27-05-2025
Popular Sydney restaurant announces shock closure - but its replacement is likely to be the city's hottest new venue
Sydney 's shrinking restaurant scene has claimed another scalp - but this time, it's making way for a French-flavoured comeback.
In the heart of Potts Point, one of the city's trendiest postcodes, the high-end, Catalan-inspired Parlar is officially closing its doors.
In its place? A more laid-back, all-day dining venue called Le Frérot - and it's not shy about embracing its French roots.
The name - literally meaning 'little brother' - is a nod to its sibling venue next door, the polished Franca Brasserie, and marks a major pivot by veteran restaurateur Andrew Becher.
Once known for its two-hatted dishes that looked more like art installations than dinner - think anchovy churros and Joan Miró-inspired plating - Parlar catered to Sydney's elite.
But in a sign of the times, Becher is moving away from degustation and drama to something that actually pays the bills: croissants, coffee, and classic bistro fare.
'At night, it'll be a bistro,' Becher told the Sydney Morning Herald.
But during the day, the venue will have all-day breakfast, boulangerie items, charcuterie, even a cheese room.
Le Frérot is expected to open in late July on Macleay Street, and it comes with a not-so-subtle redesign.
Gone are the moody 1970s tapestries that defined Parlar. French artworks and a softer colour palette aimed at appealing to Potts Point's changing crowd will take their place - which, according to Becher, is now more mature and looking for daytime options.
It's a savvy read of the room.
With Bistrot 916 also shutting down recently, which was another beloved French eatery in Potts Point from the team behind CBD darlings Clam Bar and Neptune's Grotto, Le Frérot steps into a gap in the market - and it trades exclusivity for accessibility.
But Becher isn't walking away from fine dining altogether.
Head chef Jose Saulog, who helped Parlar earn its critical acclaim, will stay on as group executive chef.
But Becher admits Parlar's European-style operating model - closed at lunch, frequent staff holidays, and irregular hours - had become tough to sustain.
Becher also runs Armorica Grande Brasserie in Surry Hills and recently reopened Pelicano in the old Hugos Lounge space on Bayswater Road. But it's Le Frérot that he sees as a flexible, long-game concept.
'In a few years, it might be Roman,' he teased, 'We want to keep it fluid.'
It's a move that mirrors Sydney's broader dining shift.
As food costs soar, hospitality staff become harder to come by, and diners tighten their wallets, the city is seeing a steady rise in casual, all-day venues - and a steep fall in haute cuisine.
Still, the elegance isn't gone altogether.
French onion soup, gruyère soufflé, and mussels will feature on the dinner menu. And yes, there will be proper pastries in the morning.
