Top 40 Bars & Restaurants Sydney by Jamal Amin

ONE The Beresford

Iimposing nspite

garden, a large, calming oasis that is heavy on the foliage, extremely low-lit by strings of paper lanterns.

of the Beresford’s facelift drinking here doesn’t have to break the bank. There is a happy hour 5-7pm, seven days, to help stretch your hardearned dollars a little further, with house wine, spirits and pints of local beer all for a fiver. They have a sizable wine list, a quarter of which are available by the glass, or for something summery the signature cocktail list is big on fresh fruit. Order the forever young – Sagatiba Pura Cachaca, kiwi, pink grapefruit, basil and St Germain – and get a hit of vitamins along with your buzz.

Address: 354 Bourke St,Darlinghurst 2010 Telephone 02 9357 1111 Price per person including drinks $51 to $100 Open Mon-Sun 12 noon-1am

For a sit-down dinner the trattoria does simple Italian fare with a few pub classics thrown in for good measure. There is a live music venue upstairs that hosts indie rock and electro gigs on weekends, but the real treasure at this Surry Hills staple is the beer

TWO 121 BC

Y ou’ve been to Vini. You’ve been to Berta. And now, here’s 121 BC - the

Sardinia and Basilicata - it’s all there. Plenty of it’s weird – wines that are biodynamic and preservative-free, not much time on skin, plenty of flavour and depth of character – and we are loving it. And if you’re after a bottle of something you can’t see on the list, head to the bottle shop next door and choose something off the shelves - it’s $15 corkage, but what you lose in pocket change you make up for in deliciousness.

newest member of the family. A couple of issues ago, we wrote about the 121 BC bottle shop, filled with vinuous treasure from every region of Italy. You might recall us having a little liquor crush on gregarious store manager Giorgio De Maria. Well, he’s now running the wine bar, attached Voltron-style to the bottle-o. And the only downside to this completely enchanting bar is that there’s only one Giorgio to go round. If you want a seat, get there early. From around 7pm onwards, 121 BC gets an absolute workout and once it’s full, it’s full - there’s a certain amount of settling in that goes on here. And you want to know why? Let’s start with the value: most of the wines are around $8 a glass, some at $6 and very few above $10. The by-the-glass gear runs the gamut, from Friuli to Abbruzzo,

Address: Shop 4,50 Holt St,Surry Hills 2010 Telephone :02 9699 1582 Price per person including drinks Up to $50 Open Bar Tue-Thu 5-11pm; Fri-Sat 5pm-12 midnight;

Three Stitch Bar

Tparadise, his dark little bar is a hooch-lover’s where plush booths line one

squeezed beetroot and ginger juice, gin, Punt e Mes and sweet vermouth finished with a little ginger beer, like a boozy health drink. Just don’t ask for three. Y’know, because of what happens in the movie. We’ll talk music for second if we may. At Stitch, it’s the music you always hope to hear in a bar but never do outside of Louisiana. Swampy blues, jazz... all the speakeasy-style sounds that make you want to order more bourbon and smoke indoors.

wall and seats at the bar are so hotly contested we actually have to resort to menacing a wine-drinking couple with our eyes until they finally get the message and leave. It’s survival of the fittest here. And once you’ve visited the bar you’ll know why. In fact, the Indigo Mood may just sum up why we love this place so much: it’s a rocks glass filled with anejo tequila, washed with a generous lick of Amaro Montenegro (a bittersweet digestif) over ice. The cocktail list is a mix of bartender favourites (Old Fashioned; Sazerac; Manhattan), a few fruity numbers and some clever party drinks like the Monkey Magic - cachaca, fresh apple juice, vanilla syrup, lime juice and a ginger beer float. If you’re having a little dusty moment, or you don’t want to enter the evening on a belly of tequila consider the Beetlejuice. They say it’s “surprisingly refreshing!” on the menu, and we have to agree. A mix of fresh-

Stitch is already hella busy. You won’t get a seat after 7.30pm and forget Friday nights unless you can get there by six. But make the effort to haul in before the crowds, claim a seat and feel the fear of being menaced by Time Out staffers for staying too long at the bar. Address: Basement Lvl,61 York St,Sydney 2000 Price per person including drinks Up to $50 Open Mon-Fri 12 noon-late; Sat 4pm-2am.

FOUR Kit & Kaboodle

Landookyou’llupstairs from the Sugarmill find Kit and Kaboodle.

Spanning two levels and a staircase (the art on the walls just about makes the staircase a destination in itself), this Kings Cross hotspot boasts some well-decent bartenders who can knock together just about any drink that takes your fancy. Or you could try one of their signature cocktails like a Pinky Swear – vodka, crème de peche, homemade rose syrup, pink grapefruit and lemon.

DJs till late, you’d be tempted to get a part-time bar job simply to partake in the Sunday night shenanigans.

Address: 33-37 Darlinghurst Rd,Kings Cross 2011 Telephone : 02 9368 0300 Price per person including drinks $51 to $100 Open Wed-Sun 8pm-late

Food is available ‘from dusk till dawn’ – pretty basic but it does the trick of refueling you for the dance floor. Sundays offer one of the best hospitality industry nights the city has to offer, but then, if you were in the industry you’d already know that wouldn’t you? With everything on the back bar only $5 a pop and

FIVE Shady Pines Saloon

W hen you enter this new Surry Hills bar, they’re pretty much the first

here that Shady Pines reveals its true colours. You can have a can of the sessionable Coopers Malt fresh from the ice bucket behind the bar with some bottom-shelf basics on one hand, but you can also trade up with a Rosita, a crisp, artisanmade Spanish blond beer, and on the other, something along the lines of a measure of Eagle Rare, just one of the fine bourbons and ryes on pour. If you take the latter option, be prepared to pay for it - some of the whiskeys are priced north of $15 a shot - but the value is sound. Owners Anton Forte and Jason Scott are both ace Sydney bartenders in their own right and know their booze. You might’ve seen Forte behind the bar at Lotus while Scott was last seen at the likes of Victoria Room and Libertine.

words you expect to hear, right out of the mouth of Deadwood’s toughtalkin’ publican Al Swearengen. Okay, so they’re not so big with the random stabbings and teenage whores here, but squint and you could be standing at The Gem. A longhorn steer head takes up almost an entire wall, while taxidermied deer and foxes gambol like graceful woodland creatures around the shelves and AC ducts. Three carved wooden American Indians stand sentry around the room along with sepia photographs of moustachioed publicans staring down from up high. Round tables are bundled together around the room - ready for games of poker, unlit cigar chewin’, deals made with spit and a handshake and, of course, some good old fashioned drinkin’. You’ll want to start with a set-up that’s a whiskey with a beer back. It’s

Address: Shop 4, 256 Crown St,Darlinghurst 2010 Price per person including drinks Up to $50 Open Mon-Sun 4pm-12 midnight

