The Burlington Bar & Dining

As Sydney dining sets out on new culinary crusades, sometimes we forget the solid neighbourhood stalwarts. This smart, casual bistro is hardly new wave but borrows the best techniques and combinations from Europe and wraps them up with an appealing Aussie sensibility. In a long, segregated space of white, black and olive tones, service can be a bit inconsistent, but it's hard to argue with a room full of happy faces. Seared scallops are joined by braised oxtail tossed with quinoa, a soy and ginger dressing strewn across the plate; while wild mushroom and parmesan risotto, sporting just a whiff of truffle oil, reaps the rewards of time and effort. Robust slow-cooked lamb shoulder is gorgeous in its rich tomato chilindron (Spanish pepper) sauce, but a grass-fed sirloin was a tad off the mark, its puddling jus overwhelming speck roesti on the side. White chocolate mousse makes banoffee pie much more (read richer) than the sum of its parts.