Atelier French restaurant Darling Harbour
Atelier is a fine French restaurant on the third floor of the Sofitel Darling Harbour hotel Sydney with a menu guided by two simple principles.
To serve the finest Australian ingredients and honour classic French cooking techniques.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served bistro style in an elegant but intimate dining room with sweeping views over Darling Harbour. The result? An experience that easily ranks Atelier among the best French restaurants in Sydney.
Welcome to Darling Harbour’s favourite French restaurant
Atelier is a French word translating roughly to ‘an artist's studio’ and that’s exactly what the kitchen at this popular Darling Harbour restaurant is. The chefs use only the finest seasonal, local produce, meats and seafoods from NSW and Australia to create dishes that are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. All this in an inviting dining room decorated in classy French bistro style and overlooking the stunning Darling Harbour.
The a la carte menu divided into starters, mains, boucherie (butchery), sides and desserts.
The starters include unique dishes like a tart of Queensland spanner crab with confit ginger, or big juicy pacific oysters with champagne mignonette. Mains are even more exciting with highlights like an insanely succulent whole pan fried red snapper cooked in breadcrumbs, horseradish oil and French green aioli. The homemade potato gnocchi is another must-have thanks to generous lashings of truffle cream and aged parmesan.
Delicious as that all sounds, our favourite items on the menu come from the incredible Boucherie Atelier. The Queensland Nolan rib eye is impossibly tender and well seasoned, while the coq-au-vin chicken stewed in red wine is comfort food at its best.
If you’ve enough stamina, dessert is well worth sticking around for. The chocolate brulee with dark, decadent valrhona 65% chocolate and orange cointreau sorbet may just be one of the best desserts in Sydney.
A drinks list to rival any bar in Sydney
Looking for a venue for a few refreshments this weekend? Darling Harbour’s Atelier Restaurant boasts a drink and wine list that rivals the best bars in Sydney.
There are cellared red and white wines from as early as 1997, including the best Australian, New Zealand and French reds and whites. Wine and French champagne by the glass is also available.
Or for something a little different, the cocktail menu features concoctions inspired by the Sofitel hotel’s international locations. The refreshing Miss Faubourg is inspired by Sofitel Paris and includes French champagne, homemade strawberry essence, Italian sour cherry liquor (Luxardo) and hibiscus. On the other end of the spectrum, you’ve got the boozy Earl of Manhattan inspired by Sofitel New York and featuring Woodford Reserve Kentucky Bourbon and Carpano Vermouth. And to top it all off, there’s a huge selection of spirits and fresh beers on tap to choose from.
And the best part? If you’re feeling the joie de vivre, you can continue the party next door at Champagne Bar by Sofitel.
Getting to Atelier French restaurant Darling Harbour
Looking for something fun to do in Sydney? If you like food, sea views and wine, it doesn’t get much better than Atelier, the French Restaurant in the Sofitel Darling Harbour.
Getting here is easy whether you’re coming by foot, car or public transport:
- Walking: Atelier is less than 15 minutes walk away from Sydney’s CBD.
- Driving: there’s a Wilson parking lot directly behind the Sofitel Darling Harbour on Murray Street.
- Public transport: The Convention centre tram stop is directly next to Atelier and the Town hall train station is just 10 minutes walk away.
Fancy a French feast and a drop of champagne for dinner? Book a table and find out more about Atelier here.