claire's kitchen at le salon

i’d wanted to go to claire’s kitchen since i walked past it on my first week in sydney. my chance came late in february when dimmi was doing a last minutes special on a tuesday and i had scored a discount on the bill. they had a steak on the menu but it was an eye fillet and didn’t sound as appetising as the special of the day, a pork trio plate, it was made up of prosciutto wrapped loin, roasted pork belly and boudoin noir aka black pudding, they were all tied together with apple, both chunks and puree, sorrel and artichoke chips.

fabulous french. a great addition to oxford street. it serves authentic french food just like you would find on a trip to france. the restaurant is spacious and spread out over two levels.

claire's kitchen has a very sexy appeal, evoked through its dim moody red lighting and dark timbers, both fitting of its oxford st location whilst also rising above to be a little classier. the waiters all speak french, adding to its authenticity, and it wasn't long before we fell in love with them...

dined here on a friday night and i was unimpressed! the cheese soufflé was average, the pâté had a weird perfumed taste, the pork belly was overcooked, the duck pie lacked flavour and the side order of mash was cold and lumpy. the only part we really enjoyed was the white chocolate dessert. our waitress was also a strange cookie who kept making little jokes every time she walked past, putting us in a situation where we were fake laughing at first and then trying to avoid eye contact for the rest of the night. awkward!!

french perfection. spent over 3 1/2 hrs enjoying every bite of our three course dinner...so much so that we couldn't pick a favourite dish! magnifique!!

underwhelming at best. w.... underwhelming at best.

went for dinner by myself (business trip). the service was prompt and fairly good - except that two waiters explained the specials cocktails to me and my main course waiter had to come twice to ask i how would like to have my steak done.

i had this cheese soufflé for a starter. it was tasty, but the waiter failed to tell me that the dish had just come out of the oven and was scalding hot - i almost burnt a blister on my finger when i tried to reposition the plate. ouch!

for main course i had the beef fillet and ordered french fries as a side. the plate with a very mediocre looking in presentation - had it been an episode of masterchef it would have had the judges shaking their heads in disbelief - a blob of mashed potatoes placed next to the beef - all swimming in a puddle of jus. no plating effort as far as i can see. no greenery or garnish in sight.

the truffled mash was cold enough to be off putting so i resorted to the french fries - i have had better at mcdonald's but at least it was warm. the beef was under seasoned and on the edge of being cold at the start and definitely cold at the end. at least they got the medium rare bit right. but does that mean if has to be cold guys?

i did not have desert because picking things off a desert tray does not appeal to my sense of style - it seems so "pre-made".

you win some - you lose some. hope my review spares someone else an evening of lost opportunities and mediocre dining.

avoid peak hours. dinner in claire's kitchen on a friday night to celebrate my friend's finally (!!) obtaining the pr. when we arrived at the restaurant it was still early, so the environment was quiet and relaxing (btw -- been here for happy hours before, a nice relaxing place to unwind after work). entrees: we ordered duck liver parfait with crouton, and king prawn & salmon terrine to share. the presentation of the terrine was impressive, as was its taste. the duck liver parfait.... nothing exciting. i tried similar dishes in cafe sel et poivre, also in darlinghurst, i think the cafe made better duck liver parfait. no sure was it because of the crouton or the bread, the bread was "the hardest" bread i have ever had in my life and the crouton also tasted too tough. i was expecting a fresh, warm, soft, yet crunchy bread/toast to serve with the duck liver parfait. i heard that if the french bread is extremely hard, then it is basically stale and past its prime for eating. we didn't finish the duck liver parfait. main course: i ordered lamb with herb crust served with gratin dauphinois and roasted garlic jus and my friend ordered chicken stuffed with a tarragon quenelle, served with a pea, leek and champagne risotto. not sure how was the chicken dishes, my friend didn't say much, probably meant average? mine was wonderful. it was a dishes you will always remember and crave for from time to time.

as said, the start of the dinner with nice and relaxing, no rush and we can fully enjoy our foods, drinks and chat; but when it was approaching peak hours, the peaceful and relaxing atmosphere gone. the restaurant was full of diners, all tables were filled, noise from the kitchen (e.g. breaking glass/plate) and the tables near by, the frequent move of wait persons, all ruined the at first relaxing and enjoyable dinner. while we were in the middle of having our main courses, the servers kept coming to check whether we needed water or the foods was ok, not sure were they just being "attentive" or trying to rush us through dinner. i initally planned to order dessert, but then i changed my mind. i saved it for the chocolate fondant in cafe sel et poivre, which is just a couple of streets away :)

great night. good food and service. a bit pricey but nice french food.

great night!. i attended a function at claire's recently (a 30th anniversary party) and it was superb. the venue is inviting. the function area has character and feels very much like home. the service was excellent - i couldn't fault it. the food.............outstanding. it was a lovely occasion made even better by a fabulous venue. i will definitely go back to try the restaurant!

classic french. with its moody lighting, lush interiors and hearty food, claire's kitchen is a welcome sanctuary from the chaos on oxford street. we opted to share several entrees and mains, picking from a menu of classic french and mod-oz food. to start, we had the snails, scallops and the daily special of tahitian salad which was a refreshing ceviche-style salad. the salad, though not especially french, was unique and the use of coconut water in the ceviche gave it a summery tropical twist. scallops were beautifully cooked and presented with different textures from the pumpkin puree and garnishing. the snails were probably the weakest of the lot as the butter sauce was pretty bland. the mains were the duck pie and chateaubriand. they were very generous servings - the pie could probably feed 2 people as it was very rich and the beef, 3. we loved the flaky, light pastry on the pie which complemented the hearty, full-flavoured duck filling made richer with pinot noir. the chateaubriand arrived as 8 large slabs of meat with green beans and truffled mash. the meat was beautifully pink and easy to slice through. we were absolutely stuffed at the end of the meal but when that dessert tray came out, we were tempted into getting a slice of lemon meringue pie and the creme brulee. the creme brulee, studded with armagnac prunes, was definitely the winner in this round. overall we had a lovely night at claire's kitchen thanks to the good food and in no small part, the professional yet friendly service. the second floor has larger tables so this is a great spot for groups as well.

outstanding. i'm so impressed with this little gem. the food, service and ambiance is what you'd expect from a french restaurant. all the wait staff speak with a french accent which only enhances your experience.
i've been here twice in the last 3 months, once for a normal dinner and then for a function i organised for a group dinner of 12 people. marc was excellent to deal with and then executed the actual night perfectly.
i really love this place x

out of this world food and the service is the best in syndey!! highly recommend!

what an amazing experience. claire's truly surpassed any expectation we had & more. the canard en croute was a celebration with every mouthful & the desert "trolley" a revelation in patisserie bar none. the staff were attentive & delightful. a truly memorable evening. merci!!

more french food and snails! on thursday night, we went out for dinner at claire’s kitchen at le salon to redeem our dimmi points ($5o). located along oxford street,...claire’s kitchen, in contrast, is fancier french dining – more suited for a quiet dinner or special function. impressively, the service is very good and the waiters are all french!

magnifique!. this is easily the best french restaurant in sydney. the service is amazing from the moment you walk in. lovely staff who are friendly and attentive and very well groomed. the cocktails are to die for and the food was sumptuous. we've just returned from europe and this restaurant just took us right back. i highly recommend it. we'll definitely be returning. . again and again!