Quay Restaurant is one of Australia’s greatest dining experiences.
Quay Restaurant. What a joy, a breath of fresh air, a moment to step out of reality and into a Sydney dining venue more like a stage drenched in natural light, dripping with style, with full frontal harbour views as its backdrop.
Well dressed guests excitedly sit around filled with expectation, grinning from ear to ear at each other and at the views expectantly at the thought of the degustation feast that awaits, as well as at their own success for making it there.
Quay Restaurant sits perched on Sydney Harbour with jaw dropping panoramic views of both the Opera House and Harbour Bridge with one of my favourite Australian city hotels, the equally stylish Park Hyatt as its neighbour.
Quay is a dining destination that transcends expectations on every level. Named Australia’s top-rated restaurant by Good Food in June 2024 with 19/20, ( as well as being rated top Australian restaurant every year since 2009), Quay offers an extraordinary fine dining experience that is as much about artistry and creative brilliance as it is about flavours and taste.
Stepping inside Quay feels like being enveloped in a bubble-like living piece of Baccarat crystal. There are floor to ceiling windows, jaw dropping views and everything glistens. The water, the glass walls, the glasses in the bar which are filled with colourful cocktails and wines. From the moment you step inside, Quay captivates with its refined elegance. And everyone is smiling.
The space is thoughtfully designed to echo Executive Chef Peter Gilmore’s nature-driven philosophy, featuring a distinctly Australian vibe with ocean-hued carpets, sustainable spotted gum tabletops, an artistic bark like feature, and delicate stone accents reminiscent of cracked bark.
The dining experience extends beyond just food—every element, from the custom-built ‘Quay Chair’ by Australian designer Adam Goodrum to the bespoke ceramic tableware crafted by Paul Davies and Jacqueline Clayton, has been curated to complement Gilmore’s visionary menu. This is Australian dining at its very best.
Quay is also great for people-watching and attracts an array of well dressed, seemingly well educated diners looking for their ultimate dining fix. From well heeled far flung tourists dining elegantly in the latest flawless designer clothing taking selfies, to relaxed couples celebrating the success of their love over decades, to proposal celebrations and other food and wine afficiandos, it is a scene.
The seven-course degustation, enhanced by a selection of surprise elements, is nothing short of a symphony of flavors, textures, and impeccable presentation. Each dish is an edible masterpiece, created with a level of precision and creativity that is rare even among the world’s best restaurants.
The night we dined, 1980’s band New Order were playing on the Opera house forecourt and thousands of people could be seen across the water enjoying the thrill, of a world class performance, in an incredible venue.
I couldn’t help but note that Quay offers the very same opportunity but rather than being in the audience, in a restaurant like Quay, the fine dining degustation experience offers to actually be on stage – to fully participate in the show, asking questions, making selections, tasting and commenting and making your own narrative every step of the way. Quay is my kind of theatre.
The sommelier team at Quay is nothing short of exceptional, guiding diners through an extensive 500-label wine collection with a level of passion and global wine knowledge that elevates the entire experience.
The wine pairing is an art form in itself, each selection enhancing the intricate layers of the dishes with impeccable precision.
The seven course degustation journey begins with a stunning amuse-bouche featuring an oyster flavoured cream. A tiny seaweed tart that looks like a striking star shaped jelly fish and could be mistaken for a sculpture or even jewellery, if it weren’t for the fresh phlox lowers sitting delicately on top. The seaweed tarts are made 100% from seaweed. Wakame and kombu are stamed overnight until they are very very soft, and the mixture is blended and spread very thinly into sheets and dehydrate. The sheets are then cut and baked until crispy. The tart is filled with the same oyster cream and topped with a dashi jelly that consists of Katsuoboshi, aged soy and gelatine. We finish it with white phlox flowers “
The second amuse bouche was a show stopper. Oyster cream in a white chocolate shell-like casing around the outside. Wakame, kombu and rock laver are infused into valhrona white chocolate with a small amount of salt. This gives the chocolate a balance between umami, sweet and salty. The shells are filled with Black River caviar and oyster cream. Who knew this combination was possible, let alone absolutely delicious. Sweet, savoury and gentle. I loved this course.
