Bellevue Cottage by Antoine

Although one of the advantages of living in Sydney is access to such a spectacular harbour, it often requires effort to make the most of. But the resurrected Bellevue Cottage is an amazing place to appreciate it from.

The cottage is set among bushland and has enviable water views. It was built in 1896 and is one of the very few remaining Victorian-style homes that were once dotted around this part of Glebe’s picturesque Blackwattle Bay. Antoine Moscovitz transformed the venue into the Bellevue Cottage by Antoine in 2018. (The space had stood empty since Blackwattle Cafe closed in 2016. It was stifled by restrictive opening hours and local objections.)

The heritage building’s proximity to the water makes it an easy pick-up and drop-off point for a water limo.

Moscovitz has worked with fine-dining French chef Alain Ducasse in Paris and, closer to home, Luke Mangan (Glass, Luke’s Kitchen) and Serge Dansereau (Bathers’ Pavilion). He previously owned Antoine’s Grill in Concord.

He’s opened with an all-day breakfast menu, intentionally skipping the cookie-cutter Sydney brunch offering.

Bringing in touches of his French-food background and fine-dining skills, and taking advantage of his recently built smoker, Moscovitz serves dishes such as le boucher (grilled pork loin, folded eggs, caramelised-apple black pudding and spicy merguez sausage) and le pecheur (cold-smoked salmon, poached eggs, fondant of silverbeet and leek, and a tangy hollandaise). There’s also a crisp, smoked pork belly dish and a market selection of mushrooms.

Trading under a strict development application, Moscovitz has only made some slight additions to the site: a floor-to-ceiling built-in bar, artworks by his father Pascal Moscovitz, and a drinks trolley carrying a wide selection of French bourbon, digestifs and other liquors that are available for order.

Bellevue Cottage is also open to dinner. There's a poultry-heavy menu here. Think quails, squab, guineafowl and chicken. A few favourites from Antoine's Grill also pop up every now and then, such as the tomahawk steak and the velvety mash.