Felix

Description:

• There's something about a good chicken liver pate, that quintessential French bistro staple that defines Gallic gastronomy. Yes, there's your flank steak and fries, duck leg confit or bouillabaisse on Mondays, complete with brass table lamps and waiters wearing long aprons to conjure those Parisian cliches, but you just can't beat a good pate. Sadly, venues with such a menu and décor have been few and far between. Until now.
  Felix, the latest addition to the burgeoning Merivale group, is a little bit of the Left Bank transported to a back alley in the city. Lauren Murdoch didn't have to move far to take up the role as head chef: She merely crossed from one side of Ash Street [Cellars] to the other, and in the process, has raised the bar when it comes to Sydney bistros.
  There's steak and stews, and molds of shellfish piled high on mountains of ice. There's even a rotisserie section, Roquefort salad, as expected, and desserts to die for. But it's the chicken liver pate ($16) that excels, complete with piquant currant relish, cornichons and chunks of crusty sourdough. Wash it down with a glass of Chateau Riotor Cotes de Provence ($10), and you'll be saying "c'est magnifique" well before the tarte tatin with French vanilla ice cream ($16) turns up.
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