Sydney Restaurant Tips by sue_stone

Restaurant Name: Quay

Sydney is a beautiful city and home to some world class restaurants. Even better is that a few of the city's best restaurants are located by the harbour, so you get a great combination of excellent food paired with fabulous views. One of these restaurants is Quay, which is located on the 3rd floor of the Overseas Passenger Terminal. The floor to ceiling windows allow for spectacular views…shame about the carpet!

Quay has a real 'special occasion' feel about it, which is part to do with those views, and part to do with the five star service and delicious food. Alex & I had a decadent lunch there one day with my sister Alison, and were given one of the best tables in the house. We started with a nice cold glass of Australian Sparkling wine as we read through the menu and toasted to good health.

Favorite Dish: To start, we all had the Sea Pearls - sashimi tuna, pearl meat, caviar, smoked eel. This was an exquisite dish with amazing flavours - have a look at the picture to get an idea of it.

For main course, Alison and I both had the Crisp confit of pressed duck, with white turnips, sea scallops and chive flowers. The duck was amazingly rich and tasty, and the turnips and scallops were prepared in such a way that they looked identical to each other and it was a fun game to guess which flavour you would be having with each mouthful. Alex had the Crisp Murray cod with braised oysters, lettuce puree, baby leeks and shaved cuttlefish. He wasn't blown away by this, but did enjoy it.

And then to dessert. This was the main reason I wanted to come to Quay - I had heard about an evil chocolate treat that earned the accolade of being possibly the best dessert Alison has ever had (yes, she had dined at Quay before).

Right then, we all ordered the Five texture chocolate cake. It is made up of 5 different textures of chocolate - a crispy chocolate biscuit base with a moussy chocolate filling and a thin dark chocolate top, sitting in a pool of white chocolate. But wait - that is only 4 types of chocolate....look, here comes the waiter with a small pot of hot chocolate fudge, a blob of which is spooned on top of the tart - the middle of the tart *suddenly* collapses - and voila! Dessert is served.

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: 02 9251 5600
Address: Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks 2000
Directions: On the 3rd floor of the Overseas Passenger Terminal, just around from Circular Quay, across the quay from the Opera House
Website: http://www.quay.com.au/

Restaurant Name: Bills

Bills is a Sydney institution, pulling in the crowds since 1993. It is owned by 'celebrity chef' Bill Granger, who is famous around the world for his simple cooking with good quality ingredients, and of course those creamy scrambled eggs! There are now 3 Bills cafes/restaurants in Sydney, but this is the original and possibly the best.

Located on a quiet corner just off the main drag at the Kings Cross end of Darlinghurst, Bills is a small, modern café with a relaxed feel. We went for breakfast earlyish one Saturday and managed to score the last available table.

Favorite Dish: Bills make excellent coffee, so we ordered one quick smart whilst deciding what food to have. As we had a big day of eating ahead of us, I decided to just have the Homemade toasted coconut bread. This delicious bread is made with large shredded pieces of coconut, and was such a big serve that I couldn't eat it all. Alex had Bills famous Sweet corn fritters with roast tomato, spinach & bacon, and he wasn't disappointed.

I can also highly recommend the aforementioned scrambled eggs - which must be made with way more cream than you want to know about, and also the evil Ricotta hotcakes with fresh banana and honeycomb butter.

You may well need a second coffee to wash it all down with - thankfully it is some of the best in town!

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 02 9360 9631
Address: 433 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010
Directions: On the corner of Liverpool and West Streets
Website: http://www.bills.com.au/restaurants/darlinghurst.htm

Restaurant Name: Ripples

I love dining at Ripples. Yes, the food is generally good, but it is the location that gets me. It is located at Milsons Point, right down by the water near the North Sydney Pool and the entrance to Luna Park. You can sit and enjoy your meal while watching ferries go by and checking out the bridge and the city. Love it.

One of the tricky things about dining here can be getting a table, especially for lunch on the weekend when they don't really take bookings. Oh well, get there early or perhaps late (when the early diners are leaving) and hopefully you will be in luck.

I have been to Ripples for breakfast and lunch and always really enjoyed the experience. The last time was for lunch on a sunny Saturday - there was four of us adults and one 18 month old who wasn't as impressed with us. Thankfully the waiting staff were fantastic and kept coming by to speak to the young man and keep him smiling.

Favorite Dish: The restaurant is BYO, so don't forget to bring a bottle or two of white along to accompany all the delicious seafood on the menu. At lunch we had the Pan seared John Dory on crushed kipflers with saffron pernod sauce and the Ripples famous crisp-fried fish and chips. Both dishes were really good, and the extra order of chips was a great idea ; )

The desserts were also excellent - our friends shared the Crème Brulee and my dessert eating buddy and I shared the decadent Chris's famous chocolate and honeycomb cheesecake with fairy-floss (candy floss) on top. It was as good as it looks in the photo!

