It is far too easy to approach restaurants with pre-conceptions based on location or their culinary style, and Me-Gal is the perfect example. That it is located within the Taronga Zoo precinct is a unique feature, and certainly not a gimmick, and it is not just the breathtakingly beautiful view back to the Sydney skylineContinue reading “Fine Dining Review: Me-Gal | 15/20”
Category Archives: Reviews
Fine Casual Dining Review: Din Tai Fung (World Square) | 14/15
The history of Din Tai Fung dates all the way back to 1972 with a humble stall in Taipei. Some 52 years on, its become a global brand, opening its first restaurant in Australia in 2008, and subsequently has ten venues in both Sydney and Melbourne. The key to their success has been the consistencyContinue reading “Fine Casual Dining Review: Din Tai Fung (World Square) | 14/15”
Fine Casual Dining Review: Niche Mosman | 14/15
Niche Mosman is many things to many people. In the morning it opens early as a bustling Neighbourhood café to the Village, offering a healthy styled breakfast menu that covers all the bases. It then transitions into Bistro mode with its all day menu with extensive brunch and lunch options, before settling into a RestaurantContinue reading “Fine Casual Dining Review: Niche Mosman | 14/15”
Fine Casual Dining Review: Iberica | 14.5/15
When you step into Iberica, the stunning interior design of Lisa Wright, takes you instantly from the seaside culture of Bondi straight to the Mediterranean! Its from the same ownership team at Ikaria on Campbell Parade. Pitched as a Spanish Mediterranean Restobar that pays homage to the Balearic Islands, talented Executive Chef Ivan Sanchez (exContinue reading “Fine Casual Dining Review: Iberica | 14.5/15”
Fine Casual Dining Review: Pepper Seeds -Boutique Thai Bites | 14.5/15
First opening in Balmain in 2012 under Chef Jane Sangpoowong with the concept to showcase contemporary Northern Thai Cuisine using Australian produce – and do so with a duty of care. It has subsequently expanded to Barangaroo (2022) and South Eveleigh (2021), and plans are afoot to open another. Making it through COVID, only emphasisedContinue reading “Fine Casual Dining Review: Pepper Seeds -Boutique Thai Bites | 14.5/15”
Fine Casual Dining Review: Morrison’s Oyster Bar & Grill | 14.5/15
Location, Location. This was a prime CBD venue crying out for some TLC, and the new Sydney based hospitality group, Sunday Co. has provided exactly that without diverting too far from the DNA established at this site. Renowned previously for its impressively comprehensive Oyster selection, that remains an ongoing commitment, with everything shucked freshly toContinue reading “Fine Casual Dining Review: Morrison’s Oyster Bar & Grill | 14.5/15”
Fine Casual Dining Review: Hustlers SYD | 14.5/15
Let’s get something clarified from the get go, forget what perceptions the name may imply to some, this is a Restaurant and Bar, and it is a very good one. Located below The Bavarian on George Street, although both use the same street level entry point, you enter by stairs directly on your left. WhatContinue reading “Fine Casual Dining Review: Hustlers SYD | 14.5/15”
Fine Dining Review: Jaaks Restaurant and Bar | 16/20
The appointment of talented Chef Jason McCauley in October 2022 (ex Banc, Carpaccio & Metisse Group) has elevated Jaaks to another level. Its current degustation is amongst the finest showcasing of Greek and Cypriot cuisine in the country. The new Chef’s synergy with respected owners George Christodoulou and Diana Valsamis, and Restaurant Manager Harry SarantidisContinue reading “Fine Dining Review: Jaaks Restaurant and Bar | 16/20”
Casual Dining Review: Momoto (World Square)
Firstly, Momoto is a lot of fun, even for a seasoned diner. Now in three locations (World Square, Westfield East Gardens both in NSW, and recently opened at Mt Gravatt in QLD) they describe the offering as blurring “the lines between traditional and modern fusion sushi”, and that ambition is not too far off theContinue reading “Casual Dining Review: Momoto (World Square)”
