Le Trader - Pyrmont

We used a Groupon voucher and it was one of the better French restaurants we've eaten. The portions are generous and delicious. Highly recommend the duck and steak and the chocolate fondant dessert. Would have given the restaurant 5 stars but the apple dessert was a miss. It's was theatrical but too strong on the alcohol and wasn't enjoyable. The entree of tuna and scallops was nice. Highly recommend it.

This is the first and only place so far I've rated a 5, and it's probably my favourite French restaurant in all of Sydney. Everything about this place is amazing, the food is always perfection, the service is always very warm and friendly, and for it's class and range, this restaurant is an absolute find and a must dine. I've been here several times before, and every single time, I couldn't fault a single aspect of this place, from food to service to cleanliness to ambiance. I've come here for both lunch and dinner before, and there's not too much difference in both menus, except perhaps the lunch menu is a little smaller and a bit cheaper in price. This particular night I went, I didn't book ahead of time, but I went very early, at 5pm, and there was only one other table occupied. I ordered two of their escargot entree, an assiette de canard (duck plate various ways, cold entrée), the crispy skin pork belly special, beef eye fillet medium rare with green peppercorn sauce, fondant au chocolat, crêpes Suzette, and a Coke. The escargot here is what I actually come for every single time, and what initially drew me to this place. It's cooked absolutely perfectly, and the garlic herb butter sauce is so delicious, I always ask for a little extra bread to soak it all up, it's that good. If you've never had escargot before, it's actually quite good, a bit meaty, like cockles or clams. The duck assiette consists of foie gras, duck terrine, and thin slices of dried duck breast, accompanied by rhubarb done 3 ways, a paste, the stem, and thin pickled slices, and some bread. If you like paté, you'll love this entree, but be warned, like paté, it's a little salty and it's much more filling than it looks, so I'd recommend you share this dish. There is a pork belly on the menu, but the one I ordered was a specials dish; the manager informed me that this particular pork belly had been slow cooked over night and has a much crispier skin than the one on the menu. I love crispy skin pork belly, it's my second favourite meat after duck, so I ordered the crispy skin pork belly special as soon as I heard it. And it was so good. The pork belly itself was cooked to perfection, beautifully moist and so tender, it just melted in my mouth. I don't like fat on meat, the texture doesn't sit well with me, but the fat on the pork belly was rendered so perfectly, I couldn't taste it or feel the texture, but it added a delicious flavour to the pork belly and helped to keep it from drying out. The crispy skin on the pork belly was just perfection as well; it was so crunchy and crackly in top and a little chewy and a little sticky underneath, without feeling too oily or burnt. It was accompanied by a sort of cheese boat, with some beetroot and other things inside, which was all tasted great, but the crispy skin pork belly was just so good on it's own even. The steak was good too, cooked exactly to order, with the most delicious potato dauphinois I ever had, and some green beans. It was flavourful and so juicy and tender, and everything worked beautifully together, and tasted very fresh and delicious. The potatos were sliced quite thin and tasted so creamy, and the green beans were blanched just right. But, for me personally, against the crispy skin pork belly, the eye fillet was pale in comparison. Their desserts were delicious, but a little heavy. The waitress couldn't get the crêpes to flambe properly, and poured a little too much alcohol dressing on top in an attempt to light it, which caused the taste of the crêpes to become just a little too bitter, but it wasn't too noticeable if you ate it with the ice cream. The chocolate fondant was a larger portion than I thought it would be, and I was quite full by this time from the previous two courses, and I struggled a little to finish it. The fondant itself is made beautifully, although it felt a little too heavy by the time I ate every bite. The ice cream helped combat the sweetness but personally, it wasn't enough ice cream, and I would have loved another scoop. Service here is always warm and friendly, and they really take their time to go through the specials and any questions you may have about the menu with you (there were two older ladies seated near me who asked their waiter about almost everything on the menu, and I watched as the waiter patiently and happily answered every single question). I paid $172 for my meal for two, but we did get three entrées, and for the quality of food and level of service, it's worth every cent, and a lot cheaper and much tastier than some fine dining restaurants even. TIP: don't over do it like I did, because I walked away feeling so satisfied but way too full; the portions here are more filling than it looks, and the desserts are a little heavy, so I'd recommend you share one.

This is the first and only place so far I've rated a 5, and it's probably my favourite French restaurant in all of Sydney. Everything about this place is amazing, the food is always perfection, the service is always very warm and friendly, and for it's class and range, this restaurant is an absolute find and a must dine. I've been here several times before, and every single time, I couldn't fault a single aspect of this place, from food to service to cleanliness to ambiance. I've come here for both lunch and dinner before, and there's not too much difference in both menus, except perhaps the lunch menu is a little smaller and a bit cheaper in price. This particular night I went, I didn't book ahead of time, but I went very early, at 5pm, and there was only one other table occupied. I ordered two of their escargot entree, an assiette de canard (duck plate various ways, cold entrée), the crispy skin pork belly special, beef eye fillet medium rare with green... read more

Had an amazing night here. The food is excellent. For entrée I had the scallop. It is very tender and feels like it just melted in my mouth. The "Navarin" lamb main is also very good. The lamb was very tender and the sauce was very flavoursome. I wished the radishes had a bit of flavour to them be that is just a personal preference; coupled with the sauce, they were still great. For dessert I had the assiette of apple. The trio was pretty nice and a great way to finish the meal. I am also pleased with the service. The waiters are very friendly and attentive. I also like the small and cosy nature of the restaurant. Unfortunately, at the end of the night, the baby on the next table started to cry and ruined the otherwise perfect experience. But that is hardly the restaurant's fault.

Purchased a Groupon voucher and had a definitely amazing dinner experience here. Small restaurant but cosy atmosphere. All dishes are very nicely presented and also so tasty. The serving size is generous as well. Highly recommend the foie gras, beef eye fillet and chocolate fondant! Would love going back for sure!