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: 02 9929 7722
Address: Olympic Drive, Milsons Point NSW 2061
Directions: Near the entrance to Luna Park
Website: http://www.ripplescafe.com.au/

Restaurant Name: Eat City

Eat City is a modern bistro style restaurant located upstairs at the City Hotel. We dined there one evening with some very special people and had a fabulous night. The restaurant was surprisingly empty for a Thursday night, but at least that meant that service was excellent!

The menu is fairly compact, with all meals being designed to share - they are "larger than entrée and smaller than traditional mains". We loved this concept as it meant we could order a few dishes to share between the four of us. After an exhausting selection process we decided on only four dishes, wanting to save room for dessert.

Favorite Dish: We had the Soft Shell Crab with Chilli Salt Crust first of all. It looked fabulous and tasted almost as good, though a little too salty for me. Next up was the incredibly rich Duck Leg Confit with Braised Lentils.

After that came the Kurobuta Pork Neck with Cabbage & Apples - the pork was juicy and the apples were disguised as melon balls. Last but certainly not least was the Wagyu Beef with Gratin Potato & Mushroom Red Wine Jus. This was my favourite dish of the evening - the beef was incredibly tender and flavoursome.

Don't you just love a dessert trolley...hmmm....well, I thought I did, but there wasn't much on the Eat City trolley that tempted me. In the end we ordered a couple of the Chocolate Pyramids which were probably the low-light of the meal.

All in all though it was a great night - some very tasty wine, good food and the best type of company : )

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 02 9262 5900
Address: Level 1, City Hotel, 349 Kent Street, Sydney 2000
Directions: Corner of King and Kent Streets
Website: http://www.eatcity.com.au/
Other Contact: dine@eatcity.com.au

Restaurant Name: The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay

The Boathouse is another of those fabulous Sydney restaurants by the water. It is located in a converted boathouse on Blackwattle Bay, with great views towards the city. The interior is all bare wood floors and large windows making the most of its excellent location.

It has been getting consistently good reviews for 10 years now and I finally made it there one evening with Alex and my Mother-in-law (MIL). We were given a fabulous table by the window, and ordered a glass of champagne so we could sit and sip and drink in the views.

Not surprisingly, the Boathouse specialises in seafood. It is the place to do some oyster tasting, as they usually have around a dozen different varieties on offer. You can order the oysters individually which allows for a taste test of several different types if you like. Their signature dish is the Snapper Pie, which everyone seemed to be ordering. It is wheeled out to your table on a trolley and served up for you, with sides of smoked tomato and mashed potato.

Favorite Dish: We started with an assortment of oysters to share. For main course I had the Roast Blue Eye Trevalla, Corn, Snow Pea Leaf & Prawn Butter, Alex had the Steamed John Dory with Yabbie Bourride, Potato & Saffron, and MIL did the honourable thing and had the Snapper Pie. We all had a mouthful and it was delicious - it was certainly the pick of the dishes that night.

Dessert time. For once I couldn't fit anything in. MIL had the Pedro Ximenez Ice Cream, Chocolate Mousse & Coffee Granita which she had no problem in polishing off, declaring it delicious. Alex had the Fig & Drambuie Parfait with Honey Bavarois, which was also enjoyable.

So, we had pretty good food, nice wine, a great table and mostly good service….except for one of the waiters who was very rude and unfortunately, for me anyway, put a bit of a dampener on the evening. Don't let that put you off though, surely he can't keep his job for long with an attitude like that.

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 02 9518 9011
Address: Ferry Road, Glebe NSW 2037
Directions: Located right at the bottom end of Ferry Road
Website: http://www.boathouse.net.au/
Other Contact: fish@boathouse.net.au

Restaurant Name: Lenôtre Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel Hotel

A special family occasion deserved a special family get together, and the chosen venue was the Sofitel Hotel for the decadent Lenôtre afternoon tea. Lenôtre is a French haute cuisine brand, and the chef at the Sofitel trained at the Lenôtre culinary school and is currently the only chef in Australia to have these qualifications. This means that he has the expertise to produce that delicate cakes and pastries that are served up at the Lenôtre experience.

Favorite Dish: Afternoon tea is served in the stylish Sofitel Lounge each afternoon. The cakes are bought out on colourful, tall cake stands, with the little treats winding their way up the stand. At the bottom there are the classic finger sandwiches and very fluffy scones with jam and cream.

As you climb the stand you will sample such treats as Almond Macaroons with fresh raspberries and lemon curd, a Chocolate pastry with layers of almond biscuit, chocolate ganache and coffee butter cream (topped with a gold leaf of course!), and the classic Tarte au Citron, to name a few.

At the top of the stand are the evil looking Cone au Chocolat, which are dark chocolate cones filled with berries and cream. You are doing well if you make it to the top - I couldn't!

Oh, and I highly recommend a glass of champagne to go with your afternoon tea - well, a pot of tea is great, but the champers just helps to really make it that extra special occasion. Cheers!

