Rockpool

it’s romantically dark in here.
good for dates but bad for photos, so bring your A game not your flash!
if you didn’t know who the chef is before coming here, your taste buds will probably suggest that he or she is an asian.
there’s a very strong and bold combination of asian influence in both technique and flavours.
but open your eyes and you will see chef phil wood at the helm, busy as a bee, ensuring you enjoy your degustation here.
walking in here blindly, without a reservation, i was pleasantly surprised to secure a seat at a table, no less.
the restaurant started filling up quickly thereafter, so i do suggest you make that call so as not to be disappointed.
there is however always a seat at the bar, if you don’t mind dining there, isolated.
service can’t really be faulted from the point i was seated, sans reservations, to the point they hailed me a cab in the pouring rain at departure.
friendly banter and knowledgeable answers made the classy dining experience, enjoyable.
i couldn’t help but compare their konbu butter with tetsuya’s truffled one that i had the night before.
tetsuya’s win but i like the whole loaf of bread here better and how they threw in an additional, milder than mild, goat’s cheese tomato spread which scored well on their heavenly bread.
the simple things in life.
presentation for each course is a given.
but what impressed me more was the daring use of strong asian flavours, which worked.
each course reminded me a little of the little red dot that i call home, be it the hint of coconut, the shouting sambal, the under appreciated soya sauce, the empowering wasabi or the fragrant pandan.
the sweet ending decadent desserts actually left me wanting even more!
if you haven’t been to rockpool, a visit here might just rock you.

Definite 3-​star Michelin restaurant when they come out to Australia. When they start you off with the tastiest kombu compound butter, you know the rest of the meal will be spectacular.

According to the website they call to ask about your credit card number when making a reservation — nobody called, though someone did get in touch a few days before to confirm the booking.
The building is beautiful, with high ceilings and gleaming, dark wood. The waitstaff was attentive and friendly, though seemed a bit cold and aloof at times — I’ve been to other fine dining restaurants where the staff was a bit more warm. The lighting is quite low to keep the ambience, only complaint would be the bathroom which was strangely dark.
The food was amazing. As other reviewers have mentioned, they don’t provide a menu. I quite like reading and anticipating what I’m about to eat, but this wasn’t a biggie. We ordered extra oysters to start — they were good, but a bit small.
The standout dishes for me were the prawn mousse, wagyu beef, and date tart, though really, everything here was tasty. Also enjoyed the bread (not part of the courses) that came with it. There was a bit of an Asian twist to the dishes but it wasn’t overwhelmingly so. I wasn’t too impressed with the final dessert dish, which was like an explosion of different ingredients — I didn’t think the flavors melded into each other that well. But we agreed it was an amazing meal and it was money well spent! Definitely worth it for a special occasion.
I had a glass of Syrah with my meal, they have more pricey wines on offer for the wine connoisseurs.

