The Dining Room – Restaurant Review

Harbour-view dining in Sydney is a world of extremes. On one end of the spectrum are the likes of the Bennelongs and the Quays – exquisite fare but incredibly expensive. On the other end are the tourist traps – affordable but often with below-average food. The Dining Room at Park Hyatt, however, manages to the walk the line in between, offering the elegance of a fine-diner with gobsmacking Opera House and harbour views but without breaking the bank.

Its six-course feed-me menu is a case in point. Priced at $120 per person (without wines), it’s a reasonably pocket-friendly way to try Etienne Karner’s boundary-pushing food. Particularly when most courses include two to four dishes, served in the middle of the table, making them perfect for sharing.

So you could end up with a decadent ball of burrata and kangaroo tartare for your second course, followed by slow-cooked octopus and crisp mushroom parcels as the third. Even the dessert course includes two beauties – a glossy Valrhona chocolate cake and a coconut shell filled with pineapple and coconut sorbet.

It sounds like a lot of food and, in fact, it is, so take your appetite. But you can also go à la carte if you aren’t feeling that hungry. Whatever you do, don’t forget to ask the sommelier to pick the wines for you – a crisp grüner veltliner from New Zealand’s Marlborough to go with the entrées, perhaps, or a glass of Bass Phillip pinot noir to match the main course of duck breast a l’orange.

SEE ALSO: The Park Hyatt Still Boasts Sydney’s Best Views