Review Mere Catherine - Sydney

Visited Mere Catherine tonight for a special occasion and it didn't disappoint. French cuisine at its best without all the bells and whistles, just quality ingredients and simplicity done perfect. Very romantic spot for 2, call ahead for bookings as it's very small and only seats 16. Both soups were amazing and the duck and chicken pate was the best we ever had. Chicken and Steak both executed perfectly with both sauces next level. Order the spinach gratin on the side and leave room for dessert you won't regret it. See you again soon

Classic delicious French "peasant" but rustic food cooked from the heart. This is an established foodie institution in Potts Point. Lovely couple runs this restaurant, husband does the cooking and the wife runs front of the restaurant. Chateaubriant is absolutely deliciously served. Absolutely essential to book as there's only limited number of seating available. Thoroughly recommended for a night out and experience this hidden gem.

With a focus on serving excellent quality French food - this place does not disappoint. The authenticity of this place is only enhanced by its untainted surrounds. It is small and unpretentious and refreshingly more about the experience than keeping up with appearances. A really relaxing night with friends and can't wait to go back !

THE CUTEST tiny restaurant, run by a husband and wife team. The husband is a solo chef in the kitchen, the wife is a solo waitress. Food is rich, as expected, and excellent. The table next to us BYO'd the most exquisite wines. They said it's their monthly tradition to eat here. You really feel like you are eating in your French Auntie's living room. Decor is old and warn in the most charming way. I adore this place.

An absolute gem, and quite possibly the most underrated restaurant in Sydney. Just an old French couple (he cooks, she serves) in a tiny dining room that has a mood and an atmosphere that suits them perfectly. The snails are to die for, the chateaubriand is perfect, the creme caramel will make you swoon and you can BYO. Superb.

There are any number of "authentic" dining experiences available in Sydney, provided by proprietors of all nationalities. Here, the food and service are simply not worth the very high prices that they are asking. It verges on kitsch.

The menu hasn’t really changed in two decades: a wise move as their potage lucifer & chateaubriand are dependably delicious. The venue is intimate & the charming hosts make you feel as if you are guests in their own home.

I would love to say wonderful things about this tiny, grubby restaurant but the steak is $42 and then a side of épinards à la crème is $14 and they are tasty but not Tetsuyas-tasty. There is a very limited menu. But it's a local institution with a loyal following (you must book to get a table). The wine is ghastly but there is BYO! Increasingly rare in this part of town, so take advantage of it while you can.

This place was recommended to me some time ago by my work colleague, but aside from what he recounted to me, I can hardly find much info about the place. What kind of restaurant has no internet presence whatsoever nowadays! The answer is a quaint, cozy, quintessential provincial French restaurant. The small place is run by an old couple, Gerard's the chef who runs the kitchen & Nanette runs the service front of house. It was Tuesday night and we were the only table there for the whole night, but that didn't take away from the experience at all. The menu although short were all classics. We had the Onion soup & escargots for entree, I'm not normally one for onion soup, but it was rich and decadent with a hit of port. The mains are a bit pricey at around $50 per person, but it was worth it. The chateaubriand (only to be shared between 2 people) was tender and juicy, served medium rare with a rich rich Bearnaise sauce. The roast quail was also delicious, juicy and well seasoned, and big serve too. The chocolate mousse for dessert was of a darker cocoa base, but not too sweet. I really enjoyed my experience here, but it's not somewhere you can come often, as you'll be bored with the limited menu, and broke by the rather pricey meal.

It’s a hidden cute little restaurant. It’s been running by an old couple. We’ve been to this place twice. I like this place because it feels like we are eating meals at a cozy home. It’s a very small place so a booking is essential. I enjoy the atmosphere and the traditional food they serve.

