Why Ananas Is Sydney’s Best French Restaurant Right Now

Sydney Travel Guide dined at Ananas in May 2026 and called it “our favourite new French dining destination in Sydney.” That verdict comes after a full evening: Champagne at the bar, tableside entrées, sharing mains, and a dessert trolley. It’s the kind of assessment that takes the whole experience into account.

The case for Ananas starts with the kitchen. Executive chef Mike Flood previously helped Felix earn its reputation as one of Sydney’s most admired French brasseries. The menu honours classic technique without being precious about it: tableside preparation, deep sauces, proper pastry, and a dessert trolley. These are the markers of a serious French brasserie. In Sydney in 2026, very few restaurants are doing all of them at once.

Ananas is back in The Rocks, a decade after its original run. It sits on Level 1 of the Argyle Stores on Argyle Street, above Sahtein. The sandstone bones and wooden beams carry the history. The kitchen carries the rest.

Start at the Bar

A dedicated Champagne bar greets guests at the entrance. Sydney rock oysters with Vermouth Mignonette and chives arrive alongside a Kir Royale, crisp, fruity, and a confident way to open the evening. It works equally well as a prelude to dinner or a stop in its own right.

The Food

Entrées lean into tableside theatre. The Rillettes de Crabe is prepared at the table, combining spanner crab with green apple, cucumber, and house-made condiments, served on crunchy lettuce leaves. The Escargots à la Bordelaise, baked with red wine and bone marrow butter and finished with an Espelette crumb, are the kind of dish that surprises. As Sydney Travel Guide put it, “even your fussy friends who declare they’d never eat a snail would still enjoy these.” The Tartare de Bœuf, hand-diced and served with house-made condiments and pan de mie toasts, is exactly what a French brasserie of this calibre should deliver.

For mains, the Bœuf Braisé Chasseur is the standout: braised oyster blade with hunter sauce and wild mushrooms, built for a long evening and a glass of red. The Roast Sommerlad Chicken with mustard and tarragon and the butterflied Murray cod with sauce vin jaune are both sharing dishes worth planning around.

Dessert arrives via a dedicated trolley. The Baba d’Ananas, a rum-soaked savarin sliced tableside with cooked pineapple and crème fraîche Chantilly, earns its place as the signature finale.

The Set Menu

The Menu de La Maison covers bread and oysters, a choice of entrée, a choice of main, and crème caramel to finish. It’s a strong introduction to what the kitchen does.

Book at Ananas, The Rocks

Ananas is at 18a Argyle Street, The Rocks, open for lunch and dinner daily.

Reserve your table at Ananas here.

As reviewed bySydney Travel Guide, May 2026.

Ananas practises the responsible service of alcohol. Drink responsibly.