Frenchies is brewing up some Frenchy flair

Professional kitchens are fairly basic environments from a sociocultural point of view. If you're an Australian chef working in any kitchen overseas, you will be called "Skippy", end of story. Likewise, a French chef in an Aussie kitchen is simply dubbed "Frenchy".

Two of these Frenchies – brewer Vincent de Soyres and chef Thomas Cauquil – recently opened their own brewery and bistro in The Cannery in Rosebery, in the general neighbourhood of Da Mario, Three Blue Ducks and the Archie Rose distillery and its charmingly boothed bar.

It's a Frenchy idea of a beer house rather than a Belgian or German one, so there are blond wood tables and chairs, blackboard menus of uncompromisingly Frenchy food, and even a brief but fitting wine list.

Industrial metal stairs lead up to another level of dining, but there's something about sitting next to seven great big tanks of beer that makes me feel secure.

De Soyres, who trained as a brewer in the food-mad city of Lyons, and who can generally be seen here wandering around in gumboots, turns out a range of highly enjoyable brews.

Order a tasting paddle ($14) if you must, although those of an elegant turn of mind will prefer the 330-millilitre ($6) pour served in a tulip-shaped, lipped and stemmed Teku glass made by Rastal. The word "chic" is not generally associated with beer glasses – it is, now.

Frenchies Kolsch is a classic German-style ale with a clean, dry finish, Golden Steam is a light, refreshing new-world pilsener brewed with New Zealand hops.

You're here for the beer, obviously, but let me tell me, you're also here for the charcuterie.

Cauquil has worked with Parisian charcuterie master Arnaud Nicolas, and it shows in the long tranche of highly crafted, low-rise terrine en croute ($23).

It is a thing of beauty; the two different pastries providing a clean contrast to the marbled duck, chicken and foie gras and technicolour line-up of lightly pickled baby vegetables.

You can't cheat charcuterie; you have to put in the work – and the pork fat – or you don't end up with anything special. This is special.

The blackboard menu has everything from a poisson cru of garfish with shaved fennel to black angus rib-eye to share.

There's a jar of chicken liver pâté topped with port jelly and served with house-made bread ($12), and platters of cured meats and cheeses.

Pork loin tonnato ($16) has the colours of a Fred Williams painting, although there is barely enough tuna sauce to coat, and hapuka ($29) is lightly browned in beurre noisette and rests on artichoke hearts in a frothy barigoule sauce.

Exceptional pastry again encases a savoury pithiviers of sweetbreads and silverbeet ($30) that is half pie, half terrine.

The puff pastry is scored and glazed in the traditional manner, the filling is chunky and perfectly seasoned, and a glossy jus pulls the whole thing together.

Desserts are listed, but a platter of roquefort and triple-creme cheese and a glass of red seems more apt. Because that's the thing about those Frenchies. 

Be it beer, charcuterie, wine or cheese, they know how to turn a craft into an art.

The lowdown

Best bit: Dining next to seven gleaming tanks of beer.

Worst bit: The Cannery precinct is a bit dead at night.

Go to dish: Duck, chicken and foie gras pâté en croute, $23.

Terry Durack is chief restaurant critic for The Sydney Morning Herald and senior reviewer for the Good Food Guide. This rating is based on the Good Food Guide scoring system.