Fine Casual Dining Review: Bar Patrón | 14.5/15
Nothing gives me more pleasure then when I see a restaurant fulfill its potential, and this current iteration sees Bar Patrón doing exactly that. It’s not just the revamped menu for Summer, or the refresh of the cocktail game, its about their whole team fully standing behind, and embracing the new concept – and itContinue reading “Fine Casual Dining Review: Bar Patrón | 14.5/15”
Fine Casual Dining Review: Itihaas (Turramurra) | 13.5/15
At a time when the cost of living is spiraling out of control, I am not sure if Head Chef Jasminder Singh’s expansive banquet menu priced at $52 (per person) can be beaten for value with so many diners feeling the pinch of the current economic heat. Having said that, the à la carte menuContinue reading “Fine Casual Dining Review: Itihaas (Turramurra) | 13.5/15”
Bar Review: Teddy’s
Teddy’s is a sophisticated new bar in Enmore located above the Warren View Hotel (more affectionately known by locals as the Wazza), offering a real point of difference to some of those smaller venues located on the main drag. The vibe is far more chilled, whilst the fit-out is stylish, comfortable and spacious, with multipleContinue reading “Bar Review: Teddy’s”
Fine Dining Review: Izy Aki | 16/20
There are many in the industry who know about and respect the accomplished career of Chef Darren Templeman, who has worked for the likes of legendary Chefs Marco Pierre White, Gordon Ramsay and Bruno Loubet. That somewhat brutal era in the competitive Michelin fueled kitchens of London were definitely not for the faint hearted, howeverContinue reading “Fine Dining Review: Izy Aki | 16/20”
Fine Casual Dining Review: Casa Mia Osteria | 14.5/15
Fine Dining maybe struggling, but flavour and produce driven dishes, underpinned by very sound techniques are not. Feeding you well, wrapped within a spirit of conviviality, is what Host Andrea Nazzari and Chef Valerio Boncompagni do. It’s the very DNA of Casa Mia Osteria. Located a stones throw from St Peters Station, on King StreetContinue reading “Fine Casual Dining Review: Casa Mia Osteria | 14.5/15”
Fine Casual Dining Review: Hemingway’s | 14/15
The mindset of diners, has noticeably shifted since the impacts of COVID-19. The unfulfilling pursuit of de-construction and complication has given way back to a rediscovery of the fundamental reasons why we dine out. To break bread with friends and loved ones in a convivial way, that simple but beautiful shared experience, that brings outContinue reading “Fine Casual Dining Review: Hemingway’s | 14/15”
Fine Dining Review: Becketts | 15.5/20
The moment you walk into Becketts, you immediately sense the owner Wendy Beckett (acclaimed Playwright-director) and her team understand the important fundamentals that underpin the experience a mature Restaurant aims to provide its diners. Located on a historic site in Glebe, and previously home to the celebrated Darling Mills, the magnificent sandstone and brick interiorContinue reading “Fine Dining Review: Becketts | 15.5/20”
Fine Dining Review: Black Hide by Gambaro at the Treasury | 15.5/20
Australians have always enjoyed a good steak. The European settlers arrived in 1788 with just a few cows. This number rapidly increased and today there are as many cows in Australia as there are humans. Australian beef is amongst the best in the world and is exported worldwide. So, it is not unexpected that weContinue reading “Fine Dining Review: Black Hide by Gambaro at the Treasury | 15.5/20”
Fine Casual Dining Review: Will & Flow | 12/15
One of the most iconic features of Brisbane is, of course, the Brisbane River. It has been a source of water, food, and transport for over 40,000 years. The Turrbal Nation of Indigenous people, who have inhabited the shores of the Brisbane River for 40,000 years, were great fishermen, using the river as a resourceContinue reading “Fine Casual Dining Review: Will & Flow | 12/15”
Fine Dining Review: ELSKA | 17/20
