Bistro St Jacques - French Restaurant Sydney in Sydney

My partner and I came here tonight to celebrate her birthday and we were so glad we did. The restaurant is very intimate with a romantic atmosphere and sweet antiques scattered here and there for decoration. The staff were so lovely, special shout out to Marcel and owner Nick! Nick was sweet enough to allow us to swap out our dessert in our 3 course meal for (amazingoysters. The highlights were the beef tartare which was one of the specials and the scallops & sausage, both were to die for! Unfortunately we were too focused on eating we didnt even remember to take any photos of the beautiful presentation. Everything tasted so fresh with a unique flavour combo we havent had before, the tangy butter over the steak special on a beautiful bed of mushroom medley was delicious, and the duck was cooked to perfection. We had fun banter with Marcel and Nick the whole night, we had such an enjoyable and entertaining meal. Cant wait to come back with friends and family in tow!

On est déçu! We had high expectations which were unfortunately not met, particularly the main course dishes of flounder (tasted “muddy” more than anything elseand Baked Aubergine & Zucchini Gratin which was very ordinary and without any memorable taste. Entrées were OK, again without attracting any great praise. Overall impression: overpriced and not that good. Having lived in France I’d have to say there was very little here to satisfy a gastronome.

As a Frenchman living in Redfern I had to try this one.The food was quite basic for the price range (approx $100 pp). No bread is served, which was strange to me as they are supposed to be a French bistro.The atmosphere is nice though and the service is fantastic. They also have a good wine list.

This is a small cosy Bistro style venue in Redfern, where the ownership has changed recently. We went for dinner, and it was an enjoyable experience. The lighting was nicely subdued, the colour scheme is warm earthy colours, and the ambience was relaxing. All tables had white table clothes, where set for the evening dining customers, and the staff was ready to serve arriving guests. The menue is enticing, and the wine list ist impressive. The food was fresh, visually well presented, and very tasty. Certainly a place worthwhile to visit.

We absolutely loved this place. The service was fantastic, all dishes were prepared in a timely manner, delicious and not too expensive. The wine list is prepared daily. I personally really appreciated that our server was willing to open any bottle for us and serve it by the glass.The duck was my favorite. And the cheesecake for desert is a must.I would highly recommend

Wonderful experience!We came without a booking and still get to eat! Amazing! The food was delicious from the entree to the dessert. Especially the steak, the meat was so tender and cook exactly as I requested.Le personnel est très serviable et chaleureux.Bref, j’ai adoré! Merci encore!I RECOMMEND !

Had a great experience last night dining with a group of 8 in the private dining room. Service was on point, they were accommodating of our dietaries, food was delicious & we had a ball. We are all seasoned diners & tend to be quite fussy but this hit the spot.

Absolutely loved my lunch at Bistro St Jacques. I had the oysters, scallops, duck cassoulet, and creme brulee. I was very surprised at how tender the duck was, and it was very flavorful. I thought everyone there was very friendly and kind. Best meal I had on my trip to Sydney.

What a great place. We had an amazing dining experience, the food, the ambience, the staff and drinks were awesome. I started with a Bloody Mary which had a nice spicy tang to it. My wife and son had the Espresso Martini which they really enjoyed. A must visit place on Pitt Street.

Very warm and welcoming place where to have a nice meal. Wines are really nice and well selected. Dishes are made with finesse and are really tasty.It has been a pleasure to work there few months and also to come few times to enjoy a nice dinner with friends.

Clearly overrated and rude.We had a reservation for 4 people and arrived on time for dinner.Just after we arrived, we got the menu and I asked for the wines list. The answer was unexpected: “we have sold the restaurant, so we don’t have all the wines on the listing anymore”. I believe an updated listing, even handwritten would have been useful. Also making such an annonce upfront made us uncomfortable and potentially worried about quality and prices.The food was good but really expensive and not worth compare to other french restaurants in Sydney.The waiter behavior was rude, superior with a bad attitude (he seems to be the current owner). His “jokes” were not funny. In particular to our friend who was pregnant and asked after a long waiting time if we could finally order food. We felt a bit abandoned during the dinner with no real checking on us and long waiting time between dishes.Last but not least was the surprise when the bill came, we had food and wine for less than $400 but had to pay a minimum of $100 per person as this is the rule in this restaurant !! We never been notified of this rule (whether on their website or when we ordered foodand it was really the bad end of our night. $100 for or pregnant friend with a $25 soup and no wine, what a joke!I don’t know what the new owners will do, but they will have a big job to get some customers back… it won’t be us!!

