TL; DR | Summary
Bennelong (located inside the Sydney Opera House) offers a fine dining experience with gorgeous views of the Sydney Harbour. With two Hats, the restaurant showcases a well-curated 2-3 set course menu. Despite some dishes needing improvement, the overall experience is elegant and memorable. I can generally recommend Bennelong to others for a luxury dining experience without the lengthiness of a degustation.
Bennelong Review
@bestspots.com.au The Most Gorgeous Views of the Sydney Harbour ⬇️ With two Hats 🎩🎩, Bennelong showcases a well-curated 2-3 set course menu. Despite some dishes needing improvement, the overall experience is elegant 🤗 and memorable. I can generally recommend Bennelong to others for a luxury 🎩 dining experience without the lengthiness of a degustation 👌 One of the other highlights of dining here is the crystal-clear view ✨ of Sydney's Circular Quay Wharf, the city skyline 🌆, and the Harbour Bridge. As for Bennelong's drinks menu 🥂, it features a selection of cocktails 🍹, mocktails, beers 🍺, and wines, catering to a wide range of drink preferences. The food menu is structured with two to three set courses 🍽️, allowing you to choose from entrees, mains, and desserts. This setup makes it easy to enjoy a curated dining experience 😊, The Most Gorgeous Views of the Sydney Harbour ⬇️ With two Hats 🎩🎩, @bennelong_sydney showcases a well-curated 2-3 set course menu. Despite some dishes needing improvement, the overall experience is elegant 🤗 and memorable. I can generally recommend Bennelong to others for a luxury ✨️ dining experience without the lengthiness of a degustation 👌 One of the other highlights of dining here is the crystal-clear view ✨ of Sydney's Circular Quay Wharf, the city skyline 🌆, and the Harbour Bridge. As for Bennelong's drinks menu 🥂, it features a selection of cocktails 🍹, mocktails, beers 🍺, and wines, catering to a wide range of drink preferences. The food menu is structured with two to three set courses 🍽️, allowing you to choose from entrees, mains, and desserts. This setup makes it easy to enjoy a curated dining experience 😊, especially if you don't want to spend too long 🕔 dining in. If you're tempted to try other dishes like I was 😆, you can add an extra course to the 2 or 3-course menus, but be prepared to pay around $75 extra. To see all ~8+ dishes we had at Bennelong 📗, it's all available at bestspots.com.au #bennelong #hattedrestaurant #finedininglovers #sydneyoperahouse #operahouse ♬ See You on the Other Side - ReoLamos
@bestspots.com.au Looking for the perfect spot to celebrate? ⬇️ Bennelong right within the Opera House 📷, is a good choice for a dining experience that's as breathtaking as the views ✨ All the courses are a showcase of culinary artistry 🍽️ but some dishes easily stood out more than others. ✅ So here's the rundown of dishes I would recommend: ➡️ For entrees, the Housemade Koji Enriched Noodles 🍜 are a must-try, featuring a medley of mushrooms 🍄 topped with sesame and black garlic, garnished with delicate white flowers 🌸 Another choice is the Sashimi Scallops as they are fresh, delicious, and beautifully presented 🤗, paired with oyster cream 🦪, daikon, seaweed, and micro greens 🌿 ➡️ For Mains: The Roasted Pink Snapper 🐟, with its crisp edges and tender interior, is perfectly complemented by warm baby cucumbers, leeks, and pepitas. The Maremma Pasture Raised Duck 🦆, although slightly overcooked, includes a delicious hunter sausage that adds a burst of flavour. ➡️ For dessert, the Five Textures of Mango 🥭 is an absolute must-try and highly recommended. 🍨 This dessert features mango in various forms: ice cream, fresh mango, cream, dry ice crystals, and syrup, offering a light and refreshing end to your meal. For the complete course rundown on 10+ dishes and drinks, find it at bestspots.com.au #bennelong #bennelongrestaurant #operahouse #operahousesydney #sydneyoperahouse ♬ original sound - bestspots.com.au
Situated inside the renowned Sydney Opera House, Bennelong features a grand bronze entrance and a stairway leading into an elegant dining space. The restaurant's interior offers a unique glimpse of the Opera House's architecture, including its rooftop. It's a beautifully designed space, providing a comfortable and inviting atmosphere as you sit within Australia's most iconic building.
One of the other highlights of dining here is the crystal-clear view of Sydney's Circular Quay Wharf, the city skyline, and the Harbour Bridge. However, be prepared for some foot traffic as people may stand in front of the windows, occasionally obstructing the view. A few people stood close to the window where I sat, and it felt a tad too close.
As for Bennelong's drinks menu, it features a selection of cocktails, mocktails, beers, and wines, catering to a wide range of drink preferences.
The food menu is structured with two to three set courses, allowing you to choose from entrees, mains, and desserts. This setup makes it easy to enjoy a curated dining experience, especially if you don't want to spend too long dining in.
