Gastro Park

A drawing of a child's swing features on the Gastro Park logo, a clever teaser for the gastronomic romp chef Grant King has in store for his diners. There's fun to be had here for sure, but it is rarely childish in execution. King was head chef at former three-hatter Pier, and Gastro Park staples, such as the crisp scaled snapper, illustrate restraint on the plate. Accompanying calamari 'crackling' and ink sauce is a teasing play on flavour and texture. A grissini stick rolled in cured short rib is King's wizard wand dipped in finely grated cheese. Every playground, even one in the middle of rough-and-tumble Kings Cross, needs adult supervision, and the service is mature and wine focused. Not everything in this house of fun fires. venison, for example, pushed too hard with its accompanying plum and spiced red wine. The best example of King's molecular teasing is a chocolate, honeycomb and mandarin sphere with a delicious trail of cardamom and saffron pellets.