Chez Maurice et Linda

by Felicity
(Sydney, Australia)

Many years ago, I spent a year living in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. I lived with a French family and the food at this restaurant reminds me very much of the food the housekeeper in Paris cooked for the family.

'Chez Maurice et Linda' is a small, unpretentious restaurant in Sydney which serves wonderful, down-to-earth food. The decor is not at all swish and the restaurant is a bit cramped but the food is to die for, portions are generous and the service is friendly and welcoming.

The restaurant is also great value for money. It's BYO (bring your own wine, common in Sydney) and offers two 'prix fixe' menus, a two-course option and a three-course option.

They also bring complimentary home-made pate to the table after you order which is always delicious!

My husband and I have been dining at Maurice's for 20 years. In that time, the menu has hardly changed at all because that's the way the regulars like it. The Chateaubriand is to-die-for, as is the steak au poivre and there are some wonderful desserts, including the best profiteroles I've tasted outside Paris.

Maurice is French and has worked all over the world but he and his wife, Linda, who is the restaurant's hostess, have lived in Sydney for many years.

I first met them back in 1991 when my fiance and I dined at their restaurant in the Sydney suburb of Mosman. Since that night, we have married, moved house three times and had three children, all of whom are now teenagers. Maurice and Linda's children have grown up and their restaurant has moved to Balgowlah, not far from Manly beach.

Over the years we've eaten at Maurice's many times and have never been disappointed.