Guillaume at Bennelong - Circular Quay

Location: Bennelong Point, end of Macquarie Street. A few minutes walk from Circular Quay.

Details: Guillaume at Bennelong is situated in the southern most shell of the Sydney Opera House.Sensuously curved, chocolate-coloured banquettes surround generously-spaced tables. Both the restaurant and the bar offer spectacular views of Sydney Harbour, the Bridge, Royal Botanic Gardens, Circular Quay and the city. Guillaume at Bennelong offers a range of dining choices including; intimate booth seating, a semi-private dining area for small groups and private events in the Bennelong bar overlooking the Harbour Bridge. The restaurant offers a sophisticated ambience, professional staff, a well-crafted wine list, with an extensive range of over 350 Australian and international drops and, most significantly, Guillaume’s signature cuisine and his innate ability to create an atmosphere for all occasions.

Profiled by de groots media: The Sydney Opera House is a national icon and the stage for some of the world’s best ballet, opera, concerts and plays. It is also where chef Guillaume Brahimi spins theatrics on the palates of enchanted diners. Underneath a concrete and glass canopy that makes up one of the Sydney Opera House’s famous sails, Guillaume at Bennelong delivers a spectacular combination of food and atmosphere. Tones of brown, white-set tables and undisturbed views over Circular Quay, the Harbour Bridge and the Royal Botanic Gardens welcome diners to the split-level restaurant. Guillaume at Bennelong is segregated into three sections: a retro-esque bar where guests can indulge in a pre-theatre glass or wine, a cocktail and the tapas menu; a private dining area which offers seclusion and a fabulous a la carte or degustation menu; and the renown dining floor which is home to intimate tables and has seen more proposals than Elizabeth Taylor.

When you’ve recovered from the splendour of your surroundings, look to the menu for further wonder. Both the a la carte and the degustation menus wow with French-inspired Modern Australian cuisine that has seen this restaurant collect accolade after accolade. If you opt for the a la carte option, start with Guillaume’s signature entree of yellowfin tuna, basil infused with soy and mustard seed vinaigrette, which stays fixed to the otherwise-transitionary menu. For mains you are on your own – perhaps tortellini of peas with baby carrots, baby leek and light herb butter or blue eye trevalla roasted on an etuve of baby summer vegetables takes your fancy? If you’d like to save your pennies but still taste the greatness, the restaurant offers a fantastic two- or three-course pre-theatre menu. On the opposite end of the scale, for ultimate extravagance, book yourself in for a degustation dinner. C’est magnifique!

Agnes Gajewska