New life for notorious Gastro Park site in Kings Cross

The notorious restaurant site where Gastro Park traded – just off the strip at Kings Cross – will reopen this week as Metisse with head chef Benoit Lollichon, a graduate of Restaurant Guy Savoy, the Paris eatery with a bank of Michelin stars.

"I've had a few people tell me I've got a lot of guts taking over that spot," says Opel Khan, the chef-restaurateur bank-rolling Metisse.

Khan, who has owned a number of Sydney restaurants, including Guru and Beluga, is also the author of Sex in the Kitchen. He believes the worm has turned for the site, which has had a high casualty rate.

In the early days of its longest reign, the award-winning Gastro Park, diners could spot all sorts of activity and transactions on the surrounding streets, but the gentrification of the area has changed the vista, and respected pop-up Etelek recently finished a residency at the site.

French food is mounting a serious comeback in the area with Franca set to open just down the road from Metisse in coming months. Khan maintains Lollichon will focus on a "light style, new version of French food".

The menu is bristling with tweaked classics. Foie gras is served with a chickpea sponge, green lentils beetroot jelly and horseradish "snow". Coquelet (cockerel) is paired with smoked pumpkin and fresh peas, and the lamb rump with burnt onion, pickled cherries has a dusting of feta.

The prices look competitive (entrees $18, mains $28) and a five-course degustation with matching wines $100 a person. "I call it affordable luxury," Khan says. And the name? "Metisse is mixed race, which is my background."

Open Tue-Sun 5pm-midnight.

5-9 Roslyn Street, Potts Point