Martinez

As close you can get to the Cote d’Azur in a Sydney high-rise.

November 11, 2024

1 / 8Earl Grey-infused creme caramel.Jennifer Soo

2 / 8Sydney rock oysters, chilled mussels, raw scallops.Jason Loucas

3 / 8Martinez terrace bar.Steve Woodburn

4 / 8The signature petit bouillabaisse.Jennifer Soo

5 / 8Raw scampi with white soy and seaweed vinegar.Jennifer Soo

6 / 8An abundance of natural light.Jennifer Soo

7 / 8Spatchcock fricassee with a creamy foie gras sauce.Jennifer Soo

8 / 8The fantastic fish burger.Leigh Griffiths

15/20

Mediterranean$$

Is the three-martini lunch back? Yes, says Martinez, and possibly the multi magnum dinner, too. Extending from the lobby of Quay Quarter Tower, this smart-casual newcomer – a grown-up’s playground of large-format wines, rose marble and burgundy banquettes – is a plush antidote to the surrounding office space.

Chef Alex Wong’s border-hopping take on southern French cuisine means stacked seafood platters with crusty baguettes; brothy Provencal lamb stew melting into green rigati pasta with a sweet pop of peas; and “petite” (not that petite) bouillabaisse loaded with fregola, bug meat, mussels and clams.

Finish with Earl Grey-infused creme caramel, and take your last drink with a Harbour Bridge view at the outdoor terrace bar. This is the kind of smart “got it all” package Circular Quay needs more of, complete with a kiosk selling tuna baguettes to take away and eat al desko.