Six The Dock

W ith its peeling paint, dim lighting, comfy reclaimed furniture and

chalked-up list of original, cheeky drinks on the blackboard, the Dock suits the Redfern Street location down to a tee. It’s refreshingly unpretentious and awesomely authentic. You can sit yourself on a vintage chair in the window while cradling a frothy Skittlebrow - a glass of Carter Lager poured on top of a handful of Skittles - and wonder why the hell no one ever thought of mixing American candy and a cold one before. With every sip the flavour of the skittles intensifies until you reach the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow: ice-cold Skittles washed white for a post-beer sugary snack. Accompanying their swag of trickedup beer cocktails is a list of wellmade old favourites. Whisky and Amaretto Sours are there, as is a potent Old Fashioned. The shots on offer are playful and fun and smack

of first-year uni, when Fluffy Ducks were the height of sophistication. The Jam Doughnut is a layered short glass of Chambord and Baileys with a strawberry sugar rim and nearly tops the real thing, while the Flaming Moe (sing it with us: “at Flaming Moe’s/ Where liquor in a mug/Can warm you like a hug”) arrives as a fire-topped concoction of absinthe and a dark ‘secret ingredient.’ If you’re serious about liver assassination and all-round hard drinking, get yourself into a short glass of Toni’s Rocketfuel: a mix of Jack Daniels, absinthe and Jägermeister topped with Mother energy drink and a pop-rock chaser. Boom. At the moment there’s only popcorn to accompany your drinks, but that may change in the future. In the meantime head to the Dock for a round of hearty tongue-in-cheek boozing. Address:182 Redfern St,Redfern 2016 Open Mon-Sun 5pm-late

lunch) and beat the crowds. It’s also a brilliant time to visit a bar as you get the full attention of the bar staff. Not to mention the opportunity to take full advantage of the outdoor area without the crush. Either way, it’s hunky dory.

the restaurant downstairs (Bruno’s); the well-stocked middle bar complete with two enormous stuffed peacocks taking pride of place over the counter; and the upstairs, which is mainly a giant balcony with a small indoor bar jutting off to the side. The menu, presented inside a Little Golden Book (ours is Lady and the Tramp), is all about riffing on the classics. The Mrs Millers Martinez (the Martinez is basically a very wet Martini, made with sweet vermouth) is tarted up with cherry and pear. The bar’s take on a White Lady is the Killer White Lady with the addition of orange blossom and Mozart Dry – a chocolate spirit – to a crisp mix of gin, lemon juice and Cointreau. The bar opens its doors at noon, which means you can get in nice and early for a Sunday session (or even a cheeky weekday

Address: 215 Oxford Street,Darlinghurst 2010 Telephone: 02 9331 0442 Price per person including drinks Up to $50 Open Tue-Sun 12 noon-12 midnight

Seven Hunky Dory

H unky Dory Social Club is a lot bigger than you’d surmise. There’s

eight The Fringe Bar

Tgreathe Fringe Bar is all about fun and value. The eclectic interior of

exposed brick walls, bordello-chic velvet curtains, black & white photos and mirrors attracts an equally mixed clientele, from the after-work crowd to wayward shoppers and blow-ins from further down Oxford Street.

Entertainment is comprehensive, with live acts, headline DJs, trivia, karaoke and its flagship Monday Night Comedy line up, which is one of Sydney’s favourite (and longest running) comedy nights.

Address:106 Oxford St,Paddington 2021 Telephone 02 9360 5443 Price per person including drinks Up to $50 Open Sun-Tue 12pm-12am; Wed-Sat 12pm-3am

The Fringe plays like an adult multipurpose venue, mixing it up each night of the week with something sure to float your boat. The menu offers $10 steaks every night, along with burgers, salads and chicken schnitty throughout the week, all for a mere tenner. All the usual suspects are available on tap here, but try a cocktail. The list is split into popular classics such as the Caprioska, Fringe specials ($4 drinks from 5-7pm every night) and cocktails to share (or not, if you’re really thirsty). Oh, and if you want to get your nerd on, there’s free wi-fi.

Pina Colada, ‘cos who doesn’t love them, or being caught in the rain?

one of the go-to venues in the Cross. Opening in time for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, it added Hugos Bar Pizza downstairs three years later.

Address: 33 Bayswater Rd,KingsCross 2011 Telephone 02 9332 1227 Price per person including drinks $101+ Open Tue-Sat 5pm-late; Sun 3pm-late

Today, you will see hundreds queuing up along Bayswater Road on a Saturday night just to see what all the fuss is about. And just what is all that fuss about? Well, it depends on your vibe. Upstairs, grab a mixed drink and dance the night away to some seriously top DJs. Or try to find a seat amongst the heaving crowds to enjoy a Banana Mai Tai from their latest cocktail list. A Cheer Up Charlie – gin, sloe gin, lime juice, marmalade and prosecco – would put a smile on anyone’s dial. As would a

nine Hugos Bar

R ecently turning ten, Hugos Lounge has earned itself a name as

Ten The Victoria Room

Tcocktail he Victoria Room is a serious bar with serious cocktails.

Yes, it’s easy enough to take along your girlfriends (or flamboyant boyfriends), grab a lounge and spend the evening bitching over a round of Vodka Things (bisongrass vodka, cassis, lemon and apple juice), but the bar is also home to some serious bartending talent.

Getting your nerd on has never been so easy.Specially with the Fringe bar .

Address: 229 Darlinghurst Rd Darlinghurst 2010 Telephone 02 9357 2470 Price per person including drinks Up to $50 Open Mon-Sat 6pm-1am; Sun 6pm-12 midnight

The room’s always been a drawcard, with its lush lounges, beaded curtains and ferns as far as the eye can see. It’s like a colonial Indian palace all that’s missing is the elephant. They’ll whip you up a Trinidad Sour (a masterpiece cocktail of rye hammered with a full jigger of bitters – not for the faint of mouth) as fast as a Pina Colada (in its very own coconut!) and are happy to chat about barrel-aged cocktails and rare bitters to your heart’s content.

But if you’re here, you’re here to have a good time drinking great drinks.

Why? If you have to ask, you’ll need to visit. Eau de Vie is hidden in the back of the Kirketon Hotel.

