Say bonjour to le Bistro Mosman. The Plus Ones were invited to review the updated menu of the chic French Restaurant in Sydney’s north shore, situated downstairs within The Buena Hotel.

As the restaurant’s under new management, Bistro Mosman has seen recent changes to its menu, with renowned Jon Trouillet keeping his post as Head Chef. Its menu offerings have been marked at more accessible prices, with all main menu items under $40.

Sister restaurant to the institutional Bistro Moncur Woollahra — the Mosman team have been able to create an intimate yet relaxed experience – and have been able do this without compromising the quality one would expect from the likes of a fancy French establishment.

The Bistro Mosman venue has a glass-house ambience to it, with floor length windows allowing natural light to flood through. My guest and I arrived at 7pm on a summer evening, so we were able to enjoy the setting by both daylight, and night.

To start, we ordered entrees that in our minds were “quintissentially French”. That meant D’escargots (French for snails) and the sumptuous steak tartare. Both dishes were served uniquely; with a modern twist. Our hand-cut tartare came compressed, in a rounded brick with frites — while the snails were served drier than traditionally, on a puff pastry tart, that tasted just as good as it looked.

As for mains, the Spanner Crab Linguine was the standout dish for me — cooked with confit garlic, Roma tomatoes, and anchovies. For our weekly dose of iron, we also ordered a Grainge Prime Fillet — made medium rare with Cafe de Paris sauce. The 200-gram cut was melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Our exquisite accompanying bottle of red wine was a Western Australian 2014 variety: Cape Mentelle ‘Wallcliffe Cabernet’ Franc. This came suggested by our very attentive waiter, and was quite possibly one of the best I’ve ever tasted from the region.

Charming Restaurant Manager Tim Lepoutre took the time to make us feel welcome, revealing that Bistro Mosman has worked to deliver an impressive yet now affordable wine list, which complements the food perfectly and caters to every palate and budget.

After plenty of conversation and enjoyment it was time for what is (arguably) the most important course: dessert. We simply couldn’t go past the classic Creme Brûlée, and mouth-watering Chocolate Fondant with its rich moist centre.

While we didn’t sample everything, Bistro Mosman’s delightful new menu includes a selection of superb French classics using fresh Australian produce. Think French onion soufflé, French lamb cutlets and Ratatouille, steak Frites Bearnaise, and brandy ice cream to name a few.

You’d be very hard-pressed to find a French feed this delectable in Sydney — especially without having to break the bank. Consider Bistro Mosman for your next dinner date s’il vous plaît, you can pretend you’re in Paris.