Welcome to Onzieme, Kingston, Canberra's newest restaurant

We've all been waiting to see what the former Bar Rochford - where he gained a hat in the Good Food Awards in 2019 - and Kiosk chef would do next; the first week booked up before it even opened the doors, now seats are hard to come by. Welcome to Onzieme.

Located on the corner of Kennedy and Eyre Street in old Kingston, Onzieme is a restaurant that could well be situated where its name leads, the winding streets of the 11th arrondissement in Paris, where bistros line the Left Bank.

It's more a nod to the idea of a local, a place where you could eat once a week and find a different menu every time, where that menu reflects what's in season, what the farmers are delivering, a place with a few seats at the bar, outdoor dining (once all the COVID restrictions are sorted out) that you can't book to allow for those walk-ins on balmy summer evenings, a place where one of Canberra's top chefs - and the talented team he's collected - just want to serve good food and make you feel at home.

It takes that whole idea of bistronomy and gives it that Australian touch.

"French bistronomy is all about that high level experience but with a relaxed atmosphere," he says.

"I think it translates well to Australian palates. In France, it's still very French but here in Australia, we're such a melting pot, we're looking at influences from France, Japan, Italy, South East Asia, we've even got a Moroccan fish head at the moment and a Spanish style lamb, but it all works together."

The menu will be ever changing, handwritten on a clear glass wall. When we spoke he was excited by a delivery from Newcastle Greens, fish from the markets, a haul from the Griffith butchery. We noted spring greens with yoghurt and buckwheat; kingfish with puy lentils and avgolemono; and half a chicken with hay and tarragon on the day we dropped in.

Onzieme has been a hands-on project for Couttoupes. He and his father spent most of the year stripping out the old cafe Two for Joy which had been in the corner spot for close to 20 years. They recycled what they could, gave everything a paint, raised the height of granite bars, knocked down walls and switched seating around.

Now large windows encase the corner, they pull back for those summer evenings; there's a cosy booth in one corner; a backlit wine display which used to house gelato.

"It was about taking something old and beautiful and turning it into something fun and interesting," Couttoupes says.

Excitingly there is a chance to sit at the kitchen bar, two seats where you'll be able to chat to Couttoupes and watch him work his magic, the wood-fired oven at his hip. Once the COVID restrictions are sorted out these will literally be the hottest seats in town.

Otherwise you can head downstairs, where the basement space has been turned into an intimate wine bar. With a separate entrance it will be the perfect spot for after work drinks or a nightcap after dinner upstairs.

When we're allowed full capacity, the main room will seat 44, outside will cater for another 30 or so.

Alongside Couttoupes Tom Blakely (XO, Mt Majura Vineyard) will mange the restaurant and take care of the drinks list; with Nick Peterson (eightysix, Sydney's Porteno), Shin Chu (Chairman Group) and Jimmy Elvins (Grazing) in the kitchen.