LOCATIONLocated in East Sydney’s Riley Street at the William Street end.
DETAILSTucked away at the end of a narrow cul de sac in the heart of the East Sydney restaurant precinct, La Mint is a definite dining gem. With its ambient lighting, evocative music and French colonial décor, La Mint makes for the perfect restaurant rendezvous.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIATake a restaurant from French colonial Saigon, add some Sydney spunk and you have La Mint. Just a few metres shy of busy William Street, this Vietnamese French fusion restaurant captures a touch of colonialism, a dash of French “oh la la” and a whole lot of Vietnamese spirit. Residing in a heritage-listed warehouse, the space is decked out in earthy tones from wooden tables and floors, beige cushions and grey tiles, with some furniture imported from Saigon herself. French posters adorn the walls, lending a worldly charm.
The menu follows in stride, evoking the tantalising fusion of French sophistication with the exotic and spicy flavours of Vietnam. Dine on the likes of “papillotes aux deux fromages” (crispy wontons filled with Camembert and cream cheese) and ”escargots a La Mint” (snails baked in their shells with a touch of mint, tomato, chilli and baguette) for entree, and for main, it is hard to resist the signature dish of ”pave de porc” – a melt-in-your-mouth pork belly that is slow cooked for six hours before it hits your table. For some fun DIY dining, the “campfire beef” requires patrons to assemble their own rice paper rolls. Alternatively, from Monday to Thursday La Mint offers a six-course degustation menu. The beverage list features a varied range of French and Australian wines mostly sold by the bottle, though by the glass options are well-priced.