A survivor from a past age. A mum and pop operation: petite Nanette front of house and Gerard rattling the pots in a tiny kitchen. Pictures Gerard in full, starched chef's kit which adorn the wall contrast with his more Onslow like presentation while actually cooking. A very limited menu - one main dish: Chateaubriand and a specials board containing other offerings some of which are more or less permanent like the Canard a l'orange and steaks.<br/><br/>A tiny dining room with just 16 or so seats. Plain and unadorned - the food is the focus here. The menu is a reflection of the restaurant's genesis in the French revival period of Sydney in the 1970's and 1980's and is as quirky as can be. It's necessary to book because once Nanette thinks she's got enough diners for the night she turns away walk ins with a polite "Sorry, we are fully booked!" despite there being empty tables. It's BYO only nowadays it seems too, with $8 per bottle corkage.<br/><br/>Each dish is cooked individually to order. How Gerard manages his Lilliputian kitchen is a joy to watch. We had the Chateaubriand with Bearnaise Sauce. Perfectly cooked, the quality of the meat shines through. The whole meal was a French cholesterol bomb and delicious. The restaurant has a loyal following of diners. On the night that we attended there was a couple from Melbourne who declared that they made 2 or more trips a year to Sydney just to dine here. "There's nothing anywhere near as good in Melbourne" madam enthused as she ordered the duck a l'orange. Her husband agreed. At another table was a couple from the country who also declared that they made a trip to Sydney just to dine there.<br/><br/>The restaurant, bistro really, has a limited sweets menu containing the French classics of Creme Caramel and Mousse au Chocolat both of which are hand made and very good indeed. Strangely, however, there are no cheeses on offer at all to finish off your red wine with.<br/><br/>While Gerard's cooking is very professional, Nanette's table service is a bit rough and ready at times. She's easily distracted, but it all happens in the end. No flashy silver service, just honest to goodness bistro service and very French but thankfully devoid of Gauloises ash. The food isn't cheap which is probably part of the reason Nanette so readily turns prospective diners away with such ease.<br/><br/>If you like French food the way it was done by Escoffier you'll enjoy the time warp quirkiness of this place. Yes, they have the obligatory accordion and Piaf recordings playing while you dine, but that's as fancy as it gets. No candles, no starched white table cloths and napkins. You come here for the food and to reminisce.

A hidden gem<br/>An old styled French restaurant with elderly chef and not so young waitress. <br/>Wonderful food that took some time to cook showing authenticity <br/>Highly recommended with wine by the glass.<br/>Maybe another visit tomorrow ! !

Very small place and a little run down, but the lovely staff who've been there for decades make up for that somewhat. Had an excellent Chateaubriand, not cheap but worth every mouthful. Their French red wine was quite nice. However the separate sides of baby roast potatoes and silverbeet gratin were fairly average.  Unfortunately the chocolate profiteroles were far from impressive: not fresh and the creme patissiere was thick and pasty. Overall a mixed bag.. but boy that Chateaubriand was tasty!

What a great experience, I loved the petite venue and the lovely staff! Really reminded me of authentic French food from my trip to France last year. I even had the chance to order my meal in French! If anyone is interested in brushing up on their French language skills, I really recommend this school bit.ly/frenchclassez. I found their classes fantastic to boost my confidence to speak French at home and abroad!

We’ve been meaning to go to this tiny, unassuming restaurant in Potts Point FOREVER...In many ways, the food reminded us of classic French bistro food, but none of the food at the Parisian bistros matched up to this. This is a step above. Really beautiful and luxurious cooking, frozen in time, applied to classic French dishes. It’s not cheap, and remember it’s cash only, but boy oh boy, this was a great meal...

Mere Catherine Restaurant. .... Mere Catherine Restaurant.<br/>I tasted the worst onion soup ever at "Mere Carherine".. . What a dump. They profess to cook traditional french food, but the food I got, tasted terrible!: Overcooked pork fillet in a salty mustard sauce swimming in cream and butter, (yuk), rancid croutons dunked in the soup (another yuk!). The food as well as the bill was a joke. They give French cooking a bad name!<br/><br/><br/>-----19 Mar, 2015-----<br/><br/>Mere Catherine Restaurant. .... Mere Catherine Restaurant.<br/>I tasted the worst onion soup ever at "Mere Carherine".. So glad I did nt take you there.. What a dump. They profess to cook traditional french food, but the food I got, tasted terrible!: Overcooked pork fillet in a salty mustard sauce swimming in cream and butter, (yuk), rancid croutons dunked in the soup (another yuk!). The food as well as the bill was a joke. They give French cooking a bad name! <br/>

