Stroll along the leafy Kellett Street in Potts Point and you’ll find Café Boheme, a French-inspired café with a focus on the finest local and organic produce.
French bistro-style chairs in the front courtyard bring a touch of Parisian cafés, while the interior, with its intimate tables, French prints and Centre Pompidou images add a dash of colour and nostalgia to the bar counter and ceiling.
Photography © Gourmantic – Copyright: All rights reserved.
Chef Darren Taylor brings nearly four decades of experience to Café Boheme, having worked in a 3 Michelin star restaurant in Rouen, as well as Bilsons in Circular Quay, Fine Bouche and Buon Ricordo just to name a few. Inspired by French cafés in Paris’ St-Germain and quartier St-Michel, his vision was to one day open a French style café with a Sydney touch.
Café Boheme is fully licensed and serves a concise wine list from regional France and Australia with everything available by the glass, carafe or by the bottle. Breakfast is served from 7am to noon with organic eggs, Farmer Jo granola and French toast on the menu. Lunch dishes are simply listed under Sandwiches ($13) and Salads ($16) but bring a variety of fresh produce to the table.
“It’s very Sydney, it’s very available, we’ve made it as moderately priced as possible,” says Darren Taylor.
Top picks for lunch include Tasha’s Ocean Trout Gravlax, Dill Cream Cheese, Rocket & Capers, a dish that is as delicious as it looks, served on Iggy’s rye bread and the Reuben of Smoked Brisket, Red Coleslaw and Pickles in a toasted Iggy’s Bagel that is difficult to put down after the first bite.
The Croque Madame ($15) is not to be missed. Two sliced of toasted bread hide a delicious filling of ham, cheese and béchamel topped with a soft yolk egg. Close your eyes and the taste that will take you back to Paris. If salads are your preference, the Roasted Beetroot, Lentils, Goat Cheese and Baby Spinach ($16) is difficult to resist, particularly with the caramelised walnuts.
Other items on the menu include the Cafe Boheme Charcuterie Plate ($18), Panzanella of Tomato, Cucumber, Celery, Spanish Onion, Bread, Herbs & Parmesan ($16), and Quiche Lorraine with Salad ($14). Leave room for dessert particularly the Rhubarb and Frangipani Tart and the wickedly-good Palmiers with coffee.
Should you be tempted to take something home, the adjacent Darren Tailor Catering serves corporate and private clients and prepares food to take-home such as terrines, paté, spatchcock, cheeses and confit of duck.
Sydney may be a victim to food fashion, falling out of favour with French food but with the recent opening of Vincent in Woollahra and now Café Boheme, it is refreshing to see a renewed interest in French dining. Because la bonne cuisine and good produce never go out of style.
Café Boheme is featured on our guide to Sydney’s Best French Restaurants.
Café Boheme
3 Kellett St
Potts Point NSW 2011
www.facebook.com/CafeBoheme
Open Mon to Sat, 7am to 5pm
[…] the space that was the short-lived Cafe Boheme, Parsons Bar is nestled along Kellett street and adjacent to The Powder […]