Martinez

When visiting Martinez, you’re faced with a tough choice: whether to have a drink on the outdoor terrace – in many respects its own venue – or settle in for a large meal in the dining room. Of course, doing both is the correct answer.

This handsome spot overlooking Circular Quay is about as close to the French Riviera as you’ll get without leaving Sydney. Inspired by beachside art deco icon Hotel Martinez, it’s where you can drink Côte d'Azur-inspired cocktail on the aforementioned terrace, or head to the dining room where things get really on theme.

The à la carte menu features many of the hallmark dishes and flavours of south-eastern France, where seafood meets game meat and butter meets olive oil. Highlights in the starters section include the pissaladière, a miniature version of the Nice-born original, and a leg of fried quail topped with caviar. Over in the entrees, the must-order is the bouillabaisse, which is big enough to pass for a main. For actual mains, head inland with a lamb daube ragout or chicken fricassee.

The food is complemented by a lengthy drinks list, upholstered in L’Occitane en Provence-core yellow, which features plenty of pastis and cognac, and a French-heavy wine selection that’s equal parts crowd-pleasing and erudite.