Cafe Nice

Is Fratelli Fresh suddenly turning into Les Freres Frais? For 10 years now, providore and restaurateur Barry McDonald has been enthusiastically pushing la dolce vita in all its forms in his synergistic fresh food stores and adjoining Cafe Sopra trattorias. The entrenched Italianness went as far as giving everyone who works in the warehouse Italian names, leading to more than a few Thai-born Giuseppes and Giovannis.

But now it seems McDonald has come over all froggy with the opening of Cafe Nice, which is, of course, pronounced ''neece'', as in the Provencal city, rather than ''nice'', as in very pleasant. It also marks the formal entry of the next generation of the McDonald family in the hospitality business, as daughter Nina Gravelis steps up as hands-on partner.

Concentrating on the cuisine of Nice was a clever move, as the city has historically been more closely associated with Italy than France - its sunny, olive-strewn cooking carrying influences from both. So instead of pizza, there are rich little slabs of Nicoise pissaladiere, the perfect bite with an aperitif of Lillet blanc on ice with a dash of soda. Spaghetti comes with pistou rather than ragu; polenta with roquefort instead of gorgonzola.

With one of the city's top fresh-produce suppliers as a boss, chef David Young has a jump-start on most chefs around town. A simple crudites platter, for example, becomes a showcase for the sweetest little heirloom carrots and radishes with a house-made aioli for dipping ($16). It's the sort of dish there's little point in proposing, otherwise. The same goes for a classic salade nicoise ($22), which surprises by not being the usual jumble, but a composition of individual groupings of soft-boiled egg, peppers, tomatoes, celery, olives, anchovies and preserved tuna, ready to be tossed at the table.

Another Provencal classic gets a clever update when a stewy, tomato-ey ratatouille ($18) comes topped with an on-trend 62-degree slow-cooked egg. A fleshy fillet of snapper is cushioned by a velvety mess of eggplant and topped with intense olive tapenade ($29), another successful pairing.

But it's a mug's game judging Cafe Nice on just how Provencal it is, when all that really matters is how good it is. Deep-fried crisp calamari ($20) is a crowd-pleaser in any language, and a roast chicken for two ($56) could be claimed by a dozen different nationalities as their own. It succeeds in looking and feeling Provencal by dint of its generous tumble of golden skin and relaxed meat, garnished with butter-glazed carrots and crisp, sliced radish drizzled with pistou.

The space that was once Merrony's and, more recently, an appalling Chinese restaurant, is much happier now with its brightly striped awnings outside, and soft macaron pastels and mirrored walls inside. Designer dude Michael Delaney has installed a horseshoe-shaped bar that's going to be a hot spot pre-opera, and has broken up the large dog-leg space with golden-hued screens, and elbow-to-elbow seating. The harbour views are slashed by commuter trains whooshing through Circular Quay station at the same level as the tables, which gives the already-loud room a sense of drama. Tranquil, it is not.

When you see the house wine listed as coming from L'Orange, be aware it's the same in-joke as at Cafe Sopra, where the house wine hails from Arancia. (I don't need to explain that both mean ''Orange'', do I? No, of course not.) The list covers all bases with its Frenchy-chic labels, including an intense, ripe 2010 Lathuiliere-Gravallon Pisse Vieille Brouilly from Beaujolais ($75). Desserts sensibly revolve around seasonal fruits, although I find shallow, battered puddings such as clafoutis ($14.50) are difficult to make voluptuous.

The whole Nicoise package was inspired, I suspect, by the famous Le Petit Nice restaurant in Nice, and gives the buzzy space a heap of charm, as does the friendly, easy-on-the-eye service team. It's a good restaurant for blondes, with its blonde-wood tables, parquetry flooring and warm, golden glow.

The menu is cleverly balanced with simple staples, and even the richest dishes are cooked with a light, almost delicate, hand. By way of disclaimer, I've known McDonald for so long, this is the 11th enterprise of his I've had the pleasure and business to patronise. They've all been right for their time, their place and their people. This is one of the neecest.

The low-down

Worst bit Very loud.

Best bit Every wine is available by glass, 500 millilitres and bottle.

Go-to-dish Poulet roti for two with confit garlic, herbs, carrots and radishes $56.

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.