It seems fitting to do my thousandth review at one of Sydney’s smallest restaurants. Weighing in at just sixteen seats, this tiny terrace on Victoria Street, Potts Point, delivers a disproportionately memorable dining experience. Answering an inquiry from our hostess Nanette, the wife of Chef Gerard Humair, my dining companion explained he’d last visited the restaurant twenty years ago. “ The menu has not changed, ” says Nanette deadpan, with a twinkle of mischievousness. It’s a refreshing departure from Sydney’s trend-driven dining, down to a wine choice of red or white (if you choose not to bring your own). The red, a 2013 Chemin des Papes Cotes du Rhone ($55/bottle) is quite drinkable, particularly against Garlic Escargot ($29.90/12) . The hand-delivered specials board (which does change) produces Duck à l'Orange ($49.90) – a straight-ahead classic roast half duck with vibrant citrus sauce dotted with orange segments...

Emperor's New Clothes. We can only think that the rave reviews have been written by members of that court who admired the emperor's birthday suit. The food is overpriced and mediocre at best. Canned escargots (the only type available in Australia) and checked curtains do not mean good cooking. Gardez-vous!!!

Best Chateaubriand in town. I have been returning to this little gem for years now. It is perfect for an intimate dinner and I love that you can bring your own vino to match. To start you can not go past the french onion soup, it is delicious. However their Chateaubriand is the stand out, the fact that I have never tried any other main on the menu attests to this fact! It is always cooked perfectly and when paired with the Cognac sauce it is heaven. It comes with some tasty sides; creamed spinach and crunchy potatoes. If you are unsure what to order on your first experience do not go past this!

No potatoes. Had been going here for + 25 years and three weeks ago again visited<br/><br/>But they decided not to serve any potatoes which used to be best in Sydney

Disappointing food. Lovely space, and nice owners but the food was not at all up to the standard I would expect for the price. At least $15 a main meal more than for better French restaurants (such as Mortons and Paris Go) in Melbourne. Maybe that is just what happens in Sydney. Won't be back.

Lovely food, but at a cost. Went with great people and had a great time. Did not, however, like having to use a code to get to the toilet three levels up next door at the ywca. The restaurant is "intimate", or "crowded", depending on your interpretation and when it's time to close (11:00pm), the vacuum cleaner comes out, ready to be fired up.<br/><br/>The owners are lovely and the food is divine, but a bit of aircon and time to let the diners chill (we were the first night of a long weekend and ready to relax) should be expected for the money spent. Will be searching for a worthy substitute next time.

I was very excited to be going to Mere Catherine as I had heard so many great things about it. <br/><br/>And many of those positives hold true. Nanette and Gerard are delightful. The atmosphere is intimate, warm and inviting. One really does feel as though you've been invited into someone's home to share a meal with them. The service is also fantastic and I couldn't fault that. <br/><br/>For entrée we both had the soupe à l'oignon. The soup was rich and hearty, a tad too salty for my personal taste but it definitely reminded me of my year living in Lyon. <br/><br/>Next for mains, a fillet mignon and a poulet provençale. The sauce in which the chicken was served was flavoursome and fragrant but again very rich and could have done with some fresh herbs. The chicken itself was overcooked and fairly dry and I struggled to eat more than one third. <br/><br/>The steak, ordered medium, came out well-done. Whilst it is a good cut of meat, it's very disappointing to have it overcooked when you're paying top dollar for it and although my dinner partner was too polite to complain I would have had it been my meal.<br/><br/>The highlight was actually the spinach and cheese gratin as a side dish. It was creamy and delicious. <br/><br/>The desserts seemed somewhat uninspiring so we decided against it. Also in part due to the disappointment because of our mains. Would love to have seen a tarte tatin or even a clafoutis. <br/><br/>For the price we paid I can't say it was worth it and unfortunately I wouldn't go again. It's a shame because the ambience really is lovely and one of a kind.

Decent cuisine but not worth the overinflated prices.

Visit for the French onion soup if nothing else. <br/>Great atmosphere - time travel to the 40s.