We ate at Rockpool for dinner our second night here. While we ended up having a late reservation (8:45 PM — we figured we would be out seeing the sun set, but the weather did not cooperate), the restaurant was still pretty full when we arrived, although it had nearly emptied out by the time we left. The décor has a very retro feel to it, but more from a visual aspect. With table lamps concentrating the light in the center of the table, little lighting elsewhere, and the walls and ceilings painted a stark black, it feels like you are in a black-​and-​white movie, even if the food and the appointments are relatively modern. We were served by a variety of knowledgeable waiters, and our food came out with good timing, never leaving us to wait (a problem we encountered at Quay despite it also being an 8-​course tasting menu). That said, the wait staff here was a bit more stiff, making dinner feel a tad formal, although they did lighten up a bit towards the end. The drink menu is quite extensive, although the beer selection is light and only one of the beers (Red Hill Scotch Ale) is worth drinking IMO.
Unfortunately, Rockpool does not have a printed menu of their tasting; while this is understandable from a cost-​saving or environmental standpoint, perhaps, it does mean it is harder to review the meal after the fact! That said, dinner here was undeniably delicious and was fairly priced as well. We started out with Sydney Rock oysters — definitely on the brinier side when it comes to flavoring, and it was interesting that the mignonette (which was not your traditional vinegar-​based one, but instead was infused slightly with pickles) actually toned down the salty aftertaste. Nonetheless, they were all fresh and quite delicious, although $ 4.50 a pop is a bit on the pricey side. The noodles for the first course were quite good — cold noodles seasoned with some soy sauce and some flavored ice (I think that was intentional) making for an interesting textural bite with a very familiar Asian influence. The following course was a rice dish (the rice sourced from NW Japan) with kingfish and lightly pickled cucumbers. The fish was delicious and the rice excellently cooked — not just serving as a base — but the broth was a great balance of flavors, with mirin, sake, sesame oil, and others mixed to create a light yet very nuanced and complex broth that added really good flavor to the rice and fish. The prawn mousse was next, and I am no big shrimp fan, but this was so expertly done. The texture is almost like that of a rubber ball, but each bite still has some discernible chunks of shrimp, and when lathered up in the squid ink and Madeira reduction, you have a really phenomenal seafood dish that looks absolutely not at all like one!
Bread came out next (it is not counted as a course), and this was the weak spot of the meal, IMO. The bread itself is a mini-​loaf of multigrain, freshly baked, and it’s quite delicious, but the kombu butter was a bit off-​putting as a flavor, and the ricotta with tomato was even less appealing. While we were working our way through that, the cured Spanish mackerel came out, also with a similar kombu flavoring, a heavy dose of herbs (at least dill and parsley, amongst others), with a few slices of grapefruit as well. A very complex dish from a flavoring perspective, with the firmness and natural saltiness of cured fish combined with a mouthful of herbs and the sweet acidity of grapefruit making for a very interesting bite and one that I would love to try again given how interesting it was. We then moved onto the mains, with my wife trying the local lobster tail in a lobster butter reduction and home-​made paste — an excellent dish that permeated with the flavors of the lobster. My chicken was slow-​cooked, smoked, and lightly fried (I believe), and that flavor really comes through, although what is most impressive is how tenderized the meat was — perhaps the juiciest piece of chicken I have ever eaten. The crisped skin drenched in hoisin adds a stark contrast in flavor, and the small dollup of whipped potatoes is a nice, creamy finish. Last was the Australian-​style wagyu, which was simply divine. Lightly crusted with sesame seeds and a tad of freshly-​grated wasabi, it was perfectly cooked and so succulent. The desserts were great as well, with the first being a citrus shave ice and sorbet being served in a meringue ramequin — a unique way to serve, as well as adding a nice, chalky sweetness to the iciness of the sorbet. We then finished off with a chocolate mousse with coffee-​infused gelato — good and visually appealing, but not as interesting as the first dessert. The petit fours were a mini éclair and a tart which had an incredibly airy dough.
Rockpool takes inspiration from Asian cuisine, but it is creative and unique in its own right and is definitely worth dining at to see the fusion of Australian cuisine with its regional neighbors. A meal I will definitely remember from my time here!

Perfect place, food and services. Love all meals and desserts. The best soufflé and dauphines I have ever had.

If you are true foodie, and by that I mean you love the innovative combinations of ingredients that create flavor blends that are both unexpected and beyond delicious — then Rockpool is for you. My then fiancée and I went to the original Rockpool 20 years ago when we here on a business trip, but hadn’t gone since we moved here (now married!) a couple of years ago. We had a such an amazing memory of that meal that there is always the worry of disappointment from the repeat performance. But Rockpool has probably reinvented itself 3 or 4 times since then, plus its new digs on Bridge St so that concern was moot from the second we walked in the door.
Wow! the food was simply amazing. I love that fact that there is no menu and every dish is a suspenseful surprise. We opted for the wine pairings, figuring the sommelier team (and it’s a team!) would do a better job of getting every wine perfectly matched than me ordering a white and a red no matter how good. And they did and even poured a couple of really unusual ones including a rosé Cotes du Rhone and a Vin Jaune (from the Jura). Those are really really bold choices, but they worked beautifully.
Ok — so our dishes were simply superb. All 8 of them. But my out of town cousin joined us and she’s a vegan. The chef matched dish for dish, mostly by taking the base of the dish and substituting the protein for an acceptable alternative. All that while not diminishing the culinary experience for her at all. That was simply outstanding work by the kitchen. And very impressive.
Rockpool is not for you if you are steak and potatoes person. There is no kid menu. You don’t get to choose what you’re going to eat. But if you love the obscure and the unusual then Rockpool rates as one of the best restaurants in the world. And I know what I’m talking about!

