Quay moment
The next level in fine dining is here.
Peter Gilmore has confounded expectations. At a time when most restaurants are going casual with shared platters and open kitchens, he’s taken Sydney’s Quay (quay.com.au) in the opposite direction with a dégustation-only menu, handcrafted ceramics, encyclopedic wine list and a dining room that’s broken up into intimate zones.
Those gobsmacking harbour views still hit you as you step into the revamped restaurant but the show is just as riveting inside. Linen-less tables, Adam Goodrum-designed chairs and ocean-blue carpet set the scene for fine dining, a choice between six or 10 courses that are all downright delicious. Oyster Intervention – silky, light oyster cream topped with Ossetra caviar – is one example; buttersoft smoked pig jowl is another.
But the pièce de résistance is White Coral – a fluffy ball of white chocolate ganache, aerated and snap-frozen with liquid nitrogen to create one of the most ethereal desserts you’ll ever lay your eyes on. Is it time to get over the Snow Egg? You bet.