New restaurant looks to Basque in Circular Quay glory
Basque inspired dining continues to gain momentum in Sydney, after Deux Freres (two brothers in French) at Circular Quay opened its doors this week.
Deux Freres follows in the footsteps of Lennox Hastie’s Gildas, which opened in Surry Hills last year.
The latest addition to the cuisine serves up a pintxos inspired menu including gildas, a skewered green olive, anchovy and green chilli pintxo for ($8), tortilla de patatas (omelette with potatoes, $18) or txistorra (semi-cured sausage, $18), and there’s a conservas (tinned) range of razor clams and white anchovies in oil and vinegar.
Pintxos are snacks served in Basque Country, in north Spain.
Deux Freres is owned by Vincent Ventura and Johan Giausseran, who grew close to the Basque region in France. They continue to travel there regularly for inspiration.
The pair is behind more traditional Gallic restaurants Pymble bistro Brasserie l’Entrecôte and Bouillon L’Entrecôte at Circular Quay.
Regional Basque wines are also on the menu, as well as nine red and four white vermouths and aromatised fortified wine.
“You can drink it as an aperitif, at the end of the meal or all the way through,” Giausseran says.
“What we’re doing is more traditional. But we’re in a precinct with Italian, Japanese, French. A pintxos-style bar adds to that mix. We’re working to make Circular Quay a destination.”
You can find Deux Freres on Loftus Lane, near to Sicilian cocktail bar Apollonia.
Jonathan Jackson, 30th October 2023
