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    Quay Restaurant

    4.1 (113 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndModern Australian
    Closed 12:00 pm - 2:30 PM, 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM

    Quay Restaurant Photos

    QUAY RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Upscale
    Quiet
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Quay Restaurant

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    Susan B.

    If you have a list of "Restaurants to Try Before You Die" then make sure this is in your top 10. I waited a very long time to try this place, but last November we had a special occasion and it was finally time. We booked in for a Saturday lunch and spent a good 4 1/2 hours here... to say it did not disappoint is an understatement. The food includes some of the most beautiful and innovative preparations I have ever seen anywhere. The pork broth is divine and if you are very lucky you might even get a tour of the kitchen. And the service was absolutely the best service I've ever had at any of the top restaurants I've been to while living in Australia the past 10+ years. Exceptional. Finally, the view... I mean, C'mon. Gorgeous harbor view of the Sydney Opera House, the bridge, all of it. It will cost you the equivalent of a month's food budget, but it is definitely worth it.

    Angela R.

    Went on an impromptu trip to Sydney and wanted to dine at the finest place Sydney had to offer! Based off of all my research, Quay was it! Location wise it was amazing with perfect views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House We had a fantastic lunch! Food was spectacular. The dishes were so beautiful and carefully prepared. Each one was flavorful and Chef Peter Gilmore has perfected the dishes to a tee! I added on the reservation that it was our anniversary but nothing was mentioned. Nobody wished us a Happy Anniversary. It was kind of sad. I think this could have been avoided if I was asked when we sat if we were celebrating anything special.

    Amuse bouche. Seaweed and chocolate. Sounds weird but was fantastic!
    Ken B.

    Arguably the best food I've ever eaten. Had the five course menu, and some white wine. Absolute works of art on the plate and in my mouth. If I'm ever in Sydney again this is at the top of my list of places to revisit. The dishes were well balanced, flavorful, creative (eel cream, crunch sea cucumber and the ice cream at the end especially) and most importantly delectable. The service was spot on perfect. Best service I've ever had outside of the USA and it rivaled the best service I've ever had inside the USA also. Left a decent tip, whatever they get paid, as hard as they worked they deserve it. The ambiance was perfect too. We had a table by the big picture glass window overlooking Sydney harbor, the bridge and the opera house. Then the fireworks started. The portions seemed small but this fat American left full.

    Our view from our table
    Ivy L.

    Yummy yummy yummy.. One of the best meals I had while in Sydney. Chef Peter Gilmore and Quay made the list for "five years on the World's 50 Best Restaurant list and held the title of Best Restaurant in Australia for three of those years". Located right across from the Sydney Opera House in the Rocks and next to the Sydney Harbor Bridge, the restaurant is in the heart of the harbor. It's located on the 4th floor of the boat terminal, giving you an amazing view as you dine. We were looking directly out the window at the Harbor Bridge itself, lit up in all of its glory on a clear spring night. The service at Quay is impeccable, everything you expect of a high end restaurant. The food brought out and presented to you at the same time - the details matter. This restaurant only offers a 6 course or a 10 course tasting menu, and everyone at the table must select the same number of courses - which left a lot to decide if you can't agree. But after the decisions are made, sit back and relax and leave everything up to Chef Gilmore and his team. We opted for the 6 course menu and here's what it looked like: *Amuse Bouche - unfortunately I can't remember what the tart consisted of but it was rich and delicious! Please serve this as part of your menu! *Hand Harvested Seafood with Virgin Soy, Seaweed, and Aged Vinegar - the seafood comes in a bowl that looks like a crustacean. They give you tweezers so you can hand stack each bite with every single element to give you a burst of flavors as you take in each bite. The squid/octopus tentacles with the other elements (I can't even begin to tell you what everything is) is bursting with flavor and paired together so perfectly! 5/5 *Osetra Caviar with Smoked Eel, Walnuts and Sea Cucumber Crackling - this is another dish that plays with flavor and textures. The crackling sea cucumber is nothing I've ever tasted before and adds so much to the smoked eel mousse and caviar. Lovely, rich, but elegant. 5/5 *Steamed Mud Crab Custard with Garden & Sea Greens - You pour the dashi over the mixture and it's a burst of flavors in your mouth. I didn't notice any mud crab but the custard had amazing flavors mixed with the garden and sea greens. 5/5 *Salmon Roe and Butter on a Crumpet - we were surprised with an additional course of salmon roe and butter on a crumpet off menu. The crumpet was soft but toasted on on side. The butter and salmon roe made it taste like a salmon cream cheese bagel, but of course more elegant and refined. My least favorite dish of the night because it wasn't as amazing as the other dishes. 3/5 *Bone Marrow Pasta with White Asparagus, Koji and Garum Butter - It had good flavors but I was expecting more when I read bone marrow pasta. The pasta was cooked well but it wasn't as extravagant as the other dishes presented. 4/5 *Smoked Pig Jowl with Black Lipped Abalone, Shiitake and Fan Shell Clams - that pig jowl definitely melts in your mouth cause of all that fat. It was delicious and tasted fantastic. I was hoping being the main course, you would get more than 1-2 bites but the dish was as small as the other courses. Amazing texture, melts in your mouth like butter, delicious flavors. 5/5 *You get to choose your main dish, between 2 options - the pork jowl or the roasted Maremma duck. Nobody got the duck so we didn't get to try this dish. For dessert, you get to choose between the White Coral or the Moo. I chose the Moo and quickly realized why they named it that - just look at that bowl, it was made perfectly for this dessert. Rich, sweet, decadent and chocolatey. Delicious dessert. The White Coral was a bit on the lighter side - coconut, some kind of fruit reduction in the middle. I hear my Moo was better according to a friend. And if you aren't full from dinner, they surprise you with some canneles and honey tarts after dinner and you leave with a memorabilia of the menu and some Valrhona chocolates in a cute little box. They sure do think of everything! The details, the plating, the actual plates, the service and the food makes this place an amazing addition and a lovely treat for those visiting Sydney!

