The Thousands

Let’s hear it for the cliche! Things old-fashioned and familiar have earned much eye-rolling disdain simply because lots of people have liked them, for lots of time. But like the under-rated Dad joke or candle-lit first date, these tried and tested gems are too good to throw out in the wash, be left by the wayside or [insert other lame cliche].

To celebrate these oldies-but-goodies, head to this old French charmer nestled between the backpackers and scene spots, and don’t expect any surprises. Instead, you’ll find all the usual Gallic suspects, plenty of retro doilies and lots of earnest, home-style yum packed into one teeny tiny terrace. Behind the checked curtains is a cosy dining room seating a mere 16 punters, and a wife-and-mustachioed-husband team pumping out traditional French fare.**There’s piping hot onion soup, bearniase steak, duck a la ronge and creme caramel, and whilst there’s a short wine list (a red one and a white one), you can also BYO. It’s so darling and quaint and old-fashioned they haven’t even embraced modern phenomena like "eftpos" or "credit cards" (or "vegetarian", for that matter), so bring cold hard cash.

There’s a daggy-sexy candles-in-the-wine-bottles vibe to this old gem. It’s honest home-style food snuggled in a cosy corner of Sydney. It ain’t the hippest kid on the block but it sets the mood faster than you can say "voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir?"