As Anton Ego, the fictional inspector in the movie Ratatouille (Ratatouille. 2007. Walt Disney Pictures) said, “In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment”. As a food professional and a restaurant reviewer,Continue reading “Fine Dining Review: ELSKA | 17/20”
Fine Casual Dining Review: Omeros Fish Bar | 13/15
The Omeros family have been synonymous with good seafood since 1968 when Michael Omeros founded the Paragon Seafood Restaurant in La Perouse, Sydney – the first restaurant to specialise in seafood in NSW. Since then, the family has had a range of popular restaurants, including the Paragon Seafood Restaurant at Burleigh Heads and the iconic, award-winningContinue reading “Fine Casual Dining Review: Omeros Fish Bar | 13/15”
Fine Dining Review: Bistrot 916 | 15/20
A popular tale is that the word “bistro” or “bistrot” originated from the Russian word for “quickly”, which was allegedly shouted by Russian officers or Cossacks who occupied Paris, following the Napoleonic Wars, and wanted to be served quickly. “Bistrot, bistrot,” they would shout! Bistrot 916 – in Potts Point, Sydney – states that itContinue reading “Fine Dining Review: Bistrot 916 | 15/20”
Fine Casual Dining Review: Emily Taylor | 13/15
Have you heard of Emily Taylor yet? Emily Taylor is one of the few new hangouts in Fremantle – a bar/restaurant named after a ship wrecked in 1830. The vessel was sailing during the early 1800s via the spice route of Asia along the West Australian coastline, hence the style of cuisine. Owned by W1 Hospitality –Continue reading “Fine Casual Dining Review: Emily Taylor | 13/15”
Fine Dining Review: Bianca | 15/20
Italian cuisine has an appealing simplicity that makes it one of the most popular cuisines in Australia. Italian immigrants introduced olive oil, pasta, pizza, cappuccinos, salad, and wine, all of which became integral parts of Australian cuisine. Italian cuisine has remained central to Australian dining, despite the influx of more international cuisines. Indeed, Spaghetti BologneseContinue reading “Fine Dining Review: Bianca | 15/20”
Café Review | All Things Equal | 7.5/10
Imagine a world where all things were equal. There was no discrimination, diversity was embraced, and abled, disabled and anybody in between was treated the same. Unfortunately such a world is still a fantasy and worlds away. Yet it does exist – at a gorgeous café in the centre of Carlisle Street. Walking in the doorContinue reading “Café Review | All Things Equal | 7.5/10”
Fine Dining Review: Jung Sung | 16/20
It is a Saturday night in the Kensington dining precinct, and it’s just a pleasure to see so many diners out after the COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted. The industry, which lost many good restaurants during that period, needs new, exciting and quality openings to fill that void and offer hope, and Jung Sung hitsContinue reading “Fine Dining Review: Jung Sung | 16/20”
Fine Dining Review: Tonic | 16/20
With international borders closed, and state borders problematical at best due to the fluidity of COVID-19, food and wine lovers are now exploring their own state’s regions more. Tonic, established in 2003, and located in historic Millthorpe – just a short trip from Orange – is a local gem that is a must-stop on any journey. OwnersContinue reading “Fine Dining Review: Tonic | 16/20”
Fine Casual Dining Review: Fratelli Fresh (Darling Harbour) | 14/15
The original concept of Fratelli Fresh largely informed the direction of fine casual dining in Sydney, when after buying quality fresh produce, you could then relax with a well-executed pasta dish and a glass of wine and leave well satisfied without emptying your pockets. Rockpool Dining Group, who now own and oversee the brand, haveContinue reading “Fine Casual Dining Review: Fratelli Fresh (Darling Harbour) | 14/15”
Fine Dining Review: Agnes | 16.5/20
Like its siblings, sAme sAme and Hôntô, Agnes does not make much noise from the outside. No flashy neon signs. No large portico. No LCD menus. Not that it needs to. To get a table you will need to book about three months in advance. Located in an old warehouse with exposed bricks and peelingContinue reading “Fine Dining Review: Agnes | 16.5/20”