    View
    Steve A.

    Usually restaurants with great views are on the top of tall buildings, but Quay is in the middle of its view of the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. And usually restaurants with great views don't strive to provide particularly great food. Quay does try hard, though, and sometimes succeeds. Every course is certainly beautiful, but not everything tastes quite as good as it looks. The tasting menu is the way to go, because its many courses offer the best shot at finding something delicious. Our favorites were the smoked pork jowl, the lamb, and an amazing strawberry snow egg. The wine list is extensive, and although the markups are pretty high, it's a brilliantly constructed list, divided up by wine styles, varietals and regions in the most organized fashion I've ever encountered. The Champagne section even has two-page spreads that lists winemakers, grape percentages, and other vital statistics. I wish all wine lists were like this.

    Zhihui H.

    It's my first time dining at quay and I tried the 10-course menu without wine pairing. First of all, the view is great. We're seated at a table that faces the opera house, and the house looks very pretty at night. The service is good to: they keep checking our needs and they do a brief explanation of what each dish is about when serving them. The quality of their food is good too. The portion of each dish is reasonable and the presentation is nice. The overall taste is good, except for the duck dish and the ice cream: the duck dish is a bit too mediocre compared to all the other amazing dishes served that night. The ice cream is too sweet for me.

    Sam E.

    This is a great place if you want the most amazing view of the Sydney opera house and watch the river and the lights of the city glisten. This is an okay place if you want good food that blows your mind. We made our reservation weeks in advance and advised them of my dietary restrictions ( gluten free, dairy free) which they said would not be a problem to accommodate and they will make sure items are made accordingly. We arrived and were seated with a table with a great view of the opera house which saved this dinner and the restaurant from a 2 star or even 1. Dinner service is VERY slow for their 4 course degustation and will take nearly 3 hours. It's slow paced and almost 30-40 mins in between for each course which we got tired off quickly. I was disappointed that the options the chef had for my dietary restrictions were last minutes things and seemed like they had not given it any thought. From the amuse bouche to the dessert, we took a few bites and left most of the smallest portions on the planet on the plate. The only thing that was remotely good was the fresh baked gluten free bread which I kept eating because I was so hungry. The main course which was a congee style rice was hard and almost raw and could not be digested. Left most of it on the plate. For dessert, the snow egg was decent but after a few mins, the meringue that sits in ice becomes soggy and the texture is lost and almost tastes like cold soggy egg whites which was not a feeling I wanted to leave with. This was one of the most expensive meals we had in Sydney and was surprise that by the amount of reviews on TripAdvisor that this would have been a home run.

    Jerry L.

