandwich, replete with gargantuan pile of pickles, it’s hard to look past the sensational wine list, curated by Merivale group sommelier Franck Moreau. Even our bartender admits to smashing a few glasses of Chablis after work instead of the usual post-shift Coopers Pale and a ciggie. If you’re look for a classic drinking experience in beautiful surrounds (hey, Leonardo DiCaprio was spotted drinking here while filming The Great Gatsby with our Baz), you’ve found it.    

Time Out Promotion

World Class Cocktail: The Duck and The Dandy Lion by Sam Egerton Zacapa 23 rum and confit duck are brought together in this rewarding twist on the classic Sazerac. Served with a cleansing blackberry and peach soda. Pairing Suggestion: Charcuterie Plate Recipe: 60 mls Zacapa 23 rum 1 sugar cube 3 dashes Grapefruit Dandelion bitters 5 mls Grande Absente Absinthe Originale Soda Blackberries Peaches Sugar Grapefruit Dandelion Bitters Mineral Water Method: One whiskey tumbler is packed with ice. In a second tumbler a sugar cube and bitters are muddled into a paste, the rum is added and mixed with the paste until the two parts become one. The ice in the first tumbler is discarded and the glass wiped to remove excess water. The Absinthe is added, coating the inside of the glass. Any excess is discarded. Ice is added to the second tumbler, and stirred until adequate dilution is achieved. The libation is then strained into the first tumbler, and is served with the soda and the duck rillette on the side.