Bistrot 916

Bistrot 916 was the first of three venues by Dan Pepperell, Mikey Clift and Andy Tyson, the team behind top Sydney venues Pellegrino 2000 and Clam Bar.

Riffing heavily on the French bistro playbook, the menu here is imbued with all the creativity we’ve come to expect from Pepperell and Clift. Look to the past highlight of boudin noir (blood sausage) spring rolls; fried brik pastry parcels of black pudding served with lettuce, fresh herbs and an apple-cider dipping sauce.

Of course, there are standards, too, such as chicken liver parfait and a decadent lobster frites. But there are also reinventions of stalwarts, perhaps a playful reboot of escargots featuring handmade pasta dressed with snails and garlicky butter. Just don’t leave without a serve of caviar and beef fat potatoes.

Located on Challis Avenue in the former home of Merivale’s Lotus (and its year-long Lotus 2.0 pop up), Bistrot 916 echos the decor of new-wave Parisian bistros to bring a cool, understated elegance to the site. Picture bentwood chairs, pink tablecloths, exposed bricks and a wall filled with vinyl records.