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: 02 9228 9104
Address: 61–101 Phillip Street, Sydney NSW
Directions: In the lobby of the Sofitel Hotel
Website: http://www.sofitelsydney.com.au/sydney_hotel/lenotre.html

Restaurant Name: The Cove

When in Sydney there is nothing better than dining somewhere by the water, and as there is plenty of it around you may well get the chance. If you find yourself in the Drummoyne area then a good place for brekkie/brunch/lunch with water views is The Cove.

The Cove is situated in what appears to be an old boathouse, just above the Drummoyne Pool. It has a large shady veranda area which is just perfect for a relaxing meal. It is particularly popular with people doing the good old Bay walk/run.

We arrived at 9am on a Sunday for breakfast with friends and the place was packed. We had to wait about 20 minutes for a table (they don't take bookings for breakfast). We ended up with one of the best tables with a lovely view of the water.

Favorite Dish: Service was pretty terrible - lots of young, inexperienced wait-staff, and long waits for coffees and food. Luckily we had plenty of gossip to catch up on so didn't mind too much.

The food was ok - not fabulous, not bad, just average, but I would still return. We pretty much all just had different variations of bacon & eggs which were fine. Coffee was good, just a long time coming.

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 02 9719 3022
Address: 1 Henley Marine Drive, Drummoyne NSW 2047
Directions: At the start of Henley Marine Drive, just near the pool and rowing club
Website: http://www.eatability.com.au/au/sydney/cove_at_drummoyne.htm

Restaurant Name: Wrapido

One of my favourite cafés in Sydney is Wrapido in Crows Nest. It is a favourite as it is renowned for serving up some of the best coffee in the area, and I used to live in Crows Nest for a few years so I have a soft spot for anything in this part of town ; )

Wrapido gets its name from the tasty variety of wraps that it serves up for lunch. They also have a reputation for dishing up some mean breakfasts as well.

On warm days the tables out on the footpath are always filled with happy Wrapido-addicts, and the inside tables are pretty popular as well. You have to order and pay at the counter and you will be given a small table number to place in a prominent position on your chosen table, enabling the waitperson to find you when your food/drinks are ready.

Favorite Dish: The last time I dropped past Wrapido was for a quick coffee. I chose a table on the street for a spot of people watching and was pleased to discover that the quality of the coffee was almost as good as I remembered. The Caramel Round wasn't bad either ; )

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 02 94384946
Address: 55 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest NSW 2065
Website: http://www.eatability.com.au/au/sydney/wrapido.htm

Restaurant Name: Lindt Café

Sydney was a buzz with news of the new Lindt Café that had opened on Martin Place. Apparently this was THE place to go if you like your chocolate. How could I resist!

The café is housed in a stunning building on the corner of Martin Place and Elizabeth Street. A former bank, it was also previously home to the fine dining restaurant called Bank, and its marble columns and high ceilings make you feel like you are in for a very special experience.

If you just want to have a browse here there are lots of chocolate displays and counters of chocolates, cakes and other treats to take home with you. There are flavours of Lindt balls that you have never even imagined!

Favorite Dish: One day after several hours of CBD shopping I met up here with Alex for an indulgent afternoon tea. There was a queue for tables, but it looked like it would be worth the wait. Once seated, we started to work our way through the menu of chocolaty treats. We decided to by-pass the hot chocolates as they looked too rich, and went for a pot of tea and a milkshake for our drinks - the milkshake was evil as you could imagine.

To eat, we shared a Chocolate Sable (a type of choc chip cookie) and the ultimate indulgence - the Lindt Excellence Tart. The tart was very amazing, and incredibly rich. We couldn't finish it, and I must admit to feeling sick for a couple of hours afterwards. Would I do it again - absolutely!

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Theme: Coffeehouse
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 02 8257 1600
Address: 53 Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000
Directions: On the corner of Martin Place & Elizabeth Street, just near Martin Place station
Website: http://www.eatability.com.au/au/sydney/lindts_cafe.htm

Restaurant Name: Hopscotch

Hopscotch is a friendly corner café located in leafy Annandale. My sister Alison lives close by and this is her favourite place for breakfast/brunch. We went there one morning and can definitely see the attraction - a cool café, alfresco dining, friendly staff and great food.

This small café was full when we ate there on Easter Sunday, but we managed to grab a small table on the footpath. We ordered some coffees while deciding what to eat.

Favorite Dish: Alex and I decided on one of the specials - Baked eggs, ham, cheese and spinach - which was delicious. Alison had the Leg ham & Gruyere cheese omelette which was equally yum. The coffee was also very good.

Only complaint would be that the food took a loooong time to arrive - those Baked eggs that we ordered slowed things down a lot.

Hopscotch is also apparently popular with the local celebrities that favour inner-west living. We saw a couple of famous people there, but if I told you who they were I would have to kill you ; )

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 02 9560 2698
Address: 61 Annandale Street, Annandale NSW 2038
Directions: A couple of blocks down from the main drag in Annandale
Website: http://www.eatability.com.au/au/sydney/hopscotch.htm