Not sure if they are aiming for a Willi's vibe, or a Baron Rouge feel, but La Buvette has opened on Challis Avenue in Potts Point, under the direction of The Goodies Hospitality, the team behind Bar Copains, Bessie's, Alma's and Vin-Cenzo's.
Led by friends and co-owners Sali and Nathan Sasi and Morgan McGlone, La Buvette is a neighbourhood wine bar "inspired by the intimate, lived-in bars of Paris".
Led by friends and co-owners Sali and Nathan Sasi and Morgan McGlone, La Buvette is a neighbourhood wine bar "inspired by the intimate, lived-in bars of Paris".
The venue offers a menu of small plates and classic bistro dishes and a wine list with a strong French focus. The venue takes over the original Challis Avenue site and name of a much-loved Potts Point institution that closed in 2019.
"The best wine bars in Paris have a sense of ease about them - they're places you drop into for a glass, end up ordering dinner, and somehow the whole evening disappears," says chef and co-owner Nathan Sasi.
"The best wine bars in Paris have a sense of ease about them - they're places you drop into for a glass, end up ordering dinner, and somehow the whole evening disappears," says chef and co-owner Nathan Sasi.
"That's the feeling we wanted to bring to La Buvette. It's a neighbourhood wine bar first and foremost, with classic French cooking, a great wine list, and warm hospitality. We feel incredibly lucky to be writing the next chapter for this much-loved corner of Potts Point."
The menu at La Buvette draws on a recent research trip Nathan and Morgan took to Paris. The dishes are classically French, but with a modern, playful edge.
The menu at La Buvette draws on a recent research trip Nathan and Morgan took to Paris. The dishes are classically French, but with a modern, playful edge.
Menu highlights include: oysters with Champagne granita; comté custard gougères; raw diced tuna and goat's curd tart; escargots with café de Paris butter; and duck neck and pork sausage with seeded mustard.
For dessert, think dishes like apple pie with French vanilla bean ice cream; a charred macaron with yuzu and finger lime; and a mini crème caramel. Although, come to think of it, dessert is a rare treat in Paris wine bars.
The drinks program is from group sommelier, Ishan Kaplish (formerly Mimi’s, Tetsuya’s).
There are 23 wines by the glass, alongside a line-up of French-inspired cocktails including the Buvette Martini with Tanqueray gin, dry vermouth, cornichon and brine; Garde la Pêche Spritz with French aperitivo Rinquinquin and prosecco; and the French Maid with cognac, Falernum, cucumber, mint, lime and ginger beer.
The room is intimate, with just nine bookable seats inside and 30 walk-in seats outside.
The room is intimate, with just nine bookable seats inside and 30 walk-in seats outside.
Interior design firm Studio Gram fitted out the space to "feel comfortable and lived-in", with aged timber, brass, mosaic tiles and worn upholstery, in a palette of warm ambers, caramels and mustard tones with a deep red accent.
La Buvette will be open from 4pm Monday to Thursday, and for lunch and dinner from Friday to Sunday. Bookings are available now at https://labuvettesydney.com/
Images: Andrea Veltom
Images: Andrea Veltom
