Sydney Eat Street: Light up your tastebuds at Vivid Sydney
Experience fantastic food and stellar views at one of the greatest shows in the world — Vivid Sydney. It’s not just the amazing light show that draws tourists and locals alike, foodies will find plenty of places with special menus to delight their tastebuds.
Experience fantastic food and stellar views at one of the greatest shows in the world — Vivid Sydney. It’s not just the amazing light show that draws tourists and locals alike, foodies will find plenty of places with special menus to delight their tastebuds.
Take a tour of Sydney’s best eateries right here with The Sunday Telegraph’s Eat Street. Are you hungry for more inspiration? Follow us on Instagram. #SydneyEatStreet.
MODE KITCHEN AND BAR’S CHROMA DINNER
Step into the light at the Chroma Dinner where it’s more than just a show.
Being described as a “unique culinary experience” and it’s fair to say that’s not an oversell as Four Seasons Sydney has converted its restaurant into a white canvas for the BroomX projector, the only one in Australia.
It’s designed to display spectacular virtual reality projections, turning the white room into a visual experience that matches the food you are eating “to stimulate all of our guest’s senses, designed to match the food, the sound and the video”.
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So be prepared to be transported into the middle of the jungle, under the reef or in a psychedelic world while enjoying four courses and four cocktails from Mode Kitchen and Bar.
Head chef Francesco Mannelli said he was “inspired by interesting and extraordinary Australian ingredients”.
“I created a unique menu to stimulate guests senses, while paying homage to my Italian heritage playing with cooking techniques to create natural vibrant colours and dishes to excite our guests,” he says.
The Chroma dinner is only available during Vivid and costs $145 per person. (For details visit www.fourseasons.com/sydney/)
— Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, 199 George St, The Rocks; fourseasons.com/sydney/
CRUISE THROUGH VIVID-AQUA DINING & RIPPLES CHOWDER BAY
Eat (and drink, of course) your way through Vivid over four visually stunning and tastebud tantalising hours, including a cruise past the Sydney Opera House.
Sydney Restaurant Group will be featuring Cruise Through Vivid, a progressive dinner starting at Milsons Point’s Aqua Dining at 6.30pm for organic sourdough bread and appetisers followed with two courses including scallops with green beans matched with a glass of 2017 Bollini, and finishing with a risotto, bacalhau, onion ice cream paired with a 2016 Fattori San Lorenzo.
Board the boat at 8pm and cruise through Vivid’s captivating city skyline light show to Chowder Bay, stopping at Ripples at 8.30pm for homemade focaccia, olive oil, balsamic vinegar goat’s curd, prosciutto, rockmelon crostini macaroni and cheese croquettes and Tabasco mayo.
Next up is the braised beef cheeks, truffled polenta, peas, mint matched to a 2016 Cape Mentelle ‘Trinders’ cabernet Merlot and then bread and butter pudding, currants, brandy gelato with a NV Stanton & Kileen ‘Rutherglen’ Muscat.
The boat cruises back through Vivid and arrives at Milsons Point about 10.30pm. There’s really no better way to spend four hours soaking in the sights of Vivid. (www.aguadining.com.au)
— Aqua Dining, cnr of Northcliff and Paul streets, Milsons Point; aquadining.com.au
THE GLENMORE HOTEL
Glow. In. The. Dark. Beer. Jugs! Yep, you read that right, The Glenmore is kicking it up a couple of notches this year starting with their annual Winter Party on Thursday.
It’s a 70s disco so get yourself some Night Fever, dress up like a Bee Gee and you could win a trip to Thredbo.
There’s a DJ and also $10 espresso martinis are on tap.
But it’s The Glenmore’s first-time collaboration with UTS for their own light show that is the highlight.
Clips from UTS’ animation students from 2016-2018 will be projected onto the rooftop’s sails.
One of the themes is ‘Wabi-sabi’ — known in Japan as a world-view centred on the acceptance of transience and imperfection.
With a cracking view of the harbour, The Glenmore is one of the best spots, and more relaxed pub atmospheres to watch Vivid with a drink in hand.
— 96 Cumberland St, The Rocks; theglenmore.com.au
PARK HYATT-THE DINING ROOM
Feel like a VIP inside The Dining Room at Park Hyatt Sydney. Without a doubt the Sydney Opera House is the marquee star — the headliner — of Vivid as its sails dance to the light projected on one of the world’s most iconic buildings.
The Dining Room is featuring a festival inspired menu which caters to all tastes, specialising in fantastic Australian staples — steak, seafood platters, fish and oysters.
It has a great wine selection. If you want fine dining with an even finer view, book your front row seats to an unforgettable show. Make you have plenty of charge on your camera phone.
— 7 Hickson Rd, The Rocks; thediningroom.com.au
SOFITEL DARLING HARBOUR
What better way than to take in Vivid than from 35 storeys up in Darling Harbour.
The Sofitel is setting up a pop-up bar on its top floor Club Millesime, which is usually reserved for the hotel’s VIPs.
A partnership with Glenmorangie single malt whiskeys, the pop-up bar will offer eight signature highball cocktails and some of the drinks.
It’s a new Vivid venue so it’s a “can’t miss” for show veterans.
The hotel’s Champagne Bar will serve a Vivid-inspired champagne cocktails, including the ‘Yellow-flamed Phoenix’, complete with flames.
It’s created by resident mixologist Evan Brown as a tribute to Madame Clicquot’s artistry and spirit of innovation. (For details visit www.sofitelsydney.com.au)
— 12 Darling Drive, Darling Harbour, Sydney; sofitelsydneydarlingharbour.com.au
MUST TRY
Q DINING
A stunning view of the light projections on the Harbour Bridge, MCA and city towers compliments this recently renovated restaurants’ special Vivid menu featuring Aussie ingredients.
“Our specially curated menu for Vivid at Q Dining follows our ethos of ‘where land meets sea’,” head chef Brett Humphries says.
They’ve done that with scallops, carrot and ginger puree, baby rainbow carrot, heirloom cucumber gel.
(For details visit www.pullmanquaygrandsydneyharbour.com.au)
— Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbour, 61 Macquarie St, Sydney
OPERA BAR
Get up close, very close to the action at this popular bar right at the foot of the at the Sydney Opera House.
There’ll be food specials, and of course, some neon inspired cocktails. (For details visit www.operbar.com.au)
— Sydney Opera House, Macquarie St, Sydney
THE ARGYLE
Get ready to enjoy all that Vivid has to offer by starting with a jaunt into The Rocks where The Argyle will be offering a pre-Vivid dining package includes an antipasto sharing platter and a Belvedere vodka, strawberry and lime cocktail jug for $50.
Follow that with an Espresso Martini — in a glowing neon glass — for just five bucks.
— 18 Argyle St, The Rocks
THE SQUIRE’S LANDING
It’s a treat for all ages — the show on the sails across the harbour along with a special two or three-course Vivid menu.
The young ones can score a meal from the kids’ menu along with a drink — which comes with a glow-in-the-dark straw for just $10.
Good old fashioned fish and chips and pretty lights. Tick.
— Overseas Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay West, The Rocks
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