Pier or Quay

[roosterchef21]

Hey guys!

I'm heading to Sydney with my wife on the 22nd of March for our 1 year wedding anniversary. I am having trouble picking between Quay and Pier for dinner. Which should I choose & why? We have a hotel booked on the rocks so Quay is obviously closer but Pier was named number one restaurant in Australia this year by the gourmet traveller. Out of the two, which has the most balanced/stunning degustation. What about service and romance? It's our first three star/hat experience so we want it to be good. Couldn't get into Tetsuya's because they were closed, I cancelled Rockpool because there is no tasting menu anymore and have heard it has turned more into a bistro! Also, how much for a cabride from the rocks to pier. It is at rose bay. thanks!

Edited March 6, 2008 by roosterchef21 (log)

[The Chefs Office]

Pier.....no doubt

From the rocks to Rose Bay at a guess it's probably $20 in a cab?

Have a great anniversary!

[infernooo]

+1 for Pier

[roosterchef21]

Why Pier?

[infernooo]

Better quality produce, nicer presentation, waiters are more polite, harbour looks nice at night time. I don't know how romantic it is in comparison to Quay, but if you and your wife love seafood, the Pier is the place to go.

[MichaelCE]

We loved Pier

See:

http://countryepicure.wordpress.com/2008/0...-bay/#more-2355

[howardlong]

I just did Pier for lunch - a really rather pleasant experience. Yes, a $20 cab ride from the CBD but big deal.

The pull here is both the vista and the food. And the vista at luchtime today was truly stunning, with the float planes taking off and landing and everything else going on. I was in the restaurant rather than the tasting section. I'd like to add that the wine is pretty darned good too.

Had scallops with risotto starter, and Murray cod main. One of my favourite wines, Cloudy Bay Te Koko washed it down. OK, so the scallops were from Newfoundland and the CB was from Marlborough, so not good for the food miles or quite local or seasonal in the produce department. But I had a memorable lunch.

For cheese I chose the Savarin, a tangy, creamy brie, and for dessert I can't remember what it was called but it had a parfait between a thin crisp caramel biscuit sandwich plus sorbet and thin fruit slices with rice pudding rice without the cream making it look like fish egg. The pastry chef is to be applauded - but she'll hate me for being so wishy washy about her creation. I asked the sommelier for the best wine/dessert match and went for his suggestion on both the food and the wine. The wine was a light muscat, like a Beaumes de Venise but it was from the Langedoc. I'm a wine lover and the sommelier was truly great to deal with despite being French (sorry, a cheap English xenophobe joke).

Off to Rockpool for dinner... not much at the top end is open today being a Monday and a public holiday, but I'm making the best of it.

Howard

(London, UK).

Edited March 24, 2008 by howardlong (log)

[sandra]

Howard, you probably didn't realise it, but it's likely you saw us sailing by while you were having your lunch!

How was your dinner at Rockpool? We were there the night of it's re-opening (by chance) and really enjoyed it...

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Back on topic roosterchef - which restaurant did you choose for your anniversary dinner?

Edited March 24, 2008 by sandra (log)

[howardlong]

Howard, you probably didn't realise it, but it's likely you saw us sailing by while you were having your lunch!

How was your dinner at Rockpool? We were there the night of it's re-opening (by chance) and really enjoyed it...

←

Sorry I mised you ;-)

Rockpool was a significant step change down from Pier primarily around the service. The waiting staff really aren't in the same league as those at Pier: dare I suggest pretentiousness rules over substance? The wine list isn't really a match for Pier either. Although the menu at Rockpool is enormous the food is still competently delivered.

I had a surprisingly good meal at Flying Fish last night - I would rate it above Rockpool. Tossing up between Quay and Est for tonight, then thank God I can return home for a badly needed diet.

Cheers, Howard

[howardlong]

I know this is too late, but for the record, here's what I thought about Quay...

Well Pier and Quay are definitely on a par. Service at both is excellent, although I found Quay ever so slightly over trendy in the haircut and tan department. That is not to suggest at all that at Quay the service was substandard, far from it in fact. I just felt more at home at Pier.

The food concepts are of course rather different. Whereas at Pier I found I could choose a wine to work with the savoury courses, doing the same a Quay would be impossible. Luckily as I'd arrived prior to anyone else at Quay I had the opportunity to speak with the sommelier for a good fifteen minutes prior to making my food choice. What, ask a sommelier about your food choice? If it's a menu and/or chef that's new to me that's the way I love to work. Turned out to be a great way too, as unusually for me I went with wine by the glass. I tried a big Chardonnay, a Pinot Gris, a superb Chenin Blanc and a Bordeaux blend, all Aussie of course. Back to the Chard for a nice big bit of aged Comte, plus the obligatory dessert wine (darned if I can remember what this one was).

The food was the Mud Crab Congee (Chardonnay), Confit Shaved Baby Squid (Pinot Gris + Chenin Blanc), Suffolk Lamb (Bordeaux blend), Comte cheese (Chardonnay) and White peach snow egg (???)

The sommelier was having quite a good time with me, and was being very generous with the booze... neither the Chenin Blanc nor the second Chard appeared on the bill.

I wish I could remember the Chenin Blanc - not like the Loire Valley stuff we get here in Europe at all. It was slightly oaked, with a clearly memorable roast banana nose to it and even better (for me - I like fuller whites with some temperature!) it wasn't served freezing cold.

OK so Pier or Quay?

Pier.

Why?

Well despite the excellent food and service, I was parked on a balcony on the Bridge side overlooking the Park Hyatt and the tourist traps (mea culpa!) of the Rocks. Depsite it being 9pm, there were still crying children downstairs. But worse I'm afraid were the constant streams of suits coming out to make phone calls on my (almost) private balcony. People, put your phones away or don't go out at all! I really don't want to hear another conversation that could so easily wait until the next morning.

Final thoughts: over the past week I've had to learn a new way of eating, a way that predominently includes fish, and I've enjoyed it but it takes some getting used to with the more delicate flavours. But perhaps better, compared to London prices, this has been a bargain!

Cheers, Howard