Sydney, and its surrounds, are full of beautiful venues with world-class food, wine and service. And – on a global scale – very reasonable prices for this package.
I want to help you explore new cuisines, ingredients, wines and places – including what I consider to be the best dishes in Sydney. So here’s a list of the best things I’ve eaten in and around Sydney in the past year (in alphabetical order from Z-A because that old trick of choosing a business name that begins with Aa shouldn’t still work). Use it as inspiration to visit a few more of Sydney’s best restaurants soon.
Spice Temple Sichuan-style fish drowned in heaven facing chillies
After 15 years serving the most exciting Chinese food in Sydney, Andy Evans keeps things interesting with new dishes from China’s lesser-known regions such as Yunnan, Hunan and Xinjiang. Thank goodness he never takes my all-time favourite off the menu: tender white fish fillets in a light broth that isn’t as spicy as it looks by the time most of the dried chillies and numbing Sichuan peppercorns covering it are spooned off.
Sala Dining Crispy risoni fingers with Oscietra caviar & parmesan
At $13 a pop, this assaggini may be Sydney’s best-value way to get your caviar fix. It’s definitely more elegant than a ‘bump’ and comes with that killer view of Sydney Harbour from the end of industrial-chic Jones Bay Wharf! Chef Danny Russo says it’s a luxed-up tribute to the deep-fried risoni fingers his Mum served him as an after-school snack! You’ll love his crudo platter and other super fresh seafood too.
Pilu at Freshwater Pecorino brodo with fregola
It may be ‘just cheese and water’ as Giovanni Pilu puts it, but I’ll take this creamy, smoky broth with fregola, zucchini and mint over any of the fancier fare at his beachside fine diner, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this month. Pecorino brodo was on my first list of favourite dishes in 2015 and Pilu is the only restaurant from that list still open. Here’s to another 20 years of seadas, suckling pig, culurzones and other Sardinian specialties.
Ormeggio at The Spit Burnt butter gelato with mascarpone foam
Of course I like Alessandro Pavoni and Victor Moya’s savoury dishes at the north shore’s other waterfront fine diner – but I adore their gelato! While Amalfi lemon with candied rind and Italian meringue is an enduring favourite, it’s now rivalled by this crunchy, creamy treat topped with coffee crumble and peanut brittle. Half the fun is having Victor – or any of the passionate staff – explain in detail how their gelati are made. Try it with a Nonino amaro!
Megalong Lot101 Honeynut pumpkin ice cream with whey & sourdough sauce
It’s tough choosing just one dish from a dining experience so impressive I created a whole new restaurant category for it. I’m generally indifferent to pumpkin but I haven’t stopped thinking about this ice cream topped with crisp pumpkin chips and fennel pollen. Perhaps it was the Jura-style wine sommelier Giuliano Barbera paired with it that made it so memorable – he has a gift for finding fascinating matches from his fabulous list.
Margaret Spencer Gulf king prawns with roast pepper salsa
Making simple food impressive takes great skill. But done right, it’s as good as it gets. Prawns are so often disappointing that I rarely order them. The waitress described this dish with such contagious enthusiasm though, I had to try it. So, apart from loving Neil Perry’s spanking fresh seafood cooked to perfection with great pure flavour, I love the passion his staff have for every dish and the time they take to share that with every guest.
Le Salle Dining by Bar Chaplin Squid ‘Bolognese’
There’s a lot to love at this 18-seater hole-in-the-wall in a Surry Hills side street, and this jumble of house-made saffron cavatelli with a chilli-spiked Bolognese-like squid sauce stands out for me. Sitting in a bright pool of carrot fumet, topped with a simple curl of lightly-torched tender southern calamari, it highlights the skill of Patrick Dang in combining many elements into a harmonious whole greater than the sum of their parts.
Joe’s Table Crisp duck, prawn & Vietnamese pancake rice paper rolls
Interesting that my favourite dish at one of my favourite Thai restaurants, is actually Vietnamese-influenced. Then Joe Kitsana has never been restricted by national boundaries – serving Greek desserts inspired by his good friend Janni Kyritsis since opening. I just can’t get enough of this combo of super-crisp duck, prawn-studded pancake and abundant fresh herbs wrapped in rice paper.
Gildas Roast sugarloaf cabbage, baby blue lentils, grilled mushrooms, toasted yeast
I love Gildas – sitting at the counter, talking to staff about what to drink next from the wonderful selection of (largely Spanish) wines by the glass and watching chefs plate up dish after dish of simple tasty food. So recommending just one dish is tough. This delicious combo so impressed me that I had to order a second round – so I guess that’s telling! Check out last year’s top dishes for more to love at my favourite Sydney wine bar.
Fratelli Paradiso Calamari Sant’Andrea
The brothers Paradiso have been feeding Sydney the best simple Italian fare for 20+ years. This little piece of Italy in the heart of Potts Point is a place to order the same dish every visit. For me, that’s a generous mound of super crisp, thinly-battered calamari with a lemon wedge and tangy ‘Paradiso sauce’. My usual dining companion here always orders the lasagne and we usually throw in an excellent large-leafed rocket salad to feel healthy!
Firedoor Bonito tataki with preserved morello cherries & pickled wasabi leaf
You know I love almost everything that comes off Lennox Hastie’s grill. Yet occasionally he passes a dish across the kitchen counter that I just can’t stop thinking about. It’s usually seafood, like this just-seared bonito with a few preserved cherries and wasabi leaves. Bookings fill fast at Firedoor – so if you can’t nab one, go around the corner to Gildas (see above) for an equally wonderful experience.
Boydell’s Crisp octopus with brandade & Sherry-glazed chorizo
Paula Rengger serves flavour-packed European fare in a wonderfully-restored colonial slab hut in the Hunter Valley a couple of hours north of Sydney. Her style is comfort food with a twist, such as this dish of crisp and tender octopus tentacles amped up with salt cod brandade, meaty chorizo and a dusting of Indian spices. Plump seared scallops with crisp eggplant and house-made XO jam are equally memorable.
Boronia Kitchen Smoked anchovies & tomato pesto on sourdough
When Simon Sandall turned from fine dining at Aria to this suburban bistro, he brought a little upmarket flare with him. Anchovies on toast sounds simple – but on crisp croutons of house-made sourdough slathered with vivid tomato pesto with a green olive cheek and dill sprig, every element plays its part in creating a truly memorable dish. Honourable mention to lemon curd ice cream, the best dessert I’ve eaten this year.
Bistro Molines Noisette of venison
Robert and Sally Molines have been feeding Hunter Valley locals and visitors for over 50 years. Their Mount View bistro feels like an auberge in the French countryside, complete with sunny paved courtyard overlooking the vines. Local venison served with roasted beetroot, agrodolce radicchio and blackberry sauce is the most enjoyable deer I’ve ever eaten. The butterflied quail with lentils and cotechino is pretty special too.
Ates Wood-roasted duck with quince
I anticipated that the food at the old Vulcan’s in Blackheath would be good, and am delighted that it far exceeds expectations. Especially crisp-skinned, tender whole roast duck served simply with poached quinces. A side of roasted and fried Jerusalem artichokes on a bed of macadamia cream with aged balsamic vinegar works a treat. While a crème caramel tribute to Philip Searle creates a sense of continuity at this iconic site.
Published 23 Aug 2024