Bennelong is a two Hat restaurant and the entrees are particularly noteworthy, showcasing the chef's skill and creativity.
If you're tempted to try other dishes like I was, you can add an extra course to the 2 or 3-course menus, but be prepared to pay around $75 extra.
Overall, the dining experience at Bennelong Sydney is elegant, making it a top-contender restaurant experience for special occasions.
Bennelong Menu & Service
The food at Bennelong is a mix of hits and misses, but the service and presentation are consistently excellent. There was no bad dish, per se, but some dishes you could do without ordering again as the flavours didn't stand out.
However, every dish is certainly photo-worthy, and the presentation will leave a lasting impression.
Take a look at my Bennelong photos below and you'll see what I mean:
Passionfruit and Vanilla Mocktail
This mocktail combines passionfruit puree, mandarin, vanilla bean syrup, and apple for a refreshing and fruity drink. If you're looking for something non-alcoholic, I highly recommend their mocktails.
Pillars of the Community Cocktail
This cocktail is made of barrel-rested Four Pillars navy strength gin, Full Circle Chinotto gin, Campari, and Rosso vermouth, creating a robust and aromatic drink. If you like your gin, then consider ordering this cocktail.
Bread and Butter
Simple yet satisfying, the complimentary bread served with cultured butter and French whey is a delightful start to the meal.
Housemade Koji Enriched Noodles
These noodles are topped with king brown, oyster, and chestnut mushrooms, sesame, and black garlic, and they are garnished with white flowers. The dish is earthy and flavourful and is one of the entrees executed really well.
Sashimi Scallops
The scallops are fresh and delicious, accompanied by oyster cream, daikon, seaweed, aged vinegar, virgin soy, micro greens, and flowers. They're aesthetically pleasing to the eye and packed with flavour!
Cheese and Puffed Grains Ravioli
While visually appealing and initially appetising, this main course is unfortunately a bit one-dimensional in flavour, dominated by cheese. While the puffed grains add a nice texture, it is the least impressive of the mains. I paid an additional $75 for this dish and wouldn't order it again.
Maremma Pasture Raised Duck
This was a main dish served with hunter sausage, black sapphire grapes, and Kampot pepper. The dish was overall nice, but the duck was slightly overcooked. On the flip side, the sausage was flavourful and amazing! I wished there was more of it, as only one slice was provided, as it would have elevated the dish even further.
Roasted Pink Snapper
This dish includes warm baby cucumbers, leeks, pepitas, liquorice kombu, and pea shoots, creating a well-balanced and tasty main course. With its crisp edge, the tender fish pairs beautifully with the mix of other ingredients. It tastes as good as it looks!
Complimentary Sides
The green beans and roast potatoes accompany the mains, but for a fine dining experience, I expected more finesse and creativity. These sides felt too basic for my liking, as both sides are something you could easily make at home.
Complimentary Birthday Cupcake
A moist and delicious cupcake topped with cream, it is one of the best cupcakes I have had in a long time and perfect for the occasion (my Birthday!).
Five Textures of Mango Dessert
The best dessert and one I recommend ordering. This dessert features mango prepared in different ways, including ice cream, fresh mango, cream, crystals from dry ice, and syrup, offering a light and refreshing end to the meal. It's the perfect summer dessert for any mango lovers out there.
Pavlova
Shaped like the Opera House, this iconic dessert is beautiful! But I'll be honest: I'm not a fan of pavlova, as it's essentially just sugar and egg whites. In this instance, I only ordered this because of its resemblance to the Opera House. It's alright, but I'd recommend it only if you're interested in the unique presentation or if pavlova is your absolute favourite dessert.
RECOMMENDED
- Visiting for special occasion
- Passionfruit and Vanilla Mocktail
- Housemade Koji Enriched Noodles
- Sashimi Scallops
- Roasted Pink Snapper
- Five Textures of Mango Dessert
Final Words
If you're looking for an iconic fine dining restaurant in Sydney with some of the best views in town, you can't go wrong with Bennelong. While some dishes may not be as impressive as others, the overall experience is a highlight, making it ideal for celebrating special occasions or enjoying an upscale meal in one of Sydney's most iconic locations.
Have you been to Bennelong? If so, how was your experience? I'm curious to know what others think.
Where To Find Bennelong Restaurant And Bar
Address
Hours
- Monday: 5:30 – 8:45 PM
- Tuesday: 5:30 – 8:45 PM
- Wednesday: 5:30 – 8:45 PM
- Thursday: 5:30 – 8:45 PM
- Friday: 12:00 – 2:00 PM, 5:30 – 8:45 PM
- Saturday: 12:00 – 2:00 PM, 5:30 – 8:45 PM
- Sunday: 12:00 – 3:30 PM
Website
Phone
+61 2 9240 8000
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