Bennelong
Contemporary$$$$
Special-occasion dining with the Sydney skyline in your sightline.
Has it really been a decade since Quay chefs Peter Gilmore and Rob Cockerill took over the Opera House’s flagship fine-diner with Fink hospitality group? Apparently so. That soaring ceiling and sheen of Tom Dixon-designed lights are impressive as ever, as is the rehearsed service, comprehensive wine list and the way sunlight bounces off your Old Fashioned at the bar.
Top-drawer produce is treated with accomplished technique and clever flourishes that are rarely too hifalutin. Butter-poached squid tops a risotto made with sushi rice cooked in a squid and chicken stock with creme fraiche and vinegared seaweed; aged kurobuta-breed pork is roasted, carved and covered in three types of steamed pears and glossed with smoked trotter jus.
The opening-day pavlova with meringue shaped like Utzon’s sails is still going strong, too, recently joined by a joyous almond kataifi with nougat and vanilla parfait if you’re looking for more diversity in the dessert carte.
Good to know: The bar menu is terrific for pre-theatre snacks (try the prawn toast) and you don’t need to book.
Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.
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