14/20
The old-fashioned notion of a big night out is alive and well on the 36th floor of the Shangri-La. It's a dress-up occasion, with some keen competition to get one of the small tables right up against the window, with their vertigo-inducing views of harbour, bridge, Sydney Opera House and Luna Park. The menu aims high, as you would expect of a top hotel dining room. A warm brandade of mackerel and lobster is matched with a granita-like fennel and saffron sorbet, and a Murraylands rack of lamb comes perfectly pink. Some dishes felt a little heavy - a slab of suckling pig terrine with crisp pig's skin salad lacked any juicy jelliness, and poached hapuku came with an overly moist pea-quinoa risotto and cuttlefish dramatically sauced with black squid ink. Staff are courteous and helpful, and a crisp sable sambo (our word, not theirs) of macerated strawberries with passionfruit sabayon and mascarpone ice-cream is all the reason you need to linger longer over that view.
Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.
Sign up