Address: 229 Darlinghurst Rd Darlinghurst 2010 Telephone 02 9357 2470 Price per person including drinks Up to $50 Open Mon-Sat 6pm-1am; Sun 6pm-12 midnight

The cocktail bar is staffed by a team who are as much about having a good time as they are making you the best damned cocktails you’re likely to drink in Sydney. The range of booze is mind blowing, and owner Sven Almenning is also in possession of the greatest collection of antique cocktail accessories in the country. You can spend some serious dough here - bottle service means you have access to your own private hooch locker if you’re lucky enough to be part of the club - while a round of drinks for you and your friends will probably set you back a cool hundred.

eleven Eau De Ve

Tonehisof tiny speakeasy-style bar is Sydney’s best cocktail bars.

twelve The Bank Hotel

Tupmarket he Bank Hotel is one of the more late-night haunts on

King Street. The interior is a sleek combination of marble, dark wood and lofty ceilings and this, combined its proximity to Newtown Station, makes it a popular spot for afterwork drinks. It’s a spacious hotel with multiple bars to choose from.

amaretto, malibu, kahlua and vanilla vodka – hello sugar rush! Downstairs you’ll find the Garden bar as well as Sumalee Thai - not the cheapest Thai food to be had in Newtown but, served in a lovely open-air courtyard, it is some of the most picturesque. The Bank Hotel is a good spot to start your night and with a 24-hour licence, it’s not a bad place to end it either.

The public bar has an good range of domestic, boutique and imported beers on tap and Thai style fried bar snacks for a quick bite, but if you’re settling in for a few hours then head out the back for cocktails on the terrace.

Address: 324 King St,Newtown 2042 Telephone 02 8568 1900 Price per person including drinks Up to $50 Open Mon-Sun 10am-late

A jug of Pims and lemonade will set you back $16 and is the perfect afternoon companion – not too sweet, not too strong, with a refreshing bite from the ginger ale. To help kick off the weekend in fine form there are $6 Money Shots, or a Cuban martini that boasts

with a chilled pinot grigio, wiling away a lazy afternoon or savouring the evening bustle of Sydneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CBD.

was one of the first to embrace the small bar revolution and continues to excel with their own brand of sophistication for service, food and great drinks.

Address: 185 Elizabeth St,Sydney 2000 Telephone 02 9283 7098 Price per person including drinks $51 to $100 Open Restaurant Mon-Fri 7-11am, 12 noon-3pm & 5.30-10pm; Sat 5.30pm-10pm; wine room MonFri 12 noon-3pm & 5.30-10pm; Sat 5.30pm-12 midnight

Bambiniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coveted outdoor tables belie the marble and finery that this popular wine bar offers inside. Here, cosy nooks are perfect for couples looking for intimacy, accompanied by a Blushing Rose or an icebreaker Negroni supplied by the savvy bartenders and wait staff. Daytime brings the suited-up executives who enjoy brisk-yet-finetuned service and a wine list that straddles classics from Chianti to Coonawarra. The wine is the focus but antipasti or a plate of crisp calamari are perfect foils for the raft of food-friendly Italian wines on the extensive by-the-glass list. Bambini

thirteen Bambini Wine Room

Tperched here are worse places to be than out the front of Bambini

fourteen The Winery

Tsprawling he Winery by Gazebo is a rambling, irreverent homage to

you’ll scarcely wonder that the bacchanal around you is in full swing.

wine, consumed loudly without a care in the world. And it’s growing. Wine barrels and garden furniture now fill the once-empty forecourt. Don’t swan in here expecting to see Surry Hills hipsters in vintage Wayfarers. This is where the shiny people come to celebrate life.

Address: 285a Crown St,Surry Hills 2010 Telephone 02 9331 0833 Price per person including drinks $51 to $100 Open Mon-Sun 12 noon-12 midnight

More than 50 well-priced wines by the glass is certainly cause for that. This is wine for the masses with a savvy twist thanks to the switched-on staff. Sure, there’s the usual sauv blanc, but it’s lost in a great collection of malbecs, moscatels, gruners, gamays and more all confidently explained by the bar and floor staff. Add to this ciders and premium beers, classic cocktails and the recent addition of jugs of white, rosé or red sangria, and

with pokies. It’s hosted thousands of live acts from and cemented itself as one of the vibrant bastions of Sydney’s rock scene. The main room is large enough to draw a sizeable crowd, yet still fairly intimate. A long bar runs down one side, and the standard fare is on offer to quench your rock at a price that won’t hurt your chances for a band T-shirt. If you want quicker service while the main act is on, nick around to the parlour bar and stop to check out their collection of live gig photography, or spend some pennies on the arcade machines if they’re not blocked by a merch desk. During the day the main hotel is somewhat seedy (and closed). However, those in need of afternoon relief should stop by their beer garden/Asian restaurant. The open-air section

makes it a perfect spot if the day is nice, particularly on weekends when you can remedy last night’s madness with some delicious Pub Cha that will stuff you and a friend silly for around $40.white, rosé or red sangria, and

Address: 17 Parramatta Rd, Annandale 2038 Telephone 02 9550 1078 Price per person including drinks Up to $50 Open Mon-Sun 6pm-late

Fifteen The Annandale Hotel

Tfought, his long-toothed legend has lost, won and compromised

sixteen Vice Wine Bar

W hile Balmainians a sneaky schooner

partial to have long been catered to by the 20-odd watering holes on the beer-friendly peninsula, resident oenophiles have been somewhat neglected. But changes are afoot, heralded by the opening of Vice Wine Bar on the main drag in March. Bypass the ground floor and head straight up the stairs to the perfect winter hideaway where you can flop onto one of the cushy Chesterfield sofas and indulge in a glass or three. The wine list is almost exclusively Australian, with a lonely NZ sauvignon blanc and a Champagne the sole international representatives.

mains. If there are a few of you then go for the charcuterie plate, which includes an excellent pâté and some of the most crisp and delicious pickled vegetables we have ever come across. Not up for sharing? Then the pork belly with white bean and chorizo makes for some very classy comfort food. Cap off a dignified evening with the baked chocolate custard with fig and almond praline but beware – its thick shards of toffee are not for the faint of heart. Rug up and head to Vice for a quiet drink with a touch of class and not a big screen to be seen.

Address: 350 Darling St ,Balmain 2041 Telephone 02 8068 2441 Price per person including drinks Up to $50 Open Tue-Sat 1-11pm; Sun 11am-10pm

There are a handful of varieties by the glass, or if you are in no great hurry, a well considered selection by the bottle. To accompany the wines there’s a food menu that ranges from tasty bar snacks to more hearty

are puffy. The lasses with the serving trays (there’s no bar service at Hemmesphere) are comely.

Sushi e hand rolls are on earlier in the evening, and then from 10.30pm there are Black Star pastries for supper. If that’s not moving with the times, we don’t know what is.

The suited punters rolling through from the lift are often still wearing their name tags from whatever convention they’ve been at that day. There’s no lack of suited men flying solo. Cocktails, like the Tommy’s Margarita, are showy, but a bit of fun if you’re out to impress. Here, instead of a balanced amount of agave syrup in the drink, there’s a rock-hard agave sorbet that you’re meant to eat as you drink. We end up tipping it into the cocktail instead.