Incredibly disappointed. Se.... Incredibly disappointed.<br/>Service was good.<br/>Atmosphere was great, but it had to be because you're sat on top of the other tables and anytime someone needs the toilet the whole restaurant has to stop and get up to let someone go outside and go in to a taxi depot to the world's worst toilet.<br/>The food was nice but not amazing. Completely overpriced. Catherine pushed a $20 salad on us, which was just a bowl of lettuce.<br/>I ordered a rare steak, it came medium to well, which was disappointing for a French restaurant.<br/>The béarnaise sauce was a peppercorn concoction that drowned the meal.<br/>The potatoes were uncooked.<br/>The soup to start was meant to be the speciality, but it wasn't worth championing as your main dish, it felt like a mass produced dish.<br/>They also don't take card, so beware you may have to have an unscheduled visit to kings cross to pay for dinner.<br/>All that said, the steak was a very nice cut of meat but at $50 you would expect this.<br/>Spending $200 in a byo shouldn't happen, but I'd happily spend it if it was worth it. Mere Catherine isn't worth it. Please avoid.

Perfect French Cuisine. A bit expensive, but then the servings are quite large. Shared a dozen escargot and a french onion soup. The escargot were simply divine (having never had the courage to try them before, I am glad I did here). The soup was so rich and heavy - it was perfect!! <br/><br/>Had the duck l'orange for main - its a half duck serving, which was plenty. The skin was crunchy, the flesh was tender, and the sauce was divine.<br/><br/>Managed to squeeze in a creme caramel which was also beautiful - not too sweet at all.<br/><br/>With only $5 per bottle corkage, pickup a bottle on the way.<br/><br/>Perfect friendly service in a great cosy atmosphere.<br/><br/>Bookings are a must!

My favourite restaurant EVER! The French onion soup is a must try!!!

Perfect.... Divine food, staff that make you feel like family, romantic intimate setting.... BYO... Can't ask for more :)

RUDE!. I've heard good things about this restaurant but unfortunately, I will never go to this restaurant because of how rude the owner is on the phone! I had made a booking for dinner and was really looking forward to it when on the day, I was sick with flu. I called the restaurant to cancel my booking and the owner got angry on the phone, practically yelling at me saying 'you made a booking, now you cancel!!' before hanging up on me! That is really childish and RUDE behaviour and I was being nice enough to give him a call to cancel instead of just not turning up. No amount of good food can make up for this kind of rude behaviour!

No pretense, just well executed classical French fare - cooked and served without fanfare or fuss, just plenty of dedication to their craft and cuisine. Awesome Onion Soup, finished at the table and well flavoured classical duck ; amazing creamed spinach and potato sides, rustic, authentic copper cookware. Allons-y!

Unique!. So close to the craziness of kings cross, sandwiched between backpacker hostels...not the spot you would expect to find such a gorgeous restaurant. <br/>mere catherine is so unique. it only seats a handful of patrons, and i don't think the menu or specials board has ever changed, but everything i have tried there is delicious. nanette prepares your onion soup at your table, and i love the copper pots filled with vegetables that accompany the mains. <br/>the interior is fairly shabby, but you feel like you're dining at someone's house rather than at a restaurant. the postcards from adoring fans across the globe are testament to to fond regard this restaurant enjoys. <br/>highly recommended if you're dining out with someone special, or in a very small group. book well ahead, and don't be surprised if it's a challenge getting a table!

Lee. I first went to Mere Catherine in the late 70's. It was a tiny restaurant which served the most wonderful Chateaubriand I've ever tasted. At the time this was the only dish on the menu, served with Bernaise sauce , creamed spinach and a great loaf of French bread.I thought that it couldn't possibly be still there and came across the site by accident. I will defintely will return.

Best french restaurant in Sydney. This place has the BEST French food in Sydney. Don't let appearances fool you - the food is absolutely awesome.

Eat here before it is too late!. Mere Catherine is a Sydney institution, and you will long recall your experiences here. Everything I said about Bistro Papillon applies here, but while Papillon is very 2010, Catherine is very 1974, channeling the Paris of 1954, and that, together with the quality of the food, is what makes it such a memorable experience. It's a time machine that pays homage to the eternal appeal of excellent food served with respect.

Classic flavours. I've eaten here once, decor is typically French, very simple and does the job but without trying to show off.<br/>The service was excellent, a lovely elderly lady who was super helpful.<br/>The food: Amazing, it's simple beautiful food done very very well. <br/>I still recommend this to people as my favourite place to eat in Sydney, do pre book tho

I'm one of their loyal followers (20 years, can that possibly be right?) and still happy to return every couple of months. Visited again last night -- French Onion Soup & Chateaubriand with a 98 St Peters Shiraz--and it was as good as always.