The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay
The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay
The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay (123 Ferry Road, Glebe) – located opposite the Sydney Fish Market, this restaurant is within sight of the Anzac Bridge, and offers a seafood-centric menu. Oysters are its specialty (with at least 12 oyster varieties). This, along with crustaceans like hand-dived scallops from Kangaroo Island, Tasmanian lobsters, prawns and crabs. Another worthy dish served here is Snapper Pie.
Tetsuya’s Restaurant
Tetsuya’s Restaurant
Tetsuya’s Restaurant (529 Kent Street, Sydney) – located within walking distance of Darling Harbour, this restaurant’s cuisine has Australian, Japanese, and French influences (its signature dish being the Tasmanian Ocean Trout). Among the other dishes found here are: fillet of mulloway with asparagus and pil pil; braised ox tail with sea cucumber and yuzu; slow-roasted breast of duck with sansho; and a de-boned rack of lamb with heirloom carrots.
The restaurant offers three main dining areas overlooking an exquisite Japanese garden, private yet atmospheric rooms for larger groups, and a bar at which guests may enjoy a pre-dinner drink before commencing their meal. Every room also features pieces from Tetsuya’s eclectic art and ceramic collection, from delicate Japanese porcelain to bold Australian sculptures.
Sean’s Panorama
Sean’s Panorama
Sean’s Panorama (270 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach) – this restaurant stands out, because it’s not the typical tourist restaurant (that’s more typically found at Bondi Beach). That doesn’t take away from the quality of the cuisine (or service), given that many of the dishes’ ingredients used here are direct from the restaurant owner (Sean)’s farm (which are ever-changing – found on the blackboard in front of the restaurant). Its wine list is mainly Australian (with a few French champagnes).
Rockpool on George
Rockpool on George
Rockpool on George (107 George Street, The Rocks, Sydney) – this is a modern, award-winning seafood restaurant by internationally renowned chef Neil Perry with an emphasis on sustainable produce. The restaurants gets points for both its service and seaside location, and has received accolades, including 15 Good Food Guide Chefs Hats across 7 dining experiences, and all are in Gourmet Travellers’ Top 50 Restaurant list.
Rock Salt Modern Dining
Rock Salt Modern Dining
Rock Salt Modern Dining (15 Albert Avenue, Broadbeach, Queensland) – located just south of Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast, this brightly-lit, upscale restaurant offers various Australian seafood and meat dishes (without being too pricey), such as rare Venison Loin, with celeriac, beetroot, speck, broadbeans, and red currant sauce; roasted lamb rack, with shank croquette, fondant potato, pea mousse, cauliflower beignets, and lamb jus; and slow cooked duck breast, with potato galette, date mousse, puffed grains, rutabaga, and duck sauce.
Quay
Quay
Quay (Upper Level/Overseas Passenger Terminal 5 Hickson Rd, The Rocks, Sydney) – if you’re looking for a restaurant that’s showered with accolades, the Quay is your place. Quay has long been one of Australia’s most awarded restaurants, and in 2013 was crowned Restaurant of the Year in The Australian Gourmet Traveller and the Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Food Guide for the fifth time. It was also vote # 48 on the coveted S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
Along with its harbor view, the menu here is also worth the visit, ranging from
Sashimi of Harvey Bay sea scallops, to congee of Northern Australian mud crab, fresh palm heart, and egg yolk emulsion; and broth of smoked pork ribs, roasted rice and sesame, pork belly, shaved cuttlefish (among other meals).
Masala Island
Masala Island
Masala Island (Shop 5, 331 Hope Island Road, Hope Island, Gold Coast, Queensland) – this Indian restaurant offers visitors a vast selection of house made dishes, authentically made with a signature touch. Alongside an impressively sized vegetarian menu, Masala Island’s traditional Indian mains may come in the form of chicken chetty nadu, prepared with coconut cream, potatoes and exotic spices, as well as the classic vindaloo, cooked with your choice of meat, hot ground spices, vinegar and potatoes.
Marque
Marque
Marque (4/5/355 Crown Street, Surry Hills, Sydney) – located within a district known for many up-and-coming restaurants, this is considered one of Sydney’s best. Dishes found here include: tiger prawn and avocado, duck egg with macadamia, stout sabayon and button mushrooms; grain fed Wagyu bavette with onion, black tea and stem salad; and desserts such as chamomile w/white chocolate, yoghurt, lemon aspen & milk cookie; and sauternes custard.
La Rustica Restaurant
La Rustica Restaurant
La Rustica Restaurant (3118 Surfers Paradise Blvd, Surfers Paradise, Queensland) – this Gold Coast area restaurant already stands out due to its menu: both Italian and Turkish food. This explains the occasional belly-dancing show that the restaurant offers its patrons. The menu is standard Italian (including chicken parmigiana, fettucini carbonara and pizzas) with a number of Turkish dishes found in between.
Jonah’s Restaurant
Jonah’s Restaurant
Jonah’s Restaurant (69 Bynya Road, Whale Beach, Sydney) – located 50 minutes northeast of Sydney’s central business district (within one of Sydney’s wealthier suburbs), patrons come to this restaurant just for the priceless views of the ocean. Reflecting Jonah’s unique seaside location, the seasonally updated menu will showcase some exceptional Australian and International produce, basing dishes and style on Contemporary Australian cuisine. From a cellar containing over 5,000 bottles of vintage Australian and international wines, the extensive wine list of more than 1,300 wines entices and rewards.
Among the celebs that have dined here are: Lord Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Joan Collins, Mick Jagger, Jerry Hall, Bono, Rod Stewart, Justin Bieber, Rachel Griffiths, Jack Thompson, Sir Michael Caine, Ava Gardner, Dame Shirley Bassey, Googie Withers and John McCallum and Kevin Spacey, among others.
