Taste Sydney as a gourmet destination for discerning palates
Itinerary among the research restaurants and cocktail bars, markets and steakhouses that have made the city a favourite destination for curious foodies
Key points
Paddington - simply 'Paddo' to everyone - is home to one of the highest concentrations of Victorian terraced houses in the world. Prices are sky-high in this historic Sydney neighbourhood, which retains a village feel and is perfect for exploring on foot, past pubs, cafes, boutiques and art galleries. At 161 Underwood Street is the most talked-about seafood restaurant in the city (and beyond): Josh Niland's Saint Peter. Here the chef celebrates the quality and diversity of the Australian catch with an almost butcher's approach, according to a radical but intelligent nose-to-tail philosophy. In other words, nothing is thrown away: bones, heart, fat and blood - as well as meat of course - become elegant and surprising dishes, from seafood charcuterie to ice cream made with fish eyes. Dine & stay: on the three upper floors are the rooms and suites of the Grand National Hotel by Saint Peter, furnished in retro tones in dialogue with the architecture of the neighbourhood. An ideal way to immerse yourself in the Paddo atmosphere (breakfast included, and up to the mark).
A lively culinary scene
The New South Wales capital is an increasingly vibrant culinary scene. It is no longer just the Sydney Harbour - with the Opera House, gardens and zoo - or the Art Gallery of NSW (right now, until 14 June, the Biennale of Sydney is taking place) that attract visitors from all over the world: today it is the table that is the magnet. Here, haute cuisine coexists without friction with informal models, Asian contaminations and European throwbacks. Without constraints. Also because Sydney, perhaps more than other gastronomic capitals, has no tradition to defend, and can therefore afford to build a new one every night, service after service, in a continuous tension between discipline and freedom. Sixpenny, in Stanmore, is the other must-visit destination for modern Australian cuisine: a signpost in a discreet, almost insider's neighbourhood, off the beaten track. Chef Tony Schifilliti signs dishes with a great identity, in which seasons and fermentations play a key role.
Looking for early produce at Carriageworks Farmers Market
In between restaurants, find time to spend a Saturday morning at Carriageworks Farmers Market: well-kept and spotlessly clean, it hosts only excellent local produce, from vegetables to cheeses, from leavened pastries to delicious New South Wales oysters, round and creamy, with the perfect balance of savouriness and sweetness. Head across town to Double Bay to see chef Neil Perry - a city institution - at Margaret's, a celebrated, award-winning 500-cover-a-day steakhouse. Best known for its meat - try their beef tenderloin with red curry butter and grilled shallots -, it has some interesting seafood alternatives like snapper ceviche. And then move on to the CBD (aka the Central Business District, the city centre): this is where you meet at Eleven Barrack for a business breakfast or an intimate dinner. This bourgeois salon resembles the grand dining rooms of Paris or New York and offers classic but not banal cuisine - the crab & fish pie is fabulous - and an extensive wine list.
Trendy cocktail bars
It is in the mixology scene that the city indulges its most irreverent side: at Maybe Sammy's, the drink list is inspired by some of the films that have made history - and each signature is presented like a movie ticket. Which is your favourite film? The Grand Budapest Hotel (a twist on the gimlet), The Big Lebowski (a coffee cocktail) or Willy Wonka (for Vodka Sour lovers)? Behind the bar is a team of star performers (including Italian Luca Goffredo) who entertain the crowd with scintillating choreography and an adrenaline-fuelled playlist. The city's other funniest cocktail bar literally occupies the space of a garage (and is not so easy to find). Cantina OK! is a micro mezcal mecca where the agave obsession is consumed in a few square metres and no frills. A maximum of about 20 people enter at a time standing around: impossible not to make friends while tasting one impeccable Spicy Margarita after another.
At the Capella Sydney, a hotel housed in the monumental former Department of Education Building from 1912, luxury has the trappings of history, but with a contemporary twist. The rooms are embellished with installations and artwork, and each of the 192 rooms and suites guarantees a comfortable stay. Don't miss out on relaxing in the heated indoor pool on the top floor. The gastronomic offer includes the Brasserie 1930, where Lucchese chef Gabriele Taddeucci, with technique and sensitivity, enhances the best local raw materials. An example? The barramundi (a typical fish of these waters) with mussels and oyster leaves. The Capella's location is strategic for a few minutes' walk to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Beneath one of the famous sails is the city's most scenic restaurant, Bennelong, surrounded by a seamless glass wall that allows views of the downtown skyline. Despite the place-icon rhetoric, the food (and drink) here is very good. It is impossible to end the meal without ordering the Pavlova - the most photographed dish - which reproduces in miniature the outline of Jørn Utzon's architectural masterpiece.