Address: Establishment Hotel, Level 4, 252 George St Sydney 2000 Telephone 02 9240 3040 Price per person including drinks $101+ Open Mon-Thu 5:30-late; Fri 3pm-late; Sat 6pm-late

A Heaven’s Hell - rye, sweet vermouth, yellow chartreuse and black tea syrup - is set afire at the table. The snacks menu is cool:

seventeen Hemmesphere

IThet’s like time stood still in 2002 here. music is chilled. The Ottomans

eighteen Zeta Bar

Z eta is all business. Service is a matter of handing your cash over

for the cocktails ($38.60 for an Earl Grey Martini and a Casino ouch) and receiving your drink. Don’t think about hoping for more on 7pm on a Thursday night: the bar rolls two to three deep. If you want special service, come early in the week, and early in the evening. The four bartenders working the bar are all kept very busy as they pump out cocktails off head bartender Grant Collins’ long and loopy list. It’s an impressive bar, packed with every expression of gin you could hope to see as well as a high falutin’ Champagne list.

every time you order a Screwdriver. A little less speed and a little more care behind the bar would go a long way.

Address: Hilton Hotel, Level 4, 488 George St,Sydney 2000 Telephone 02 9266 2000 Price per person including drinks $101+ Open Mon-Sat 5pm-late

And while we’re not nancies and don’t mind wearing the odd spilled Martini while waiting at the bar, and have dribbled more schooners down our fronts than we’d care to mention, you shouldn’t have to wear a mackintosh

nothing else like Ivy in Sydney. Justin Hemmes’ multi- level venue holds countless bars and restaurants and a ballroom, with cool music piped through the entire complex. No wonder there are lines snaking down George Street Thursday to Saturday. Hell, there’s even a swimming pool on the roof complete with lifeguard and cabanas. Yup, it’s a behemoth of beauty.

area is themed differently. Visit the Lounge Bar marble-topped tables, dark polished wood and porcelain elephants could have you thinking you’d stumbled into some colonial raj’s bachelor pad. It’s a table service affair here and the model-slash-bar staff are more than happy to wait on you hand and foot. Spirit selections run into the mind-boggling, and the wine list is world-class. Cocktailwise, the Blood and Sand is worth a nudge if you’re a fan of the classics. No matter your poison, Ivy’s got it.

Every space bursts with life, from the massive trees growing in the roofless courtyard to the ivy being trained up the walls by the personal gardener.

Address: 330 George Street,Sydney 2000 Telephone 02 9240 3000

If you can be arsed with lining up, getting checked off lists by the door girls and generally leaping through hoops to actually get in, Ivy assures you a mega time. It’s kooky, it’s beautifully designed and every

nineteen Ivy Pool Bar

A little bit like London’s Shoreditch House, a little bit Miami, there’s truly

twenty Black Bar

B lack Bar is the answer. And a fine answer it is, too. We know you’ve had

rim on the rocks, you may also get a not-quite-cold-enough Dark Horse - a stir-up of tequila and Lagavulin whisky - or gin Sour that tastes more like a passionfruit soufflé. (Banning passionfruit from bars will be our first act as director of the universe.) It’s a bit of a coin toss. But there’s plenty on the list to choose from.

more Mad Men references rammed down your throat over the past couple of years than you can stand when it comes to talking classic bars, so we won’t bother. Instead, we’ll use Boardwalk Empire. The haircuts, the shirt stays, the dark opulence. It’s got the look of a 1920s hotel bar, only with booze on proud display. There are a few seats at the bar, but those are more for when you want to nerd off with/chat up the bartenders they’re not really intended for groups. Bartender Michael Chiem, formerly of Neutral Bay cocktail bar White Hart, is not only barrel-aging his own cocktails but is decked out in suspenders, a razorsharp slicked-back undercut and crisp white shirt - the whole kit. There’s hand-chipped ice (standard now in good cocktail bars) and while on one hand you might get an ice-cold Tommy’s Margarita with a half salt

Shaken and served in a balloon glass, it’s what you’d call a goodtimes drink of jenever, Jamaican rum, yellow chartreuse, Cointreau, water, Angostura bitters, all shaken with an egg white. It’s very refreshing. And then there’s the Vieux Carre - this reporter’s second favourite drink right now - of rye, Cognac, sweet vermouth, Benedictine, Peychaud’s .

Address :The Star,Pirrama Rd,Pyrmont 2009 Telephone 1800 700 700 Price per person including drinks up to $100.00 Open Lunch Fri 12 noon-3pm; Dinner Tue-Sun 5.30-11pm

twenty ONE Aria

A ria Restaurant is situated on the very edge of Sydney Harbour. It is co-

attracting a broad clientele from local and interstate corporate business to international visitors, an A-list history of stars and of course Sydney’s gourmets. Interior design by Tzannes Associates with subtle lighting and a spectacular backdrop creates an intimate dining room of warmth and elegance. A restaurant that is sophisticated yet maintains a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. ARIA currently holds two coveted Chef’s Hats and was awarded the, ‘Diner’s Choice’ award by the readers at the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2012 Awards

owned and operated by Matt Moran and Peter Sullivan. ARIA provides a dining experience that encapsulates Sydney lifestyle, offering panoramic views of Sydney Harbour, the freshest Australian produce in an innovative and contemporary menu, an extensive award-winning wine list with seamless, friendly and highly efficient service. ARIA first opened its doors in 1999 and has continued to build upon its highly regarded reputation both locally and internationally. ARIA offers diners an exclusive and intimate environment that is complemented by ARIA’s sweeping views of Sydney’s famous Harbour Bridge, Opera House and the bustle of busy Circular Quay. Today, the restaurant is continuing to expand on its already winning formula - adding a repertoire of unique and special events that are

Address: 1 Macquarie St, East Circular Quay 2000 Telephone 02 9252 2555 Lunch: Mon-Fri 12 noon-2.30pm, Pre-theatre: Mon-Fri 5.30-7pm; Sat 5pm-7pm, Dinner: Mon-Sat 5.30pm-11.30pm; Sun 6pm-10.30pm. Supper: Mon-Sat 10pm-11.30pm

Chef of the Year in The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide. Along with our award-winning restaurant, Quay hosts some of Australia’s most exclusive private functions. Every event hosted by Quay not only enjoys our world-class cuisine, but is surrounded by the iconic maritime panorama of the world’s most stunning harbour city.

most spectacular views, sweeping from the Opera House to the Harbour Bridge. The food created by chef Peter Gilmore is equally awe-inspiring. Peter’s use of texture and his exploration of nature’s diversity are key elements to his continually evolving original style. In 2011 Quay was voted Number 26 on the coveted S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurant’s list, to become the highest ranked Australian restaurant and named The Best Restaurant in Australasia. Quay has long been one of Australia’s most awarded restaurants, and has held the coveted 3 hat & 3 star rating in The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide & Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide for 10 consecutive years. In 2012 Peter Gilmore was awarded