Fantastic experience. Relaxed atmosphere. Great food. Professional, warm and friendly service.

Cosy and local atmosphere, high quality unpretentious and delicious food and wine. A little more than Id usually spend but perfect for a special occasion and comparable to other eateries in this category in Sydney. I left feeling very satisfied and feeling that I had enjoyed a special experience

Far too expensive for the quality of the food. Also the only place I can remember in 30 years where you have a minimum spend. Definitely not going back.

First time having dinner here but not the last. We really enjoyed the great atmosphere and of course the food. It reminded me home. Thank you for looking after us. We will be back. Cheers

A truly comforting, feel good dinner, with such elegance, delicious food, awesome wine & friendly service!! We’ll be back again…thank you!

Tiny little bit of Paris in the Redfern town.It was such wonderful evening.This Bistro runs like a clock operated by very lovely team of nice people. Mel was such a beautiful hostess.We will be back.HEEBEEP to the Chef

This is our favourite French restaurant in Sydney.The regular menus and special events are outstanding in both quality and value.The staff are knowledgeable and friendly, the wines are well selected and well priced.Gary and his team are first class.

I took my team of 20 here for a team offsite event and Bistro St Jacques gave us the most amazing service, food and welcome.The food was absolutely amazing and catered to everyone.I would highly recommend anyone looking for a big group meal to chose Bistro St Jacques!

Great night at St Jacques for our group of six, from accommodating our booking at short notice, to the beautifully prepared food and exceptional wait staff. We were also fortunate enough to enjoy the private room which made eating out more comfortable at this time for two friends who have impaired immune systems. Very grateful to the St Jacques team for a wonderful birthday gathering and a memorable evening.

Food is good but way too expensive for what it is. Native of France, didn’t really feel the warm spirit of it at this place. Music too loud so conversations were difficult. Only 2 stars because of the manager « Gary » who dare make a comment on how much I was supposed to spend that night for my dinner. I ordered an entree while my friends were having their meal because I couldn’t eat much more that night and this man dare to say « when you go in a restaurant you have to spend minimum 100$ ». I never experienced as much rudeness anywhere, not in Australia, neither in France.Fortunately we had an other friendly man who take care of us after this , thanks to him !

Absolutely fantastic evening at Bistro St Jacques. Could not fault anything!Thank you for a memorable meal.

We hadnt been for a while and it was the perfect date night out. Utterly decadent from start to finish and wonderful. A gorgeous and romantic setting.

They need to do something about the bills. They are illegible (and probably unlawful). Waiter gave us the wrong bill as it was so hard to decipher. $250 more than our actual bill. No one could work it out because it was scribble - even the waiter fund it difficult! Eventually got the correct bill - more scribble, nothing itemised clearly. If you want people to pay hundreds of dollars, give them a proper tax invoice. Not some doodle on a scrap of paper that looked like it was from a toddler. Kind of embarrassing/annoying to have to ask for the menu to add up the bill myself because no one can tell me what it says. Then the EFTPOS machine didnt work. My guest ended up paying in cash. Ruined the evening.

Tess and I loved our time at Bistro St Jacques.French bistro just off Redfern Rd. A charming warm restaraunt. Agreed, those scallops. Incredible!Seared scallops gratineed with mushroomduxelles, bechamel & gruyère cheese 😋

Intimate ans friendly bistro atmosphere. Very nice cuisine and great wine selection. Excellent venue, simple and refined. A precious and rare find.

Wonderful food, fantastic service.A great place for a long Saturday lunch. Food was delicious and the service wonderful.A neighbourhood gem worth returning to regularly.

