Marque Restaurant - Surry Hills

Background: From a humble background working in the mines to his gradual rise as an iconic figure in Australia’s culinary landscape, Mark Best is an inspiring figure for congenital gourmands and young chefs alike. With support of his chef and front-of-house team and guided by partner Valerie Best, Marque Restaurant has cemented its place as one of the top fine-diners in Australia, winning the coveted title of Restaurant of the Year in the SMH Good Food Guide 2011 and most recently, the Restaurant of the Year at the Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards 2012.

Location: On Crown Street in trendy Surry Hills.

Details: The smart interior boasts a contemporary mix of comfort and luxury with white-linen draped tables, plush leather and lounge seating in matte and glossy brown-black hues and luxe wares that adorn each table. The look is simple elegance. A double set of doors open into the large dining room and stylish zinc bar. Contemporary artworks grace the walls adding a touch of lightness to the otherwise moody fit-out, whilst pendant lighting washes the room in a warm, flaxen glow.

Food & beverage: Best’s take on contemporary French cuisine is a little like magic. Innovative techniques from dehydration to jelly or flash-frozen, robust flavour combinations and carefully composed presentations allow him to push conventional food boundaries in unexpected ways. The constantly evolving menu is a testament to Best and Head Chef Pasi Petanen’s labour-intensive cooking styles, which combines classic forms and contemporary innovation. Whilst dishes may look wonderfully simple, they are frighteningly complex, layering multiple flavours and textures to surrender diners to new pleasures with every bite. The main degustation menu, which can be accompanied with matching wines, features the likes of a duck egg with macadamia, stout sabayon and button mushrooms and grain fed Wagyu bavette with onion, black tea and stem salad.

The recent addition of Friday ‘Prix Fixe’ lunches feature a three course market menu that changes weekly. Sommelier Nicholas Andre holds things to a similar standard with the wine, boasting an extraordinary level of knowledge, experience and a palate that drives the dynamicity of his well-rounded list. His impeccable eye for the new and exciting give Marques wine menu the wit and verve required so that each wine can stand on its own intrinsic merits. But be warned, quality does not come cheap.

Functions: For private dining experiences at Marque Restaurant, degustation menus are served in the private dining room, which seats a maximum of 14 persons. For larger functions it is possible to hire out the entire restaurant floor space.