    Quay has always been a mixed bag for me. Stunning views (undeniable and almost every review will mention that) but the food has always been a hit-or-miss. I came here with my family for Christmas lunch and had a pleasant time. I have attached pictures that are quite indicative. The setup was beyond cute and very nice and festive. We were seated in a new section of the restaurant which provided some privacy away from the main sections. The food was either the highlight of the let down. The seafood and dessert was amazing. We were served a dish with basically raw octopus and sashimi and (on the laurels of the quality of the seafood) it was great! The lobster dish was great too but the duck was just so tough and unappetizing. It was also extremely salty. The dessert, however, was amazing. I still don't know how to describe it (have attached a picture) but it was some sponge like texture over a thicker moose that was actually quite balanced and complex. Quay has so much potential so I will keep coming back when there are more changes added!

    Neil S.

    This restaurant is well known for being above the rest. For this diner, it was a hit and a miss. Some may say a little pricey. Sent email to restaurant to ask if we can visit being only there one day. They called me saying there's availability! We arrived at 7:15, just perfect. Sat us immediately. We decided on the 6 course menu. First served a wonderful nut appetizer. The next 3 were not memorable. The next was an eel dish. Not good, sorry. Then the pork arrived. Just amazing! Then dessert which was fantastic! Dessert was a ball with mango ice cream underneath. Spectacular! Oh I forgot to mention significant other is allergic to fish so meal was entirely different. Loved it! Recommend to ask for vegetarian meal. Was great! Attached a few pictures. Enjoy

    Lum C.

    Great food, great view, beautiful presentation, excellent service.. need I say more? Quay was on my bucklist for the longest time. Finally, while visiting family in Sydney, I was able to secure a reservation here. So excited!!! Everything was perfect just like their snow egg! I'm still dreaming about it!

    8 course meal $225
    Stella M.

    This restaurant has an amazing view of the Sydney Opera. The ambiance and decor is very chic. The service was good in general but towards the end of the night it was very slow. I understand you are suppose to get breaks between each dishes but the wait was kind of unbearable. They could have timed the dishes better. To get into the food. So we got their 8 course tasting for $225 and also did their standard wine pairing for $95. The food was ok. Some dishes were really good while others were mediocre. My only issue was that the main courses were mediocre. The roasted goose, beef cheeks, and veal was all mediocre. I just expected such a upscale restaurant to have blown me away with their main dishes. The congee was definitely awesome like how most people mentioned. Also the snow egg was pretty incredible but I did prefer the andalucia more. The wine pairing was definitely worth it. It is probably one of the better wine pairings I have done. All the wines went very well with the dishes and the pours were generous. Definitely worth it if you are a wino. :) Now would I go back? Probably not.

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    Food, service, ambience of these place are incredibly great and amazing. Had an amazing experience here.

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    The Rocks Cafe - Eggs Benedict and a long black.

    The Rocks Cafe

    4.1(203 reviews)
    0.2 kmThe Rocks
    $$

    Really popular place. They have street seating and indoor. The only thing available when we went…read morewithout waiting was inside. Inside wasn't bad, the table was big and the chairs comfortable. We were waited on immediately. Servers fly around like dancers, it's actually pretty impressive. Our food arrived in no time. My wife had fish and chips and I had lamb and rosemary pie. She enjoyed her meal. Mine was different than I've had before. It was still ok but I wouldn't order it again. Others would probably like it, it just wasn't for me. We didn't have any dessert but as you walk in the door they have some wonderful looking pies and cakes. Do yourself a favor and save room for one of those. I messed up and didn't try something. This is actually a really cool restaurant that I would like to try again. I wouldn't let one dish that didn't hit my taste buds keep me away.

    The Rocks Cafe is set in an adorable part of Sydney. I could see parking being a little challenging…read moreat times, but it's worth the effort and walk to make it to The Rocks Cafe! I understand it can get a little busy at times too, so there might be a wait. PRO TIP: make an online reservation and get seated right away! I had a couple of goals when visiting Australia... and one of them was to try kangaroo. The Rocks Cafe delivers with their Kangaroo Filet! And you can get it gluten-free! The sauce is a bit rich for me, but you can brush some of the sauce off with your fork. If kangaroo is not your thing, then there are plenty of other options on the menu... and the crowd around us all looked pleased with their orders. After you are done with your meal, you just go to the front/reception area and pay your bill. Easy peasy! Overall rating: ****FOUR STARS**** Gluten-free rating: ****FOUR STARS****

    Photos
    The Rocks Cafe - Art

    Art

    The Rocks Cafe - Avocado toast and cappuccino

    Avocado toast and cappuccino

    The Rocks Cafe - Dirty martinis after a long day of travel

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    Dirty martinis after a long day of travel

    Alfie's - ALFIE'S BUBBLE AND SQUEAK SLAW - Brussel sprouts, pumpkin seeds, red and green cabbage, squash, fennel.