I asked Quay for some feedback about the amuse bouche, it was so extraordinary:”The idea behind the amuse is that Chef Peter loves the idea of starting a meal with the freshness and vibrancy of beautiful Sydney rock oysters, however the texture of oysters is not to his favourite part of an oyster. We wanted to create the same feelings and flavours of oysters but to give them another dimension in a luxurious and creamy form. Serving the oyster cream 2 ways we feel elevates two beautiful attributes of rock oysters in both their sweetness and umami characteristics. “
I had concerns we may have started the meal with the best on offer, as the two amuse bouche surprises were so extraordinarily good, but I was pleased to be proved wrong.
The first course of raw Hervey Bay scallops with young walnuts, sea cucumber, smoked eel cream and murray cod roe was another beguiling dish brimming with sunshine that was easy on the eye with cream hues, delicate sunlit white edible flowers and a textured, crunchy rice crisp on top. This dish was an explosion of flavours, but a very gentle, soothing one, much like a Sunday drive through a daisy field that you never wanted to end.
The wild Blacklip abalone is an absolute revelation, and for a micro second looked like a white soup. It is cleverly layered with both flavours and textures allowing the natural hues of the sea to shine through with a rich yet delicate soup-like gentle, warm broth. The texture is created by koshihikari rice, mini circular rings of fresh bamboo squid, spring onion custard and some aged vinegar seaweed broth to give it an edge.
Another surprise course arrived, which might be described as “some bread” by some, but at Quay, it was 4 delicately fried dumplings amusingly disguised as walnuts, which arrived sitting within a dish of walnuts in their shell and a wooden “toaster” like box, with two crumpet like warmed pieces of bread and olive butter.
Among the standout courses, the mud crab dumplings arrive as one large dumpling with delicate parcels on top. It is then bathed in a luxurious brown butter emulsion, poured over the top, enhanced on the outside with a golden shimmer sauce and more of tapioca pearls. The mouth watering crab oozes out of the dumpling swimming in the brown butter emulsion. A spectacular combination of rich yet gentle flavours.
The tender David Blackmore wagyu, paired with shiitake mushrooms, dried oyster, and a whisper of liquorice kombu, is an experience in itself—tender, complex, and deeply satisfying, particularly for a red meat afficianado like me.
The smoked confit pig jowl with young macadamia koji sherry vinegar prunes is presented in the most creative way as a kind of squared off chequerboard with prunes and pork and sitting on top of a square of tender, tasty meat. I loved this dish for its full flavour, rich sweet sauce and crunchy texture. Absolutely delicious and ttoally different to every other course, at every mouthful
Gilmore is world famous for his desserts. I lost count of the number of people who leaned in the moment I mentioned quay to ask about the taste of the snow egg dessert (no longer on the menu), and who were horrified to hear I did not experience it.
All was not lost, as Gilmore has something new. The White Coral dessert is also a full theatrical experience. With a sturdy tap of a spoon, a round white egg-like structure cracks and smashes to reveal some magical dry ice-like vapour and a green base, named green turtle egg plum according to the menu – light, bright, citrus flavours. Delicious, and very instagrammable.
When a second dessert arrives it as clearly honey inspired, with an oversized queen bee shaped crunchy exterior perched on a bed of honey comb and white flowers. Not for the faint hearted, it is super, super sweet, and I have to admit it defeated me. One small taste was enough.
The star shaped jelly filled sweet bite again the shape of the star echoed the amuse bouche and was a fresh and soothing way to finish the meal, and the final final mouthful, a black berry and dark chocolate bite sized ball really was the last moment of an incredible run of dishes.
Gilmore’s dedication to sourcing rare and exceptional produce is evident in every bite at Quay. Ingredients are grown, foraged, and cultivated exclusively for Quay, ensuring that each dish is unique to this extraordinary kitchen.
The service at Quay is seamless and deeply intuitive, striking a balance between warmth and professionalism. Every dish is introduced with theatrical flair, transforming the meal into an immersive storytelling experience. A visit to the open kitchen reveals an oasis of calm, where chefs meticulously craft each course with an almost meditative focus.
It is no surprise that Quay has held Three Chef Hats for an unprecedented 22 consecutive years, nor that it continues to rank among the world’s top restaurants. Gilmore’s dedication to innovation, precision, and the sheer joy of exceptional dining makes Quay more than a restaurant—it is an unforgettable experience that lingers in the mind and soul long after the final course is served.
