Where to eat in Sydney on Valentine's Day 2017
Nothing says 'I love you' less than chewy steak and burnt potatoes. Leave it to the pros this Valentine's Day and treat your sweetheart to a slap-up meal. Here's what's happening on February 14 in Sydney.
Aria
This is a grown-up restaurant, for grown-up people with grown-up wallets that can foot the bill. But a date here means you get to do grown-up things when you get home. The view is spectacular and the five-course menu is anything but basic. Among other things, there will be kingfish sashimi with fermented chilli and kombu, smoked duck with beetroot, plum and star anise, and a sumptuous chocolate and cherry bomb for dessert.
Price: $295 per person for five courses including glass of champagne on arrival.
1 Macquarie Street, Sydney, (02) 9240 2255, ariarestaurant.com
Pizzaperta
After more of a casual fling? Pizzaperta is worth a visit. For less than a pineapple you and your date can enjoy a glass of bubbles and a heart-shaped margherita pizza, followed by a Nutella bombolone. The wallet-friendly V-Day special means you'll have plenty of cash left over for cocktails. And the bar is conveniently located outside Star Casino, in case you need to get a room.
Price: $30 per couple including glass of bubbles on arrival.
Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont, 1800 700 700, star.com.au
Intermezzo Ristorante
Is a romantic getaway to Italy out of the question? When combined with sufficient amounts of wine, the alfresco seating and tall colonnades at Intermezzo will give the illusion that you've touched down in Rome. The kitchen will be turning out a roster of Italian classics including eggplant parmigiana, house-made pasta, seafood and tiramisu. For an additional fee, you can arrange to have a long-stemmed red rose ($35), a box of four chocolate truffles ($12) or a bottle of non-vintage Gosset Champagne ($129) delivered to your table by a suit-clad butler.
Price: $70 per person for two courses or $85 per person for three courses.
1 Martin Place, Sydney, 02 9229 7788, gpogrand.com
Cafe Sydney
In addition to its handsome harbour views, Cafe Sydney has a five-course menu on offer this Valentine's Day. You could try the beef carpaccio with truffle dressing to start, or raw kingfish with a smattering of golden trout roe. For mains there will be dutch cream potato gnocchi with buffalo mozzarella and cherry tomatoes or suckling pork belly with morcilla sausage. If the set menu doesn't suffice, you can shell-out for some shellfish additions, including seductive oysters or Moreton Bay bugs.
Price: $240 per person for five courses plus glass of champagne on arrival.
Level 5, Customs House, 31 Alfred Street, Circular Quay, 02 9251 8683, cafesydney.com
Coogee Pavilion
With champagne specials, speed dating and kissing booths, Coogee Rooftop is the place for singles to mingle this Valentine's Day. The a la carte menu will be available with offerings such as oysters, fish and chips, sashimi and wood-fired pizza. Or if you strongly feel that ''eating is cheating'', your money could be better spent buying drinks. Play your cards right, and there's a solid chance you won't be going home alone.
Price: a la carte menu available.
169 Dolphin Street, Coogee, 02 9240 3000, merivale.com.au
Chiswick
Does your partner profess an interest in where their food comes from? If so, this farm-to-table restaurant is worth a visit. Much of the produce is plucked directly from the well-groomed Chiswick Gardens out back. You can expect a glass of non-vintage Taittinger Prestige Rosé on arrival and a selection of starters including crudites, stracciatella with pickled green tomatoes and king salmon tartare. There's a choice between barramundi or roast chicken for mains before rounding out the meal with black fig and vanilla pavlova.
Price: $95 per person including glass of champagne on arrival.
65 Ocean Street, Woollahra, 02 8388 8688, chiswickrestaurant.com.au
Banksii
Sharing is caring, and it's at the centre of the Banksii crew's Valentine's special. The vermouth bar and bistro will be dishing up an eight-course, share-style menu with options such as sticky beef short rib, seared snapper fillet or roasted chicken. The signature trifle will be offered for dessert, flavoured with vermouth, burnt vanilla custard and rosella jelly.
Price: $140 per person for eight courses including glass of champagne on arrival.
33 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo South, 02 8072 7037, banksii.sydney
Does your lover like the finer things in life? Seduce them with sparkling city views and a sophisticated setting at Black Bar & Grill. The swish eatery will be offering a degustation of caviar, spanner crab remoulade and saikou salmon gnocchi, followed by strip-loin wagyu oxtail with watercress salad. For dessert, the warm couverture chocolate ganache, raspberry and mint ice-cream will be hard to resist.
Price: $175 per person for five courses.
Level g, The Star, 80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont, 1800 700 700, star.com.au
Flying Fish
If you want to show off with killer views, Flying Fish is positioned at the end of a wharf and offers a panoramic backdrop of Sydney harbour (including the bridge) through huge glass windows. The seafood-focused menu includes options such as john dory with lobster tail, chicken yuzu butter and warrigal greens, or torched Balmain bug with whipped cod roe, apple and walnuts. End on a sweet note with your choice of dark chocolate, hazelnut, popcorn and coffee; or goat's cheesecake with violets, blueberry and almond.
Price: $180 per person for three courses.
Lower Deck, Jones Bay Wharf, 21 Pirrama Road, Pyrmont, 02 9518 6677, flyingfish.com.au
Efendy
It's comfort food, Turkish style. Tuck into a three-course traditional meal, including a mezze plate to share before moving onto a charcoal grill board for couples featuring beef and pistachio kofte, lamb shoulder, and grilled spicy sujuk sausage. The night will be summed up with a special Valentine's Day dessert that will melt your heart. It's reasonably priced and comes with a food-coma guarantee.
Price: $72 per person for three courses.
79 Elliott Street, Balmain, 02 9810 5466, efendy.com.au
Bistro Guillaume
The story goes that the French invented love, so a night out at a deluxe bistro is worth a pilgrimage to the top end of town. You can expect slick French service, a vast wine list and a five-course set-menu on the night. The team will be serving regional delicacies such as lobster salad, patagonian toothfish, foie gras, macarons, and, of course, champagne.
Price: $150 per person for five courses including glass of champagne on arrival.
259 George Street, Sydney, 02 86229555, bistroguillaumesydney.com.au
Q Dining
It could skate by on its harbour views alone, but Q Dining is pulling out the big guns on February 14 with a stimulating Valentine's menu. Nothing says love like oysters, chocolate and bubbles. All three will feature on the night, alongside king crab with pink grapefruit, duck breast with corn custard, and main course of lamb rack with ricotta and peas. If you want to kick on after dinner, the cocktails are well-mixed and fruity at hotel bar Hacienda.
Price: $110 per person for five courses including glass of sparkling on arrival.
61 Macquarie Street, Sydney, 02 9256 4040, pullmanquaygrandsydneyharbour.com
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