Address: Overseas Passenger Terminal 110 Circular Quay West Circular Quay 2000 Telephone: 02 9252 3400

twenty two The Quay

S ituated in the dress circle of the harbour, Quay has some of Sydney’s

twenty three Honeycomb

Isince f you’ve been missing Andy Bunn he left Café Sopra, wring out

you hankies, ‘cos he’s got a brand new place of his own. The food is signature Bunn - great produce treated with integrity. There’s not as much on the veggo front as there was at Sopra, but we’re guessing this is because Bunn no longer works above a fruit and veg shop. Highlighting daily produce specials probably isn’t quite so high on the agenda. Don’t be fooled by the three-course setup of the menu. There’s no need to follow a strict diet of entrée, main and dessert. And if you’re a card-carrying carrot fancier, you’ll be finding yourself hoeing into a lot of the side dishes and entrees. But it turns out that’s no bad thing, as the meal ends up becoming a big Italian-style feast.

such as the thin shreds of baby cabbage with reggiano and balsamic and a special of banoffee pie. A salad of sauteed oyster mushrooms and witlof is a rich, sweet, gooey mess of caramelised bitter greens and meaty mushrooms. There’s little orbs of bocconcini with thumbsized tomatoes and baby basil and a classic American-style chopped cos salad complete with salad cream and, if you’re feeling super flash, there’s the simply titled ‘avocado’. Yep, it’s an $8 avocado, but a very good one, if that’s any consolation.

Address: 354 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst 2010 Telephone : 02 9331 3387 Price per person including drinks up to $100.00 Open Tue-Fri 10am-3pm; Dinner 6pm - 9pm; Sat - Sun 9am - 3pm; Dinner Sat 6pm - 10pm

You might notice a few dishes that’ve crossed over from the Sopra menus

a month than once a year. And yet Neild is unlike anything else Terzini nay, Sydney - has done before. An old tyre factory has been transformed into something resembling a halffinished movie set where two large, unfinished wood house frames are covered with canvases illustrated by Sydney artist Anthony Lister (see the example of his work pictured above). The houses are raised and lowered using a block-and-tackle. It’s a strange, complicated way to fill a room and create a sort-of intimacy. But Maurice Terzini is strange and complicated. And when you’re talking about a restaurateur with as close to a perfect success rate as you’ll find in Australia, you know there’s probably method in the madness.

famous and blonde, Icebergs and North Bondi Italian Food, as well as Melbourne’s Giuseppe, Arnaldo and Sons (GAS). Terzini is not a man afraid to get his hands dirty. Just watch him work the room on a typical night in his new restaurant, Neild Avenue, in Rushcutters Bay: one minute he’s air-kissing models, the next he’s clearing plates. It’s like the man was genetically engineered to open restaurants. He never sits still. Ever. He’s like a hummingbird: an Italian hummingbird with a shaved head, a penchant for drop-pants, and an unerring sense of restaurant-craft. Neild Avenue is more like North Bondi or GAS than the ’bergs in that it’s a huge, open space and the modMediterranean menu is pitched in a style and price point where you could actually eat there more than once

Address: 10 Neild Avenue,Rushcutters Bay2011 Telephone: 02 83534400 Price per person including drinks up to $100.00 Open Restaurant: Mon-Sun 6pm-late; lunch Fri-Sun 12 noon-3pm. Bar: Mon-Thu 6pm-12 midnight; Fri-Sun 12 noon-12 midnight

twenty four Neild Avenue

M aurice Terzini is the man behind Sydney restaurants to the rich,

twenty five Monkey Magic

B oasting chilled beats, dark wood, and Japanese food, this new addition

has tongues wagging. Some people are calling it the Japanese Longrain (nice all-wood fit out including a strange mini-forest at the entrance downstairs, an open kitchen, big tables, a separate cocktail bar and lots of friendly waitstaff) but really, it’s more like another Toko (Japanese fusion with cocktails). Monkey Magic offers a tasting menu for $55pp which makes it easier (and cheaper) if you’re not blessed with the power to choose from the a la carte menu. The kitchen has made some interesting choices. The ‘crispy pork cup’ isn’t quite what we’re expecting – we’re thinking a lettuce leaf filled with tasty crisp little pork bits. Rather, it’s a lettuce cup filled with slightly bitter powdery pork. There’s some sort of sweet tomato sauce under

each pile of pork that doesn’t quite work, either. We leave it to move on to the salt and pepper cuttlefish, which fares a little better – nicely presented and lightly fried. There’s also grilled tuna on spaetzle (a type of eastern European noodle dumpling). The tuna is cooked all the way through – a shame really, because it’s perfectly seasoned. Pork belly with pumpkin puree manages to be underseasoned and sweet at the same time. The nigiri plate turns up all the regulars (kingfish, tuna, salmon) but the sushi rice (gasp!) falls apart when my dining companion picks it up. Not good. Have you heard about Monkey Magic’s mid-week special? Dine and drink Monday to Thursday and get 20 percent off your bill. Address: Shop 3, 410 Crown St, Surry Hills 2010 Telephone 02 9358 4444 Price per person including drinks $51 to $100 Open Tue-Sat 6pm-late

twenty six Porteno

W ant a side of fun with that steak? Porteño is for you. Smoke;

meat; salt; fire; beers; rock’n’roll and a tonne of Brylcreem all mingle in pursuit of the ultimate good time. And who better to deliver than the dudes behind Bodega? In the kitchen, co-chefs/best mates Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz work the grills, so quoiffed and tattooed they look like they’ve just stepped out of an especially stylish 1950s prison kitchen. Maitre d’ Sarah Doyle runs the floor in platinum pin curls. Sommelier/coowner Joe Valore could easily take you for a spin around the dance floor while pouring you a glass of wine. They all want you to have a blast. Call it Rockabilly Bar and Grill. Call it the new lounge room of the cream of Sydney hospitality. Call it the best South American restaurant Sydney’s ever seen. Just don’t call it Bodega. If

you go in with the expectation of a maxiversion of the original tapas restaurant you may be disappointed. Here’s how to get the most out of the joint: hit the bar upstairs (if you’ve arrived past seven you’ll have to anyway - tables here are hot property) and order one of bar manager Julian Serna’s cocktails such as the Palermo Hollywood (tequila, apple juice, vanilla, cinnamon, sage) or kick back with an Estrella beer, which they have on tap. Either stand at the bar and chat to the crack team making your drinks or take a seat in the huge, opulent lounge area including - wait for it - an antique foosball table. Si!