I hardly ever write reviews but unfortunately I felt that it was important as hopefully it might change the attitude of the staff.The food was good - we had a 3 course menu. We were a table of 4 and found it to be overpriced for what it was - particularly when you have other French restaurants like Hubert at that price point. However we would have enjoyed it more if the staff were less condescending.As a French person myself, I was embarrassed in front of our friends that we went there with as unfortunately it lived up to the French stereotype of being rude / superior. My friend had called weeks ahead and told them she was vegan which we understand is a pain for a restaurant and she was apologetic for that (which she shouldn’t have to be). The waiter kept bringing it up and “joking” about it but it was to the point where it was uncomfortable. Then, I ordered the fillet Mignon and was asked how I wanted it cooked which I said medium. I then had to hear about how if I had wanted it any more cooked than that the chef wouldn’t cook it and how it should be rare or medium rare. Again I asked for it medium and was made fun of for this.Then, I believe it was the owner who is not French- he came over to ask us before our entrees came what wine we were having and we told him we had ordered a bottle of red. We then had to hear him carry on about how red doesn’t go with some of the entrees we ordered and he strongly suggested we have a Chardonnay. Now I understand making a suggestion for a pairing, but when the guests are politely saying no and you keep pushing the agenda.. and then on top of that you tell them that red “doesn’t go”, it gets tiring and rude. There are far better ways to make suggestions and quite frankly customers have the right to make “poor” decisions when it comes to what wine to drink with each meal. On top of this, he called us “intense” after we were all a bit confused by what was going on.We don’t intend to go back to the restaurant unfortunately as food being “good” is not the only criteria when enjoying a restaurant - staff are a very important part. There was one really lovely gentleman who cleared our plates at the end and I remember thinking, I wish we had him from the start. Another piece of feedback - when you give a bill (ours was aprox 800- an itemised and legible bill would be nice. It was honestly scraps of small paper with scribbles all over it, written in short hand eg BB for bread and butter

Really loved this place. The waiter looked after us really well. The food was of a high standard and well presented. We do not drink so the waiter made us lime mocktails that were really nice. Good place to sit down, talk and reflect. Thank you for looking after us on our 10th wedding anniversary.

Amazing dinner with great food, wine and service. Rate to find places like this in Sydney right now. Thanks for making our last night in the neighborhood memorable!

Great bisrot atmosphere and good desserts. But the mains and entrees were average and overpriced. Certainly not cooked the French way (sweet duck sauce, heavy salad vinaigrette etc). Add to that a bit of attitude from the waiters and I walked away disappointed. Not bad but definitely not worth the price.

Food wasnt bad but it wasnt amazing. For the price point of food Ive certainly had much better, if you want to say otherwise then you obviously have the wrong attitude towards improvement. The waiter/owner seemed a bit stand offish towards me when I went to grab a menu from the counter. We waited 15 minutes for the menu so we did give you a huge chance to do that. He was alone serving multiple other tables so why was there a problem with this? Would not be coming here again. Save your money and go to a proper fine dining establishment.

Saturday was our second time eating here, both experiences were fantastic. The food and the wine are outstanding. Gary and Tom are lovely and had such passion for the wine and food. Everything was excellent, I strongly suggest the scallops! The prices are comparable to similar restaurants in Sydney. I hope to dine here again soon. Thanks for a great night!

A last minute birthday dinner booked here and it was the best decision. Bistro St Jacques has excellent, unique dishes, great vegetarian and vegan options, and unbeatable service. We had the 3 course menu and enjoyed every course, it was hard to pick a favourite dish but the roasted sweetcorn beetroot entree was a winner for me. We loved Tom serving us and could have spent the night chatting to him. Such fantastic food and experience! Highly recommended for a date night or a bunch of friends looking for quality, tasty food and lovely atmosphere.

I had an experience here that I wanted to share. The waiter was so rude to us. He was dismissive and abrupt to the point where it was uncomfortable. At the end of the meal he asked us to walk down the street to get cash out for the bill. That was fine enough but when I walked in to use the bathroom he yelled at the waitress that there was enough cash in the till (like it was her fault.She apologised profusely on his behalf and was really lovely the star is for her). The food was ok, not memorable, but cost the same as going somewhere nicer so it didnt make much sense. I really love traditional French food so this was a sad experience

Very happy we finally made it here. Every time wed booked in the past another lockdown had happened and wed had to cancel, but the wait was definitely worth it.Normally my wife and I are happy to share a bite of each others food just to see how it all tastes but I honestly think if either of us had made a move for the others plate we would have stabbed each other with forks the dishes were that good.I had the scallops and basque sausage starter with the eye fillet main and my wife had the charcuterie starter and confit duck as her main. All four dishes were exceptional.We also went with affogato and tarte au sucre as desserts as part of the summer three course menu, which I would very much recommend. The food was rich, it is french food after all, but not to the point of being cloying or overbearing.A bottle of the Chateau Picque Caillou Cabernet Merlot kept us company through the meal and while it was one of the more expensive wines on the list, it was definitely worth it.Depending on your budget this might be more of a special occasion restaurant, but it is worth every dollar and you will walk away feeling like you got your moneys worth.

