Stepping from gritty Smith Street into this Gallic mise en scene is like a warm embrace. Brasserie design details abound: smoky mirrors, marble-topped tables, dangling copper pots, velvet-cushioned bentwood bar stools. Throw in a wrought-iron spiral staircase and curved burgundy banquettes and even fervent Francophiles are satisfied.

The menu, meanwhile, marries classical cooking with playful twists. Coquilles Saint-Jacques, for example, pack a hint of curry in the scallops’ buttery sauce and a gentle crunch from puffed rice. Steak au poivre matches tender wagyu rostbiff with finely chopped mushrooms and cognac-spiked peppercorn sauce.

And oh-so-Australian Humpty Doo barramundi gets a French makeover, bathing in smoked butter sauce studded with salmon roe and tiny potatoes. Service is warm, if sometimes patchy, but all is forgiven with a textbook creme caramel, on the menu since day one.

Good to know: Monthly jazz nights in the upstairs private room offer dinner and a show for $95.

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