Address: 358 Cleveland St ,Surry Hills 2010 Telephone 02 8399 1440

twenty seven Xanthi

D avid Tsirekas recently, run a

has, up until very popular neighbourhood Greek restaurant in Petersham called Perama. But he’s closed it, going from edgy innerwest digs to Level Six of the shiniest new CBD building in town: Westfield Sydney. The room is all decked out in traditional rugs and cushions, with diaphanous fabric gathered and dragged out from the ceiling giving the impression of a luxurious circus tent. And while the floor seem to be still getting into the swing of running the room the food, when it arrives, is pretty good in parts. Make sure to order up big with the likes of peppered figs doused in warm honey, and the barbecued haloumi with plenty of squeak. Zucchini fritters are a bit of a nonevent but the rabbit stifatho - layers of flaky filo pastry filled with braisedthen-shredded rabbit in a sauce of tomato, honey, cinnamon, cloves

and red wine - is a must. There are sweet versions too, that we wouldn’t mind giving a tilt, like the salted caramel, peanut and banana number. Lamb straight off the spit isn’t quite as exciting as you’d hope and is a little under seasoned. The goat might prove to be more exciting. There’s plenty on offer in terms of Greek wine but they also have some very sessionable Greek beers - including Keo Cyprus, Mythos, Alfa and Vergina (heh heh) which are great with rich meat dishes like the lamb Skaras - slow-braisedthen-barbecued lamb shoulder with paprika, olive oil and garlic. This is one of a few dishes brought over from the Petersham restaurant. Perama fans will also be happy to find the caramel baklava ice cream made it over. Address: Westfield Sydney, Corner Pitt Street Mall & Market Street Sydney 2000 Telephone 02 9232 8535 Open Fri-Sat 8am-12 midnight; Sun-Thu 8am-11pm

wanderers Ross and Sunny Lusted watched the waters, read the smoke and threw the bones. They have swept aside all the hot dogs and taxidermy championed by a new generation of cowboy chefs and launched a sophisticated offering that gets it right from the moment you walk through the door. The pair certainly don’t do things by halves here – just take a look at the all-star cast featuring floor manager Penny Watson-Green (former general manager of Rockpool) and Helen (ex Tetsuya’s) McGahan on the wine. McGahan’s list has a few South African drops on there, too – a nod to the chef’s heritage. Or you could just go a half bottle of Chablis and be done with it.

of little cubes of pickled purple carrot, carrots grilled over ash, some roasted in salt, others raw and shaved, and some curled around blobs of whipped sheep’s milk curd. It’s all amidst a tangle of bitter salad leaves. But then there’s scallops sautéed in burnt butter with sweet kernels of corn and a tiny little bit of corn puree. Shags of biltong give the dish a powerfully salty, dry edge. Oh yes. Ross can cook. The Bridge Room does, however, serve what is most likely the most attractive Campari and soda in the city.There’s a tiny, tiny straw, and a separate beaker for the soda. So classy. This is not goodbye to fried chicken and tequila by the way; it’s just farewell for now, as we welcome in the most exciting CBD fine diner to have opened this year.

Address: 44 Bridge St, Sydney 2000 Telephone 02 9247 7000 Open Lunch Tue-Fri; dinner Tue-Sat

A salad of heirloom carrots is a mix

twenty eight The Bridge Room

Toutenof years is a long time to be city like Sydney. But global

twenty nine Momofuku Seiobo

W hat’s a Momofuku and why do I care?” we hear you say. Momofuku

Noodle, Ssam Bar, Ko, Milk Bar and Ma Peche are a bracket restaurants in Manhattan owned by chef David Chang. They’re best known for their unflinching dedication to loud rock’n’roll’n’hip hop and their bang on high/low culture mix, from country hams to shavings of frozen foie gras. Chang’s empire is built on sweating the details, on ducking where others weave and no small amount of sheer bloody mindedness. So it is that he’s opened his first restaurant outside New York not in Las Vegas or Los Angeles, not in Harajuku or Shoreditch, but in Pyrmont, in the former penal colony of New South Wales. And so it is that he chooses to follow the desserts after 14 or so courses with not dainties, frillies or airy, insubstantial confections, but a slab of pork, as delicate as a punch in the mug, and every

bit as arresting. There’s no cutlery for this, just a couple of hot towels and a whole lot of licking of fingers. There was a lot of talk before Chang and chefs Ben Greeno and Peter Serpico opened the doors to Seiobo, located at the newly redux casino, Star. “We’re in the middle of Asia in a city heaving with mod-Asian restaurants,” said the city’s snackerati. “What the hell can some Pavement loving Korean American dude from New York add to the mix?” Plenty. For a start, you couldn’t really accuse Seiobo of being mod-Asian.

Address: The Star, Lvl G, 80 Pyrmont St ,Pyrmont Price per person including drinks $101+ Bookings recommended Open Dinner only Mon-Sat

thirty Ms G’s

JchefustDan when you thought you knew Hong, he comes out with

a red-hot, left-of-field doozy of a new restaurant with all the punk and sass we always wished for at Lotus, combined with some damn fine cooking. He and head chef Jowett Yu are at the helm of Ms G’s – the mod- Asian restaurant you can’t afford not to be at, in and around. Ignore the name (M.S.G – geddit?) and ignore the deliberately ‘street’ interior design work. But whatever you do, don’t ignore what Hong and Yu are putting on the plate because it’s exciting, fresh and exactly what Sydney needs. Theirs is a menu of snappy flavours and big spicy ideas. We’d go so far as to say it was the most exciting thing that’s opened in ages, if Duke hadn’t beaten them to the punch a few months ago. Start with a drink in the upstairs bar where they’re shaking up what looks

on paper to be a bunch of very loopy, bubble tea-inspired drinks. And yes, they even have the special sealing machine and the big straws. The Blue Bottle (Plymouth gin, pineapple, Aeroplane jelly, housemade lemonade) is a bit of a fizzer but we’ll keep you posted after we’ve gone back for a few more. Or just forget the cocktails and drink the beer and the sake. On the floor it’s Madeline Nieuwenhuizen, fresh from running the troops at Aria, and Byron Woolfrey from Bentley Restaurant and Bar, so no matter which way you turn, you’re pretty much surrounded by uncut, A-grade talent.

Address: 155 Victoria St Potts Point 2011 Telephone 02 9240 3000 Open Mon - Thu 5pm - 11pm; Fri 12 noon - 12 midnight; Sat 5pm - 1am; Sun 1pm-10pm

thirty one Arras

Nothing rocks out like AC/DC’s 1980 smash Back in Black. With a powerful, kick-arse guitar intro, it’s earned its place in Aussie rock history. And it loops as we order rack on black - rounds of black pudding sandwiched between slices of juicy pink lamb. Tortellini made completely from leek (leek skin, with a braised leek filling) sit on the side and complement the slightly crumbly pudding. It’s a nicely composed but a little heavy going in the height of a muggy Sydney summer. Chef Adam Humphrey’s food on the whole is tops but it could stand to be a little pared back. Take the reductions on otherwise really nicely thought out dishes like the cauliflower tart with a salad of teeny cauli’ florets - the beetroot squiggle across the plate is more glory than guts.

out of Fink jugs (not sure how many pepper grinders were sacrificed for this piece of design genius, but it’s enough that the pepper is served pre-ground on the table). Design is considered right down to the predistressed Union Flag covered chairs. The winner of the evening is a stout little bread and butter pudding (the brief here is northern English food) with striations of blue swimmer crabmeat works beautifully with a tomato pickle on the side - egg and crab make happy bedfellows and the pickle adds some sass.

