Sydney - Australia 2004 - page 127

banging and clashing coming from the open kitchen give the place a New York
feel. Standout appetizers include grilled sea scallops with soft polenta and pesto.
Favorite main courses include roast lamb with rosemary and roast potatoes, and
potato gnocchi with burnt butter and Parmesan. The wine list is extensive. Bel
mondo's Antibar is cheaper and more relaxed; it offers some of the best
antipasto I've tasted, as well as light meals (from A$14-A$22/US$8.80-US$14)
and features jazz on Friday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30pm.
In the Argyle Department Store, 3rd floor, 18-24 Argyle St., The Rocks. & 02/9241 3700. reservations@bel
mondo.com.au. Reservations recommended. Main courses A$27-A$46 (US$17-US$30). 10% surcharge Sun
and public holidays. AE, DC, MC, V. Tues-Fri 12:30-2:30pm; Mon-Thurs 6:30-10:30pm; Fri-Sat 6:30-11pm;
Sun 6:30-10pm. CityRail, bus, or ferry: Circular Quay.
Café Sydney MODERN AUSTRALIAN Located in the historic Customs
House—the building with the clock tower across the square and behind the
ferry wharfs at Circular Quay—Café Sydney is a fabulous spot to watch the
world go by on the harbor and has spectacular views of the Sydney Harbour
Bridge. The interior design is fresh and modern with lots of wood and soft light-
ing, and the menu features plenty of European-style classics and others with a
distinct Asian influence with an emphasis on seafood. A couple of options are
the tandoori roast salmon with chana masala (curried chickpeas, Indian-style)
and coconut sambol (a hot coconut side dish from Sri Lanka), and the wood-
grilled veal with figs and Gorgonzola and speck (bits of bacon, German-style).
The Havana Bar here offers cozy wood cubicles and great cocktails. Downstairs
on the courtyard is an informal cafe, which is also nice for cocktails or a quick
unassuming lunch.
Level 5, Customs House, corner Loftus and Alfred sts., Circular Quay. & 02/9251 8683. Reservations rec-
ommended in restaurant. Main courses A$23-A$30 (US$15-US$20). AE, DC, MC, V. Lunch daily
12:30-2:30pm; dinner Mon-Sat 6:30-10:30pm. CityRail, bus, or ferry to Circular Quay.
Quay MODERN AUSTRALIAN Some feel this is Sydney's best
restaurant—and with its enviable location on top of the cruise-ship terminal, it
offers perhaps the loveliest view. In good weather the sun sparkles off the water
and through the large glass windows while the Opera House, city skyline, North
Shore suburbs, and the Harbour Bridge all look magnificent. At night, when the
lights from the city wash over the harbor and the bridge and the Opera House's
sails are lit up, the view is even better. The new menu from chef Peter Gilmore
is a revelation of French, Italian, and Australian ideas. The signature dishes
include the crisped pressed duck, with garlic purée and porcini mushrooms, and
the seared yellowfin tuna with tomato jelly, roasted eggplant, and basil oil.
Expensive, yet select, this restaurant has tempted all the big-name visitors to
Sydney. Quay was named Restaurant of the Year in 2003 by the Sydney Morn-
ing Herald's Good Food Guide .
On the upper level of the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay West, The Rocks. & 02/9251 5600.
[e-mail]. Reservations recommended well in advance. Main courses A$38 (US$25). A$6 (US$3.90)
per-person surcharge on public holidays. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Fri noon-2:30pm; Mon-Sun 6-10pm. CityRail,
bus, or ferry: Circular Quay.
Rockpool MODERN AUSTRALIAN The Rockpool is an institution in
Sydney known for its inventive food. It's approached by a steep ramp and opens
up into two stories of ocean-green carpet, designer chairs, and stainless steel.
Along with the bar, the kitchen—with its busy chefs and range of copper pots
and pans—is very much at the center of things. Menus change regularly, but you
can expect to find anything from a dozen fresh oysters and spanner crab with