    Alfie's

    2.5(2 reviews)
    0.9 kmSydney

    everything happens for a reason…read more bistecca was not meant to be and under their redirection, i get to try out a new steak joint! a much more casual, what you see is what you get kinda place. a patio drinking and waiting before getting seated area, or for those who just want a drink and some simple bar bites? a spacious interior with a bar as centre piece divider offset to the left. a small dj console to the other side on the right but well manned by a hot dj! sat at the bar without reservations, no worries mate! fun and chatty bar/wait staff entertains. simple menu, one cut of beef(sirloin), not my favourite :( special of the day was another cut(spit roast beefetta) but sold out early on :( staff reassured that their sirloin has been aged and that i would enjoy it's tenderness. ordered two half portion sides(because i wanted to try more), an alfie's bubble and squeak slaw and also a roast mushrooms to accompany my lonely 220g sirloin with green mustard(unique), medium rare. but first up, scones and butter! definitely whipped up my appetite. oh yes, the phone camera was happy too, no need to hand it over ala bisteccca. a cute french wait staff brought my chow not too long after. and it was a satisfying one. was also told to save space for dessert, which i did and did not regret. a f**k off gelato-on-a-stick - burnt honey, beef fat, rosemary, a collab with ciccone & sons. definitely can so do this all day! ;) if sirloin is your thing, alfie's a win!

    Photos
    Alfie's - A small console, a hot DJ!

    A small console, a hot DJ!

    Alfie's - ROAST MUSHROOMS - Field, swiss brown, button mushrooms, fried enoki, goddess cream, pickled Shimeji, mushroom salt.

    ROAST MUSHROOMS - Field, swiss brown, button mushrooms, fried enoki, goddess cream, pickled Shimeji, mushroom salt.

    Alfie's - A rather chill place with DJ to boot!

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    A rather chill place with DJ to boot!

    Restaurant Hubert - Crabe et Espelette

    Restaurant Hubert

    4.3(46 reviews)
    0.8 kmSydney
    $$$

    A couple of my friends recently returned from Sydney, and they said if there was only one place…read morethey suggest I go to eat - it was Restaurant Hubert. Specifically the happy hour. So I did! They don't take reservations for their 5-6pm happy hour. You can only line up at 5pm when they open. We got there right before 5pm, and there were probably 10 to 12 people in line. Once the doors opened we were led downstairs to the bar area. It's a very dark, and feels like you've been transported to another time and place. We decided to try one of each of the food items on the happy hour: - Duck Parfait - Good. Classic French item and they do it well. - Brandade d'anguilles fumée - OK. I know it's eel, but wasn't very distinct from any other fish. My least favourite dish. - Saucisson Sec - Good. Simple. - Fleur de Courgette - Very good. Delicate and delicious. I should've ordered two of these. - Normandy Burger - Very good. The one item my friends raved about, and it was clear why. A burger with the best ingredients is hard to matched. I got the extra side of fries which is equally good. Best dish of the meal. Service was relatively good, except at one point they asked if I wanted mayo for my fries (very French) and I said yes, but it never came. Other than that, quite good. This was easily my favourite meal of my trip, holding up to high expectations. I would return on my next trip to Sydney.

    I have dreams of Restaurant Hubert's Chicken Fricassée…read more Note: Happy Hour is walk-in only from 5PM - 6PM. We came on a Thursday evening and there was a line inside prior to opening. I highly recommend getting here early to get a seat during Happy Hour and stay after to enjoy some live jazz after 6PM. The restaurant was easy to locate with a sign upfront. The entrance is just a door in the wall with spiraling stairs leading you to an underground jazz bar and restaurant. It's upscale and romantic, but several other people were dressed casually. We sat on a shared table with three other strangers until we ordered off the full menu and our Chicken Fricassée arrived. The service is top notch and everyone was attentive, polite, and kind. We started off with the happy hour menu and ordered the Duck Parfait. I didn't know what to expect. The croutons were crispy and delicate and the duck liver was easy to spread and airy. The Normandy Burger was juicy and the bread was fluffy. But the star of the night Chicken Fricassée - wow! Incredibly tender, juicy, and garlicy. The sauce had a mashed potato buttery, smooth texture. Absolute must get.

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    Restaurant Hubert
    Restaurant Hubert - Pommes Anna

    Pommes Anna

    Restaurant Hubert

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    Quay Restaurant - modern_australian - Updated May 2026

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