Address: 204 Clarence Street ,Sydney 2000 Telephone 02 9283 1922 Price per person including drinks $101+ Open Lunch:Tue-Sat 12 noon-2.30pm Dinner: Tues-Sat 6pm-10pm

They do, however, pour their water

and white laminated menus stuck to the glass doors on the street. The décor is plain but smart and much more jovial on the last Sunday of every month, with live music at lunchtime. The all-Spanish language menu can be a little daunting at first, but staff will happily take their time to translate and explain each dish to you. Chinese dishes like arroz chaufa fried rice with five spice and soy sauce ($15) reflect the long history of Cantonese migrants to Peru. “In Peru we have Asian flavours but done in a Creole style Start with the refreshing ceviche de pescado ($15), raw chunks of John Dory fillet marinated in lemon juice, coriander and chilli and garnished with slivers of red onion.

Address: 2/164 The Boulevarde, Fairfield 2165 Telephone 02 9726 4771 Price per person including drinks up to $60.00 Open Wed-Fri 12 noon-9pm; Sat-Sun 9am-9pm

thirty two Misky Cravings

It looks like a savoury birthday cake, but causa (pronounced ‘cow-sa’) is much more than that – it’s a classic Peruvian dish that is emblematic of early European influences on local ingredients. The three core components are yellow potatoes, avocado and aji amarillo yellow chilli peppers, all ancient ingredients native to Peru. Add Spanish black olive slices, boiled egg and lashings of mayonnaise and you’ve got a cool and refreshing mashed potato terrine, layered around a filling of pollo chicken or atun tuna (both $8). Get along to Misky Cravings in Fairfield – it opened in July but has already gathered a loyal fan base, mostly South American ex-pats. Misky means delicious in Quechua, the language spoken by the Incas in ancient Peru. The restaurant can be difficult to find – hidden within the depths of a non-descript arcade – but keep an eye out for the red

thirty three Madame Nhu

Icourts n the past year in Sydney, food have really gussied up. It

all started with the newly reduxed Westfield, and now the Galeries Victoria have taken it to the next level. Once upon a time, downstairs at the Galeries was home to all the usual kebab, pizza slice and runny dhal options of your average food court. But the place has been transformed. There’s a fancier branch of Chat Thai, too, though it’s more of a canteen than a restaurant. Today, however, we’re here for Madame Nhu - the Vietnamese takeaway joint brought to you by the guys from Summer Roll and restaurant Xage on Crown Street in Surry Hills. Here, you’ve got plenty of choice but our picks are the pho, vermicelli salad and fresh rice-paper rolls.

types of beef and lots of slippery noodles. Madame Nhu aren’t stingy with the fresh basil, either. It’s definitely a contender for the crown of best inner-city lunchtime pho (though Pho 24 across the road from the George Street KFC and Pho Gia Hoi down near Pasteur remain our go-tos for a pho fix). The winner this lunch is the vermicelli rice salad with nem skewers - here, meatball missiles are made of a mix of chicken and pork. They’re served with rice noodles, pickled carrot, cucumber, toasted peanuts, lettuce leaves and nuoc cham - a spicy mix of fish sauce, vinegar, sugar and chilli. Madame Nhu is a blessing for city workers and just the ticket for fresh summer snacking. Address: Shop 5, Lower Ground, The Galeries, 500 George Street Sydney 2000 Telephone 02 9283 3355 Price per person including drinks up to $35.00 Open Mon-Wed & Fri 10am-6pm; Thu 10am-8pm; Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 11am-4pm

The pho is quite sweet in the broth stakes, but is packed with three

thirty four Mexicano

F illed with hordes of tanned blondes on a chilly Sunday evening,

this little cantina is just a few sandy footsteps from the beach at Narrabeen. The crew play the music unapologetically loud – Nirvana’s Nevermind gets play, as does Roxy Music, with a bit of Tribe thrown in. The room houses bar at the back stocked with tequila ranging from Dos Equis to some serious offerings such as 1492 and Don Julio. Even the water bottles are old tequila bottles. There are three kinds of El Yucateo sauce on each table (jalapeno, chipotle, habanero) and the food boasts snap, sharpness and precision. The corn chips are house made from really great tortillas. The tortillas, when served as soft shell tacos, are char-tinged and soft they make them in-house with an old-school tortilla press made from two bits of wood and a hinge. And

it’s the small things at Mexicano that assure you you’re in the right place: the half-salt rim on the Margaritas (frozen shaken and spicy jalapeno!) served in a stemless drinking bowl (some people call these glasses). The guacamole served with housemade corn chips is sharpened with shreds of green onion. Chimchangas, which are like Mexican chiko rolls, are tied with pieces of string, filled with long shreds of tender beef and served with a chilli vinaigrette. And the glassfront windows open right up which means in summer, you can step out of the surf and into the hottest Mexican restaurant on the northern beaches.

Address: Shop 2, 209-211 Ocean St,Narrabeen 2101 Telephone 02 9970 8975 Open Tue-Sun 6-10pm

thirty five Japaz

Itapas’ f you’re sceptical about ‘Japanese don’t worry. While the ‘series

of small dishes’ rule still applies, its more a DIY degustation rather than the scarier possibility of tempura chorizo or patatas teriyaki. The menu features a series of small, modern dishes with a delicate Japanese touch, starting with lighter offerings and progressing into heartier fare. The attentive Japaz staff suggest around six dishes between two people as the general rule and the journey commences with witlof leaves stuffed with crab, green apple and lime salad with sour apple jus. A few too many flavours detract from the delicate crab, but it’s an interesting combination of textures.

to go around. Fortunately the scallops with sweet soy and onion butter arrive - the dish is clean, simple and reserved, letting the scallops lead. Eggplant with pinenuts and cured mullet row is testament to the fact vegetable-based dishes can be as creative and substantial as their meaty counterparts. Try the coarsely grated manchego cheese served with rum ‘n’ raisin gelato and topped with nut praline-sounds like fusion-dining-gonewrong but it works surprisingly well. It may not be Japanese, tapas or even Japanese tapas but this is one newbie to keep an eye on.

Address: 165 Wycombe Rd ,Neutral Bay 2089 Telephone 02 9904 0688 Price per person including drinks $51 to $100 Open Mon-Sat 6pm-10.30pm.

