Make it work-related, in the best way possible, with these top dining experiences from the upcoming edition of The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2017.
It's magnetic in every sense here at chef/restaurateur Matt Moran's flagship restaurant. Sommeliers Matt Dunne and Paul Beaton know how to read a table flawlessly, and will pitch it perfectly. From glass to plate, the kings of plush continue to pad Sydney's well-and-aspirationally-heeled with the sort of comfort only 17 years of solid service can provide.
1 Macquarie Street, Sydney, 02 9240 2255, ariarestaurant.com
It was an inspired move by the Bentley team. First there's the location at the Radisson Hotel in the financial business heartland. The eye-catching fit-out imitating construction site scaffolding is pure Sydney CBD. Then there's chef/owner Brent Savage's inventive, exciting menu, where the portions are made-to-measure for the time-poor Hermes tie brigade, in bar snack size and regular.
Corner of Hunter and Pitt streets, Sydney, 02 8214 0505, thebentley.com.au
Ross Lusted has an extraordinary ability for harmonising flavours in a confident, considered, thoughtful way where if you're not paying attention you might miss how highly engineered the cogs are in the kitchen. Same for the black-clad service team, who panther around the Nordic-chic room placing Lusted's creations on custom made felt mats.
Ground Level, 44 Bridge Street, Sydney, 02 9247 7000, thebridgeroom.com.au
Peter Gilmore and head chef Robert Cockerill are serving up brand new flavours in a room that remains as luxe as ever, with tweaks. Say bye to the starched tablecloths but hi to a piece of Murray cod, the protein just set, on an umami-rich ginger-fragrant congee. Slow cooked quail is soft - almost silken - the richness lifted with the tartness of Davidson plum jam.
Bennelong Point, Sydney Opera House, Sydney, 02 9240 8000, bennelong.com.au
Dear Jeremy Strode, for many years, we've appreciated your pared back menu with its roots firmly planted in traditional French technique with sturdy British sensibilities. Take note when it comes to that juicy Mayfield Farm pork chop, served very slightly pink with perfect lardons (double pig!) or the tried-and-true corned beef with throat searing English mustard.
1/52 King Street, Sydney, 02 9240 3000, merivale.com.au/bistrodecbd
Chef Colin Barker's menu is ever-changing, from translucent fingers of alfonsino ceviche dotted with smoked buffalo milk, to a fleshy, crisp-skinned fillet of bass groper robustly paired with cabbage, ham hock and lentils. Only the signature snapper pie is firmly anchored to the menu. All the better to enjoy looking out over the working harbour.
123 Ferry Road, Glebe, 02 9518 9011, boathouse.net.au
This is the home of the famous waiter 'swoop' where dishes for the table appear at once as if by witchcraft (or, at least, a lot of hands). In fact, if you were to pinpoint some of the most en pointe service in the city, all signs would point to Est: the Champagne trolley, the impressive wine service, that swooping.
Level 1, Establishment, 252 George Street, 02 9240 3000, merivale.com.au/est
"You're so money baby and you don't even know it." So goes the quote from the '90s indie comedy Swingers. Glass Brasserie is the opposite. They're money. And they know it. Planted up in the Sydney Hilton overlooking the Queen Victoria building, the ceilings are cavernous. The walls are literally made of wine bottles and when night falls, the sexy lighting is set firmly to "make out" mode.
Level 2, 488 George Street, Sydney, glassbrasserie.com.au
It starts with the stairs. Down they go, lined with nearly 4000 miniature liquor bottles, spiralling around and around until they tip you out into post-war Europe. The Swillhouse Group's wood-panelled basement dining room, small bars and cellars are an homage to all that we love about restaurants.
15 Bligh Street, Sydney, restauranthubert.com
If Bruce Wayne was dating Alfred the butler this is where they'd dine, in all its moody, Gothamite splendour. The building is an Art-Deco landmark, and Neil Perry's old-school steakhouse, heading into its eighth year now, a fine fit. A delicately breaded Kinkawoonka king prawn cutlet in the clubby adjoining bar requires the use of a martini and then it's to the Batcave.
66 Hunter Street, Sydney, 02 8078 1900, rockpool.com
The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide award night, presented by Citi and Vittoria, is on September 5. The Guide will be on sale in newsagents and bookstores from September 6, with all book purchases receiving free access to the new Good Food app.
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