Cheap hacks for fancy places
Want to eat at the best restaurants in town without dropping a wad of $$$? Here’s our sneaky tips.
AUTOMATA
Hack: The lunch For one of the best restaurants in Sydney, Automata in Chippendale ain’t actually that pricey (normally it’s a set menu of five – brilliant – courses for $88). At lunch, though, they’ve started doing three courses for just $55 (Fri, Sat), so you can drink an extra glass of natural wine from their carefully curated wine list. 5 Kensington St, Chippendale 2008. 02 8277 8555. www.automata.com.au. Lunch Fri-Sun noon-3pm.
BENNELONG
Hack: The pre-theatre menu Lunch or dinner at Bennelong is normally $130 per head. But go a little earlier (5.30 or 6pm) and not only can you enjoy the sunset over the bridge – those three courses drop to $105, and two are only $80. When we dined there recently, we shared a starter between two, had a main each and shared pudding (portion sizes at dessert are generous, especially the chocolate cake). With a side of bread and a bottle of wine, we made it out for just over $200 ($160 if we hadn’t been wine gluttons). Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney 2000. 02 9240 8000. www. sydneyoperahouse.com/Bennelong. Lunch Fri-Sun noon-2pm; dinner daily 6.30-10pm; pre-theatre daily 5.30, 6pm sittings; Bar and Cured and Cultured counter daily 5.30pm-late.
BENTLEY RESTAURANT AND BAR
Hack: The bar You can sit up in the restaurant proper for the full Bentley shebang, or down in the cheap seats in the bar for a more casual affair. The food is cooked by the same chefs though, so what’s the difference? The price, that’s what. Try the best darn pastrami sandwich of your life in the form of the Bentley Sandwich ($14), go a side of those famous chips ($10) or try their house-cured meats ($26). Regardless of what you do, it’s going to be a feast. Radisson Blu Hotel, 27 O’Connell St, Sydney 2000. 02 8214 0505. www.thebentley.com.au. Lunch Mon-Fri noon-3pm; dinner Mon-Sat 6pm-late.
BILLY KWONG
Hack: The markets There are two options here. First of all, did you know you can just hit up Billy Kwong for a few snacks at the bar? Well you can. Walk on in and order a serve of dumplings ($16), a side of native greens ($15) and a glass of Project wine (from $10) and your dinner is set. Wanna go even cheaper? Hit up Carriageworks Farmers Markets on Saturdays to try Billy Kwong food at a fraction of the cost. Try the giant pork bun ($8.50) – you’ll be lost forever in that hot, oily, amazing chilli sauce. 1/28 Macleay St, Elizabeth Bay 2011. 02 9332 3300. billykwong.com.au. Mon-Sat 5.30pm-late; Sun noon-9pm.
MOMOFUKU SEIOBO
Hack: The bar You don’t need to wait an age to get a table at Momofuku Seiobo: you can just eat your dinner at the bar instead. Whereas the restaurant is degustation-only, in the bar you can eat snapper ceviche ($14), fried chicken wings ($18) or a jerked-up pork chop ($42). Just make sure to get to the venue before it opens to secure a seat at the bar, as there are only a handful of seats and it’s first in, best dressed. The Star, Lvl G, 80 Pyrmont St, Pyrmont 2009. Dinner Mon-Thu 6.30-10pm; Fri, Sat 6-10pm; lunch Fri noon-2pm.
PILU AT FRESHWATER
Hack: The Kiosk
Been hanging to try Pilu’s famous suckling pig but can’t raise the coin? Then get down to Pilu at brekky or lunchtime, skip past the fancy gate to the restaurant and head into the Kiosk café next door. There you can get the same pig shredded up and stuffed between Sonoma sourdough with mayo, fresh slices of apple and peppery rocket for just $14.50. Ask for it toasted – trust us. Moore Rd, Freshwater 2096. 02 9938 3331. www.pilu.com.au. Mon-Fri 7am-3pm; Sat, Sun 7am-4pm.
QUAY
Hack: The wine
You can knock a massive cost off your dinner at Quay by following these two easy tips. 1. Go for the $175 four-course meal over the $235 eight-course dego – it’s a better deal if you’re down to share. 2. And ask the sommelier to give you half glasses of wine to match each of the eight dishes you’ve ordered between two. We skipped the dessert wine and had six glasses of beautiful wine, carefully matched to our particular choice of dishes, for only $65. At an expensive restaurant, that is fantastic value. Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks 2000. 02 9251 5600. www.quay.com.au. Lunch Fri-Sun noon-1.30pm; dinner daily 6-9.30pm.
ROCKPOOL
Hack: The bar
You don’t need to go the full dego at Rockpool. Why not just plonk yourself at the bar and have a plate of Moreton Bay bug pasta ($45), some crab ($40) or a bowl of the finest congee ($30) this side of the CBD? Best of all, the bar menu offers the top dish at Rockpool – the date tart – as a petit four, for only $3. Skip dessert and order a few of these instead. If you eat like this, you could literally be in and out of here for under $50 a head. Who needs a $185 eight-course degustation anyway? 11 Bridge St, Sydney 2000. 02 9252 1888. www.rockpool.com/ rockpool sydney/. Lunch Mon-Fri from noon; dinner Mon-Sat from 6pm.
Can’t raise the coin for Pilu’s suckling pig? Get it in a sandwich for just $14.50
SILVEREYE
Hack: The lunch du jour
The 17-course degustation at dinner costs $175 a head, but Silvereye are now offering a three-snack, three-course $90 lunch too. And sure, it’s still not cheap, but this is a five-star restaurant with four ex-Noma chefs on the pass. So if like 30,000 other Sydneysiders you didn’t get into Noma, here’s your chance to get as close to it in Sydney as you ever will – and for a fifth of the price punters paid at the pop-up. 20 Broadway, Chippendale 2008. 02 8277 8520. www.silvereyerestaurant.com.au/. Tue-Sat 6.30pm-late.
YELLOW
Hack: The breakfast
They’ve recently gone veggo for their evening service, but meat is still on the menu at Yellow’s weekend brunch. Prices are pretty fair here anyway, but that brekky is extraordinary value – the best in Sydney. Try the poached eggs with charred corn and ham hock consommé, which is $18: you’re going to pay that for most good breakfasts in Sydney now anyway. And promise us you won’t leave without trying that liquorice bread ($7) – order one per head to avoid arguments. 57 Macleay St, Potts Point 2011. 02 9332 2344. www.yellowsydney.com.au. Brunch Sat-Sun 8am-3pm; dinner Mon-Sun 5pm-late.