I appreciate why the original Rockpool has turned into a major name with multiple businesses spawning off of it. This place is worth going back even if it’s expensive because the tasting menu has asian influences from Japan, Korea, China, Indonesia, etc., but thoughtfully married with European influences to give an unexpected flavor or texture. The alcohol pairing pulls together wine, sake and other interesting alcoholic drinks to enhance the dish. The som is very knowledgeable and is quite eager to share his knowledge. It was a great evening out!

Fifth time attending the Rockpool family establishments. Twice in Sydney, three times in Melbourne. Always exceptional. Always attentive. Always fabulous in every facet.
Brilliant times five.
Come hungry and with a keen interest in exceptional wine. You will not be disappointed.

There is always a measure of trepidation when first going to a fancy (read: expensive) restaurant. Not that it won’t be good, just that it won’t measure up to expectations. Such is not the case with Rockpool.
Everything was impressive: food, service, atmosphere. Extremely happy with my experience, and would definitely recommend it to others. I generally don’t go back to the same restaurant twice at this level (too many different ones to try, too little time/​money), but I would definitely consider going back to Rockpool.
In fact, I might go back just to get the bread and butter again. Yes, I realise that sounds ridiculous, but seriously the house-​made butter with konbu has ruined me for all other butter forever.

Went for drinks and a light eat after work. Great service, beautiful space and incredible food. Always wanted to go and my expectations were exceeded. The legendary Date Tart is a must!

We tried Rockpool for lunch and enjoyed the luxurious atmosphere. It was a great experience with some really good melding of flavors. The only thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was the chicken skin that came with the travella. I did not feel like it added much to the dish. The soufflé was a delight and looked beautiful as well.
Grilled squid with stir fried shitake, miso and chili dressing
Trevalla with coconut rice, chicken skin and turmeric pickle
Braised pork belly dong po with green tea, tofu, peas and onion
Passionfruit soufflé with passionfruit ice cream
Green tea ice cream with banana, pineapple, coffee, chestnut, and tofu

Rockpool is the perfect place for a special occasion. I came here a few weeks ago for the degustation and it was one of the best food experiences I’ve ever had.
The blend of flavors and the order the food came in was perfect. The entrees and mains were all delicious and despite getting quite full, my enthusiasm did not diminish.
The desserts here are definitely worth mentioning — Their traditional date tart and pre-​dessert (Moscato Custard) blew me away.

My fiancé and I made reservations here a couple weeks in advance. There is a fixed menu that offers either 9 or 10 courses depending on if you want additional dessert. There is also an optional wine pairing with each course (we didn’t choose this option, but I’m sure it makes the experience even better) the menu we had was unique, including universally loved flavors and some bold ingredient choices, such as sea urchin– this was the one thing I didn’t care for because of the texture.
Dining here is about tasting new things and appreciating food in a different way, and we both enjoyed our (3 hour long) experience. We didn’t love every dish, but all of them were enjoyable.

This place is a pure food indulgence and worth the expense for a special occasion. It’s a large period building which is dimly lit, oozing charm and setting the scene for what can only be described as an epic food event. We had the 10 course menu and matching wines, which took over 3 hours to complete, however, time flies as your constantly eating/​drinking/​talking about the food. The staff we attentive and informative and the chefs we able to cater for some of my dietary requirements. The menu was primarily Asian fusion, it was intricate and imaginative, and full of flavour, my favourite being the crab. However, some of the canapés weren’t too my liking and the partridge wasn’t the best I’ve had.
Overall worth the money? Yes. Would I do it again? Probably no, but I would recommend anyone who can afford it to try it once.

This is truly world class dining! I took my best friend for a special treat and we were not disappointed. We had the eight course degustation and the food was Devine. Staff had impeccable service, portions were perfect and such creative blend of flavours. Neil Perry and his talented team are food magicians — we loved the whole experience and can’t rave enough about it. Arguably Sydney’s finest restaurant!

Well, I guess I should start with how wonderful the food and staff were.
We chose the wine pairing with the 3 choices, after their 5 petit wondrous sampling of shrimp, chicken and fish we enjoyed caviar and cod. What a marvelous presentation on the caviar! The poached egg was creamy made this my favorite caviar ever!

The space is ethereal and the food matches the venue perfectly or should it be the venue matches the food! I love the way this degustation menu is formed. Starting with six smaller plates or snacks followed by a selection of either one two or three of your own choices you are in complete control. So many beautiful options though you’ll wish it was all in small plate form so you can try everything!