Swordfish with preserved lemon jus sees the fish seared and finished with aniseed liqueur - the only disappointment is there isn’t more

thirty six Mad Cow

H ead to Sydney’s most exciting new steakhouse where pure protein

rules. It’s a damn sight easier than trying to get fed at the Teppanyaki restaurant upstairs where the waits are long and the only protein in sight is the parade of gorgeous waitresses in diaphanous kimonos. There’s a great sense of play, fun and whimsy surrounding the new Hemmes family offering, down to the terrified cows on the front of the menu peeking out from behind an ivy bush begging customers to order the suckling pig and white wine (it goes with chicken). And though they’ve only been operating a couple of months, the place is packed.

Mad Cow’s room is bright and sunny - a cross between your nan’s kitchen and a 1950s Queensland diner. White leather banquettes line the walls and green dyed carnations sit in little vases on every booth table. (Did you know you can dye carnations a different colour if you put dye in their water? Well, now you do.) The service is incredibly prompt - perhaps a little too prompt as we’re given our mains before we have time to finish the wine from our entrees. Despite what the name suggests, Mad Cow’s not all about steak (though granted it does play a large part).

Address: 330 George St, Sydney 2000 Telephone 02 9240 3000 Price per person including drinks $101+

Getting to the restaurant proper though, is tedium in extremis. You’ll need to negotiate your way past at least two clipboards then climb a very steep set of stairs before you can even start thinking about a steak.

thirty seven Mille Vinni

JItalian ust a few years ago this charming wine bar was one of a kind,

a trail blazer that signalled the start of Sydney’s passion for wine bars. A focus on Italian wine and food has seen them packed to the rafters for several years now. Faced with competition from a tsunami of new wine bars they’ve pared back the selection of food and wine and kept the crowds.

wineries from boutique importers. There’s a good mix of varieties and appellations that are well priced, with a dozen bargain wines by the glass.

Address: 397 Crown St, Surry Hills 2010 Telephone 02 9357 3366 Price per person including drinks $51 to $100 Open Mon 5-10pm; Tue-Wed 5-11pm; Thu 8am11pm; Fri-Sat 8am-12 midnight; Sun 8am-10pm

It’s a testament to the good value coming out of the kitchen that you’ll still wait a few minutes even early in the week to get in. Mince stuffed olive all’ ascolana are a great start or lash out for the rotolodi coniglio - a juicy rabbit and truffle terrine. Look hard at the reduced wine list and you’ll spot a couple of star wineries; Anselmi soave is as textural and tasty as white gets. You’ll also notice a lot more small, obscure

thirty eight El Loco

D an Hong might just be the busiest chef in town at the moment

doing tasty, casual eats that aren’t laksa? It’s so crazy it just might work.

with Lotus bistro, Ms G’s and El Loco as well as a Cantonese restaurant on the cards. El Loco is a Cantina stuck to the side of a pub (Surry Hills music venue the Excelsior Hotel, recently acquired by the legendary Hemmes clan).

Address: 64 Foveaux St, Surry Hills 2010 Telephone 02 9211 4945 Price per person including drinks Up to $50 Open Mon-Thu 12 noon-late; Fri-Sat 12 noon-3am; Sun 12 noon-10pm

So don’t go in expecting a restaurant experience: go in expecting approachable pub-Mex. Once you’ve done that, you’ll have a fun time with the $5 tacos, Margarita slushies, Mexican beers and, of course, the hot dog. If you were in Mexico you’d probably the expect the tortillas to be exceptional quality for a fiver. But here in Sydney, we’re not so lucky. That said, the fillings are excellent with highlights being the al pastor (pork’n’pineapple) and the carne asada (lemongrass beef). A pub

thirty nine Caffe Sicilia

Tschool. here’s no school like the old At least that’s the philosophy

at Caffè Sicilia, where everything from the chequered floors and the gold detailing on the monogrammed glasses, plates and saucers to the accents on the white-jacketed waiters seems as if it has been lifted straight from Syracuse and teleported, inexplicably, to upper Crown Street. Yai, the sprawling Thai restaurant that was here before, is long gone, its som tums and pad krapows replaced by eggplant parm ($12) and pasta alla Norma ($15). In true Italian bar style, Sicilia has a case full of pastries on one side of the room and a full bar along another wall, catering equally to the icedespresso-and-ricotta-cake crowd as it does those in need of more savoury sustenance bolstered with booze.

as the prosciutto-infused Bloody Mary ($14). The menu, though, is straighty-180 Sicilian, whether you’re talking the tuna, lettuce and tomato panino ($9) or the fried calamari and onions ($20). Potato frittata ($10) is a golden omelette of shredded taties splodged with a sour cream-like fresh cheese. It could be breakfast, it could be an antipasto; either way it works. Pasta al forno ($15) “Palermostyle” translates here to a baked, very tomatoey cake of eggplant and pasta, like what some Italians call a timballo. That pasta, you’ll be delighted to learn, is a shape we’d call “spaghetti-Os” if we weren’t so cultured. It is, in a word, robust.

Address: 628 Crown St,Surry Hills 2010 Telephone 02 9699 8787 Open Mon-Sun 7am-late

The drinks list is sizeable, interesting and punctuated by surprises such

fourty Rockpool

Y ou won’t find a restaurant in Sydney so burdened with the expectations of diners as Rockpool. There’s something particularly special about the flagship restaurant. Maybe it’s the thick white tablecloths; the plushly carpeted catwalk up the middle of the restaurant; the rubbernecking to see who’s dining around you; or the incredibly professional service. Or maybe it’s the food. While Rockpool is still Neil Perry’s restaurant, Perry has given full control of the kitchen to Phil Wood. And it’s the amping up of the Chinese stuff at Rockpool of late that’s giving the restaurant a newly honed edge. Take the ‘rich and noble’ lobster congee: this luxedto-the-max Asian nanna dish sees hunks of lobster bound with rice porridge and festooned with a mix of anise-y peanuts, chilli and pieces of

fried Chinese bread, all topped with tiny little curls of deep-fried garlic. If that’s not enough of an indicator of where the restaurant’s at, let us present exhibit B: goose gently braised in masterstock on a bed of fine noodles, stir-fried in XO sauce and topped with green-lipped abalone and deep-fried chicken skin. Need more evidence? We’d like to call the Rockpool classic of Chinese roast pigeon to the stand. If you want to up the ante even further with your fourth course (the menu at Rockpool is offered over five small courses or the eight-course grand tasting), the medley of beefs – fillet (go the wagyu for a $45 supplement); oyster blade; and gelatinous, rich tendon – is outrageously rich with a rock sugar and soy sauce.

Address: 107 George St ,The Rocks 2000 Telephone 02 9252 1888 Price per person including drinks $101+ Open Tue-Sat 6pm-10pm