Still thinking about this dinner 3 weeks later! Delicious food paired with amazing wines. We went for the 3 course meal and everything brought out to us was delicious! Cant wait to be back!

Didnt expect much from this little bistro off the main street in Redfern. But I was taken on a gastronomic journey from the charcuterie, as my entree. I had the steak: it looked simple, resting on a bed of mashed potato. But you could taste the journey of the meat becoming a profound culinary experience. I highly recommend it; as well as the chacuterie. The brownie as a dessert was a delightful way to end the evening.A note has to be dropped about the atmosphere. The waiters were very friendly, helpful and attentive. They were really available without being overbearing. And I liked that it seemed like they know the residences of the neighbourhood, and that they have many customers that they know well. So it felt like an authentic French bistro.

We just enjoyed a brilliant lunch at Bistro St Jacques. It was recommended to me by a good friend and I now know why - we will definitely go back! I am trying to rack my brain for memory of eating a better steak but I cannot. I also felt really good eating there as Tom explained the sustainable sourcing of their meats and other produce and he was truly passionate about it. The quality showed on the plate. Toms service was spot on, explained what we needed to know and gave us space to eat and enjoy, and we didnt feel rushed once. I honestly believe the chef and everyone who worked in the kitchen deserve very high accolades. We couldnt believe it wasnt more packed, it was a truly charming experience. We both highly recommend this restaurant.

We were all excited as we walked in the door of Bistro St Jacques post lockdown. We were warmly welcomed and it felt good to be back. Our enthusiasm was soon lost . The Rose wine ordered was warm to start but soon chilled and returned. Two of our trio ordered steak which prior to lockdown was fabulous. To start the steaks were ordered well done but they turned up with blood on the plate ( obviously not rested. The steak was served in different pieces as if it was the end bit and steak was hard to eat because of all the gristle. This is inexcusable when you are paying above average price. When mentioned to the owner about the below standard steak his said that it was because we ordered the steak well done! What there is more gristle in well done steak?The ,dare I say arrogant , owner needs to stay away from his diners and leave the customer service to the very capable wait staff. The dessert was uninspiring. It was also noted that the restaurant had taken $ 90 out of my credit card in September. As we left the restaurant whilst talking to another group of dissatisfied diners we all vowed never to return.

Absolutely romantic! Classic French bistro. The signature caramel pudding made a deep impression on me! So delicious! The scallops for the appetizer were so surprised, especially when paired with the bacon minced meat.They play the song from David Bowie’s <China girl > at the end~ love it

Ill give it a 5. The liver parfait was beautiful. The steak frites was good. The duck cassoulet was alright (probably smaller than I expected and a bit dry). The creme brulee was actually very good. Wine selection was super - go with Bordeaux.The restaurant made a mistake with my order that I wish theyd have managed better. In any case, will probably come back.

Theres something special about this place. I cant tell if its the exceptional wine or service. But maybe the way its existence has survived a tough neighbourhood, gentrification of said neighbourhood and a pandemic.Its a local institution. The vegan options were non-existent but I enjoyed the wonderful bread and pomme frites. It doesnt matter, during a nice night its alfresco dining gives it plenty of charm to survive on bread and wine alone.

Recently moved across the ditch to become a Sydney local. Found this neat place. Food is absolutely superb, so much so that I came here for 3 weekends in a row, bringing friends over to visit. All of us have been thoroughly impressed with the food. I particularly like their ever changing specials menu, and their 6 weekly menu rotations as well.Special mention to the Scallops (ordered this 4 times in my 3 visits), and Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Mousse - amazing! I was also pleasantly surprised by the pork cutlet, absolutely tender and juicy to perfection (generally IMHO Asians are better at cooking pork.... but wooooowwwww!!!)Each time my friends would worry that we had over-ordered, but every one of them said that even though we ordered 8-9 dishes between two people, it was worth the uncomfortable feeling at the end (because we finished every single thing on the table).Would give six stars if I could!

Visitor from NZ. Thought it was good value for money. We had 4 entrees, 3 mains and 2 desserts between 2 people. Despite over ordering, we finished every dish because it was so good! Friendly owner too. Outstanding dishes for me was the pork and duck liver parfait, 5 stars from me.

