Wildfire

Voices soften for a moment at Wildfire as cultured conversationalists are distracted by the sky ablaze with the colours of the sunset. Wildfire has front-row seats to the performance with the Opera House taking centre stage and the water infront dancing with reflections of pink and blue. Here, where a dreamily soft sea breeze floats past the restaurant’s Ember bar, we sip on signature Pushka cocktails of Mediterranean honey vodka and ginger liqueur spliced with lemon juice. Sauntering over to our table we take our seats below the endlessly high ceilings and soft golden glow of the dramatic lighting that is subtly reminiscent of fireworks.

Suited waiters glide purposely through the restaurant with artistically presented dishes, proud of the cuisine they know so well. They make friendly recommendations before the sommelier arrives to suggest drops from the wine list that in 2009 was named the best by Gourmet Traveller’s readers. A small congregation unites their glasses to toast one member’s return from a long overseas trip, as dinner is coloured by the shimmering gold reflection of the Opera House, now set aglow from the city lights across the blackness of the water.

Our entrée of ocean trout pieces draped over goat’s curd ‘cannelloni’ is presented on colourful swipes of sauces and surrounded by delicate beads of salmon roe. Cucumber sorbet cleverly harmonises the elements of taste and temperature with the oceanic characters of the dish. Executive chef Luke Stempsys strives to incorporate unusual cuts of meats with the churrasco grill, some having been lovingly marinated for five days. Waiters roam the restaurant with large skewers of the grilled meats pulled straight from the flame and triumphantly carved at the table. Each is meltingly tender, the spices forming a crust pungent with flavour. Delicately sweet sorbets for dessert are finished with the bright notes of freeze-dried mandarin and the last sips of the restaurant's signature Indigo Pinto Gris.

Through meticulously catering to even the finest details with specialised bakers, butchers, pastry chefs and an award-winning sommeliers, Wildfire exudes effortless expertise within the boast-worthy setting that makes each experience a wistful memory.

Neutral Bay Bar & Dining

There is a quirky character to Neutral Bay Bar and Dining that makes you feel you have taken a step back in time to a 1940s New York diner with the subtle retro style of the slick interior. Waitresses in chic tailored dresses, pearls and styled up-do’s liaise between the nostalgic, tall booths that line the restaurant. Eco design edge echoes through the timber features and the vines that crawl across the wall in an eye-catching artwork. The booths give jovial groups a feeling of privacy as if they are chatting in the comfort of their own apartments. Huddled together, they giggle as they fill thier glasses with Yarra Valley Mayer Bloody Hill chardonnay and unite them in a toast.

The relaxed atmosphere allows diners to enjoy the food of fine dining quality as waiters happily bring extra plates for parties to share their meals, divvying up organic meats and bountiful vegetable dishes. Half way through their meals, a couple exchange their grilled Snowy River trout and Coorong Angus scotch fillets with each other to enjoy both choices, while curious fingers of a group of women pick at the salumi board of prosciutto, salumi conte, and capicollo.

The kitchen is open to admire the chefs’ expertise and allows floating scents to entice appetites. The environmental focus is carried through the menu of organic and sustainable ingredients that are accentuated with long and slow cooking. Charcoal and organic wood burn in the pit grill, emphasising the earthy characters of the toasted meats. The extensive wine list is unpretentious and supports boutique and innovative wineries. Organic and biodynamic drops pepper the list and complement executive chef Alex Kearns’ cuisine concept. The old-school booths of art deco décor, and the organically harmonising flavours of the menu contribute to the contagious charisma, life, and quirky personality of Neutral Bay Bar and Dining that is sure to become a fond friend of Sydney diners.

District Dining

District Dining is brimming with corporates so relaxed, they could be in their own dining room. Except this one happens to be catered by award-winning chef Warren Turnbull of Assiette fame, and its bar is abundant with brilliant boutique wines and international beers. Turnbull casualises his fine dining talents and serves a more relaxed, after-hours atmosphere at this new venture.

District Dining sits amongst the spiderweb of streets in Surry Hills, its metropolitan surroundings characterised by the grey shades of the city concrete, and the constant coming and going of trains in the distance. The urban jungle buzzes below, as the restaurant overlooks the corner of Randle and Chalmers Streets. Green-tinted light peeps through trees outside and softly reflects into the restaurant, brightening its cool and moody tones.

International influences weave through the menu from French-cooking techniques to exotic Middle Eastern spices. Some dishes keep Turnbull’s fine dining presentation with informal yet calculated garnishes, such as the honey-bound walnuts over spiced pumpkin and marinated fetta, whilst others like the cluster of crispy school prawns with lime mayo are presented casually on wooden boards. The eclectic menu offers share-plates and larger dishes making it perfect for indecisive diners and relaxed gatherings. A quick snack may start with a glass or two of wine shared over crispy quail eggs with anchovy mayonnaise and tarragon; and soft slices of veal tongue arranged over aromatic salsa verde; the flavours cut by pickled turnip and rounded by almonds.

When a glass leads into a bottle, curious eyes ponder over mains such as lamb shoulder; gently falling apart; the rich meat accentuated by the flavours of cumin and sweet, honey-glazed baby carrots. For dessert, a cluster of meringue pieces is sprinkled with freeze-dried raspberries and slices of fresh strawberries and cloaked with a billowing layer of glossy vanilla cream - mouthfuls of the softly crunchy meringue dissolve amongst the cool cream, finishing with tiny burst of sweetness from the raspberry seeds.

District Dining contrasts between inner-city style and a casual character that is sure to have the corporate crowd leaving work early for their soon-to-be second home.

Berta Restaurant & Bar

Berta is to restaurants what the dapper suited man is to gentlemen – made of masculinity and refined style. Hidden amongst Alberta Street’s grey shades of tarmac and concrete, Berta is a culinary cocoon lined with natural elements of wooden floorboards, brown leather banquettes and marble-top tables stitched together with brass features. Large jars of pickled vegetables whose fate will later take them to the antipasti platter line the shelf above the theatrical open kitchen. Two huge glass windows open the restaurant onto a view of a cement wall webbed with cracks, while a tiny carpark framed by tangled razor wire can be seen to one corner. This concrete ‘artwork’ seems to chide at restaurants that boast glittering skylines as their strongest asset – who needs a view when you have Sunday-style roasted lamb, slow cooked for 36 hours? The slices flecked with parsley are layered atop creamy cauliflower puree and surrounded by a moat of jus, rich with rosemary and the meat’s flavours. The deeply roasted meats and full-bodied reds make it nearly appropriate to pull out a cigar.

The menu changes daily, the selection scrawled across a large blackboard that faces the lengthy wine list on the opposite wall. On this late lunch date a group of gentlemen laugh together and toast a Friday corporate gathering that will run well past office hours – the menu of share plates and glorious mains, the perfect excuse. They debate and solve the woes of the world as their table is graced with bountiful wooden charcuterie platters featuring slabs of cheese and rippling layers of cold meats. They later enjoy ravioli bound with roast-garlic ricotta, bejewelled with peas and ribboned with mint, and pick at a mound of crisp squid which swipes up house-made aioli.

Berta is where you go when you’re sick of stuffy fine dining and you want to enjoy dishes rich in classic and comforting flavours. The exposed brass pipes and concrete view make Berta seductively rough around the edges, which is all part of the masculine charm.