Restaurant Hubert

Restaurant, Wine Bar

Sydney, Australia

About Restaurant Hubert

Down a winding stairwell, this Belle Epoque inspired restaurant transports the diner from Bligh street in the city’s centre to post-war Paris. Dining here feels like theatre. The scene is set with red velvet drapes and dark wood panelling, and a baby grand piano takes centre stage. Lit by the soft glow of candles dripping wax down old Burgundy bottles, and manned by a brigade of bow-tied​ waiters, the ambience here feels bizarrely authentic.

Not a surprise really, considering that it’s a Swillhouse offering; the team behind other themed venues in Sydney like Shady Pines Saloon, Baxter’s Bar and Frankie’s Pizza. Their first fully serviced venue, and a step up in style and offering, Restaurant Hubert tempts with the decadent; think caviar & cultured cream and plays on the classics; think escargot in XO.

About the Restaurant Hubert Wine List

France is the vague focus here, with a decent selection of Australian interpretations. The list touches on most French regions, though they do tend to get dominated by verticals of one or two producers, at the upper end of the price scale.

There are some token Italian & Spanish wines on offer, and some decent German Rieslings too, but this "something for everyone" approach may be coming at a cost to depth elsewhere in the list.

Choose a bottle quickly, close the winelist and get back to enjoying the ambience, lest the pictures of John Howard and strange odes to political centrism shatter the illusion so carefully crafted by other facets of the venue.

Great for

  • Bistro
  • Central location
  • French
  • French wines
  • Hipster feeling
  • Impressing out of towners
  • Old world
  • Open after midnight

More recommendations

  • Take a step beneath its unassuming doorway and down the wood-panelled staircase, and emerge transported to another time. Hubert’s lavish French charm will have you feeling more like you’re in 1950s Paris than the Sydney CBD. Bentwood chairs, lush red velvet and warm candlelight, add a live jazz quintet and you’ll be reaching for a martini before you’ve even sat down. Perfectly executed classic French fare complements a wine list with a similar focus, a comprehensive leather-bound tome covering all the usual suspects, with some comparable Aussie takes. An excellent by-the glass and half bottle list makes splashing out a little more accessible but don’t leave your wallet at home for a memorable occasion.

    Csilla Swain
    Csilla Swain

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