French Saloon

French Saloon Bar & Bistro is directly above Kirk’s, the wine bar in the CBD. It’s a French-style saloon-slash-bistro, with stripped-back white floors, a bright-red ceiling and a bar that was imported from just outside of Paris.

The ethos of the French Saloon is not dissimilar to that of Kirk’s, and the atmosphere is relaxed and European. But while Kirk’s downstairs has established itself as a wine bar, the French Saloon upstairs, while not quite a restaurant, is, at the very least, a confident French bistro.

Come for a coffee or a beer. Or for a snack on the balcony, and a cigarette or a cigar. If you want a proper meal, you can get that here too. The menu is approachable and does modern takes on classic combinations. Think duck with cherries, beef with onions, or oysters and caviar.

Jack Brodie is doing the wine (as he does downstairs at Kirk’s, too). The list isn’t all French, but it’s mostly in the French-style – for example, Barossa reds that could be from Bordeaux. There’s also a strong focus on cocktails and aperitifs to fit the saloon theme.