Food look good but the taste is not French. The duck leg sauce is too sweet, the beef tarta is not sour enough. Went for Valentine, 4 course menu is 85$ is expensive for the quantity and quality

A lovely intimate experience where the food is fantastic but the dining is relaxed. Bistro St Jacques is French cuisine without the pretense, which is not to say they don’t take the food seriously. Do yourself a favour and follow the wine recommendations. We worth a visit with friends or a partner but probably not the best place for a family with children.

“We needed a name that better said what we are,” owner Gary Prebble explained when I finally worked out Bistro St. Jacques was Pitt St. Diner rebadged. With gold lettering on pink, blue and white French doors, done in an appropriate French bistro font, backed by dainty black chiffon curtains, it’s an eye-catching shop front. On display outside, the classic French bistro menu very nearly unseated my desire to visit Juan Bowl + Tea next door and was enough to lure me back on a second visit to Redfern the very next week.When we arrive for our booking, every table is full, and the restaurant buzzes with a convivial hum. Edison bulbs held captive inside black mesh pendant light shades exude a warm orange glow that illuminated the pretty pressed tin ceiling. From the outset it’s clear this restaurant is serious about wine, with bottle racks on the wall of the long galley-like dining room, and in the intimate private dining room.The extensive wine list offers up some good descriptions of Prebble’s favourite wines, like the 2016 By Farr Viognier, Geelong ($125), which, though pricy is a wonderful drop packaging up power, concentration and surprising restraint. Prebble writes: “re-experience this varietal” and he’s right on the mone - without the heady perfume, it’s a non-characteristic Viognier that is worth trying if, like me, you avoid this varietal because of the floral elements.Being lightly lemony with flinty minerals, this Viognier is made for oysters. Today they’re tight little Sydney Rock Oysters ($4/eachfrom Pambula on the NSW south coast. All they need is a squeeze of lemon, and they’re away, though the French shallot and Champagne vinegar they’re served with is sharp and enjoyable. Thinly sliced rounds of house-made Bread ($2/personare tasty and dense, especially when thickly lathered with the accompanying, bright apple and thyme-infused butter.You’ll also get four little slices to accompany your Duck Liver & Pistachio Parfait ($16), which, if you carefully quarter the pink, unoxidised slice of parfait and spread it on thick, stays within the acceptable carbohydrate-to-parfait range. While the accompanying pickles are too sweet for me on their own, laid over your parfait covered baguette rounds like juicy, wet blankets, they work against the iron-rich flavour.Coquilles St Jacques ($18presents three tiny Tasmanian scallops gratinéed in their shells in a blend of butter, fennel, shallots, garlic and fresh breadcrumbs. While they’re pretty to look at, they’re cooked a bit heavily with the normally tender scallop meat getting a bit lost in translation.With every table full, our mains take longer than they should. When the Herb & Parmesan-Crusted Lamb Brains ($30finally do arrive, they prove well worth the wait. The crisp crust hides pink, creamy interiors that respond beautifully to the tangy apple butter sauce at the base. Springy fresh parsley and crisp maple bacon complete the dish, both helping to ensuring that your mouth gets a complete flavour and texture workout. I love this dish.It would obviously be remiss of me to come to a French bistro and not order Steak-Frites ($35), so I oblige with the 220-gram scotch fillet version against classic Bordelaise Sauce ($5). The beef is good, and the Bordelaise is impressive - the mid-palate of roasted bone is brightened up with a pleasantly not-too-heavy red wine. While the steak component of this classic dish that I ate at Macleay St. Bistro recently was better, Bistro St. Jacques wins hands down on the crunchy and compelling hand-cut chips.Portions are predicated on eating three courses, so throw in a Baby Cos and Butter Head Lettuce Salad ($12without fear. Chef Brett Jeffrey has a good eye for produce, and his duelling lettuces shine against pickled vegetables and a simple herb dressing.Not being all that big on dessert, we go to pay the bill but kept in our chairs with free glasses of Spanish Vermut Negre (black vermouthgarnished with orange wedges and green olives. A sweet end to our meal in this above-average neighbourhood bistro.

This place was a beautiful change of pace which was a surprise for redfern. The French onion soup was delicious and the cheese souffle blew my mind. One criticism is that the steak frittes had large chunky wedges rather then the smaller more tasty shoestring I expect but thats if you had to be picky. Great value for money, Ill be back!

Friendly staff. Nice wine. Great food.We really enjoyed there.And definitely will come again.Highly recommend the salmon & steak btw.