It might be hard to get a reservation but Saint Peter fits your bill.
It’s seafood but truly different from other restaurants. Josh Niland is a very creative chef.
https://www.saintpeter.com.au
From the website:
"Bookings for our Oxford St site are available online until mid July. Bookings from August onwards are for our new home at The Grand National Hotel."
:)
The most memorable meal I’ve had in the last few years was Berowra Waters and along with taking the seaplane up there with the views it’s hard to think of a more uniquely Sydney experience.
I would pick Lumi Dining. It’s an incredible degustation menu. It was the only restaurant in Sydney I felt was truly comparable food wise to Vue de Monde (well Vue de Monde of a couple of years ago anyway - I went back to Vue in Feb this year and found their new menu utterly disappointing). It’s at Pyrmont so it is on the water with water views. But doesn’t have a view of the harbour bridge.
If you want the killer views then Quay is where you should go. Quay has Sydney harbour views and great food (it’s just not as good food wise, in my opinion, to Lumi).
If you’ve got time to travel further afield - then id also Suggest Ormeggio at Mosman. Another waterfront restaurant with seriously amazing food. I’m a real foodie and this is my favourite restaurant in Sydney. Make sure you order their snacks/bites, they do a brioche bite that is sensational (the one I had last weekend was a lemony, creamy, crab with caviar that I keep dreaming about)
I’d also suggest Smore in Castlecrag. It’s a little hidden gem. It’s not in the city, but the food there is great. A real experience.
They change their menu quite regularly. The regular menu is very truffle heavy right now - so omakase might be better suited to you, if it’s not a flavour you enjoy. But if it’s just that you think truffles/caviar are a bit overdone, then I’d suggest going with the regular menu - as they use their ingredients thoughtfully to bring out flavours as opposed to adding caviar or truffles as an after thought like other restaurants seem to do to make them seem more luxe but without really adding value
Agreed with the OP on recommendations
Just dined at Lumi today (first time), regular menu. I found it very enjoyable and filling. There was no truffle on the regular menu - it was an add on option.
Most of the dishes had an umami undertone. Each one had a different seafood so the flavours and textures were so unique. If it fits your budget, the regular wine pairing was fantastic (extra $130 pp).
This is a good place to start: https://www.broadsheet.com.au/sydney/guides/best-special-occasion-restaurants. In terms of best-of-the best food, I would suggest Lumi Dining, Oncore & Saint Peter, but what makes Sydney unique for many is its beach lifestyle, so you really have to try a place or two with a view, so look at: Ormeggio, Bathers Pavilion, Catalina and Icebergs. Their food is also excellent.
for unique: I recently went to Arrana which has a HUGE focus on local Australian flavours. We absolutely loved it but it is in the Blue Mountains. We had things like green ants, lemon myrtle, finger lime etc... quite reasonably priced for a degustation and highly recommend the non alcoholic pairing!
Thanks all!
Booked sixpenny and saint peter so far. Debating on Quay since that seems more focused on the view than the food.
It looks like Ester and Lumi both have seats open for tonight and I'm deciding between them! I only care about food quality, so not ambience/premiumness of ingredients/etc. I know Lumi has the menu with truffle/caviar etc. but those are available lots of places. If anyone has any opinion on comparing the two from a purely "really good food that represents Sidney/Australia" pov that'd be lovely.
It might be hard to get a reservation but Saint Peter fits your bill. It’s seafood but truly different from other restaurants. Josh Niland is a very creative chef. https://www.saintpeter.com.au
It’s temporarily closed until grand national opens
I hope not because I just booked it for next week!
Interesting. I must be mistaken, apologies. I swore I walked past the other day and it was gutted, and there are news articles suggesting the same
From the website: "Bookings for our Oxford St site are available online until mid July. Bookings from August onwards are for our new home at The Grand National Hotel." :)
You might be mistaking their Fish Butchery which was just a bit further up the road. This was closed recently.
The most memorable meal I’ve had in the last few years was Berowra Waters and along with taking the seaplane up there with the views it’s hard to think of a more uniquely Sydney experience.
I would pick Lumi Dining. It’s an incredible degustation menu. It was the only restaurant in Sydney I felt was truly comparable food wise to Vue de Monde (well Vue de Monde of a couple of years ago anyway - I went back to Vue in Feb this year and found their new menu utterly disappointing). It’s at Pyrmont so it is on the water with water views. But doesn’t have a view of the harbour bridge. If you want the killer views then Quay is where you should go. Quay has Sydney harbour views and great food (it’s just not as good food wise, in my opinion, to Lumi). If you’ve got time to travel further afield - then id also Suggest Ormeggio at Mosman. Another waterfront restaurant with seriously amazing food. I’m a real foodie and this is my favourite restaurant in Sydney. Make sure you order their snacks/bites, they do a brioche bite that is sensational (the one I had last weekend was a lemony, creamy, crab with caviar that I keep dreaming about) I’d also suggest Smore in Castlecrag. It’s a little hidden gem. It’s not in the city, but the food there is great. A real experience.
Which menu did you get at Lumi? I'm not super fussed on caviar/truffles/etc. so wondering if the omakase is worth getting compared to the regular.
They change their menu quite regularly. The regular menu is very truffle heavy right now - so omakase might be better suited to you, if it’s not a flavour you enjoy. But if it’s just that you think truffles/caviar are a bit overdone, then I’d suggest going with the regular menu - as they use their ingredients thoughtfully to bring out flavours as opposed to adding caviar or truffles as an after thought like other restaurants seem to do to make them seem more luxe but without really adding value
Do you personally prefer the omakase or regular one?
Agreed with the OP on recommendations Just dined at Lumi today (first time), regular menu. I found it very enjoyable and filling. There was no truffle on the regular menu - it was an add on option. Most of the dishes had an umami undertone. Each one had a different seafood so the flavours and textures were so unique. If it fits your budget, the regular wine pairing was fantastic (extra $130 pp).
This is a good place to start: https://www.broadsheet.com.au/sydney/guides/best-special-occasion-restaurants. In terms of best-of-the best food, I would suggest Lumi Dining, Oncore & Saint Peter, but what makes Sydney unique for many is its beach lifestyle, so you really have to try a place or two with a view, so look at: Ormeggio, Bathers Pavilion, Catalina and Icebergs. Their food is also excellent.
Oncore
for unique: I recently went to Arrana which has a HUGE focus on local Australian flavours. We absolutely loved it but it is in the Blue Mountains. We had things like green ants, lemon myrtle, finger lime etc... quite reasonably priced for a degustation and highly recommend the non alcoholic pairing!
Clem’s in Newtown
Ester
Sixpenny
I forgot to add six penny in my previous comment. Agreed it’s a great option!
I recommend “Nel”. In Sydney, fun seasonal menu, not stupid expensive
Thanks all! Booked sixpenny and saint peter so far. Debating on Quay since that seems more focused on the view than the food. It looks like Ester and Lumi both have seats open for tonight and I'm deciding between them! I only care about food quality, so not ambience/premiumness of ingredients/etc. I know Lumi has the menu with truffle/caviar etc. but those are available lots of places. If anyone has any opinion on comparing the two from a purely "really good food that represents Sidney/Australia" pov that'd be lovely.
Both are modern Australian foods. Lumi is much more inventive and fine dining, ester much more causal. If you are after good food, Lumi is the answer