Design Bar by Classique Relaunch: Cocktails and Function Canapés, Surry Hills (7 Jan 2012)

St Margarets Urban Village

423-425 Bourke Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010

http://designbarsydney.com.au

Redesign of the Design Bar

Thanks to Natascha Moy from Limited Table for inviting me along to the relaunch of Design Bar which formerly used to be C-ique Design Bar. I'm told a complete overhaul of the cocktail and food menu has been introduced to tantalise the taste buds which is viewed via a tablet at the bar. There only seemed to be two menus available so I'm suspecting it could become a bottleneck for customers to see what they want to order though. On the speciality cocktail menu I tried the One Night In Paris ($20) with a lethal combination of Hennessy VSOP cognac, Danish Cherry Heering Liqueur, Cotes de Rhone red wine, cherry and chocolate bitters, served with ripe cherries and pieces of dark chocolate (Lindt 70%). It could easily become a dessert on its own although a little side dish for the cherry pips would have been appreciated. For those who like it even stronger go for the Cubanesque ($18) made with Nicaraguan rum, Western Indian falernum, whiskey barrel-aged bitters, zest of orange and Grand Marnier. A few of these will surely make you forget about work, and possibly who you arrived with too. To start with something a bit lighter and refreshing I'd suggest the Bella Vista ($18) with Prosecco, Aperol, lemoncello, orange bitters and blood orange sorbet. Be sure to mix it well before drinking to better balance the flavours.

As far as function canapés go they're definitely a cut above the usual fare in terms of presentation and flavours and it seems the chef is a huge fan of edible flowers for some reason. The tender and tasty Lamb Cutlets were a show stopper for me — I'd really love to get the recipe. The sizeable Smoked Salmon canapes would go down well as a flavoursome starter for any function and the Beetroot Gazpacho shots were something a bit different yet enjoyable. The Mini Burger had potential but was unfortunately let down by the slightly hard and oversized bun which needed two hands to eat. I'm told the kitchen is hoping to bake their own buns in the future which I think would be a good idea. I prefer the size of burger canapés to be a bit smaller like the Wagyu Penny Burger I had at the March Into Merivale Launch. To end with some sweetness the Mini Cheesecake and Jelly Shots were very good and contained noticeable alcohol for that extra happy kick to the palate.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Interesting and tasty canapes, Relaxed outdoor seating options, Quality cocktail ingredients, Designer furniture showroom, 3 levels of public car parking available underneath, Function space and catering available

CONS: Outside area needs to be cleared by 10 pm due to council restrictions, Sound restrictions due to residential area, Due to the complexity of cocktails there may be quite a wait at bar if busy

MUST TRY: Cubanesque and Bella Vista cocktails, Lamb cutlets, Jelly Shots

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Drinks menu on tablet

Long Island Iced Tea ($20?), The Nightingale cocktail: Hendrick's gin, Pimm's No. 1, French Canton ginger liqueur, mint, lime juice, pressed lemon zests, ginger beer ($18)

Vita di Lusso: Aged grappa with Galliano l'Autentico and Zibbobo grape reduction syrup, freshly squeezed lemon juice, served with green seedless grapes and Prosecco-soaked Italian cheese ($20)

One Night In Paris: Hennessy VSOP cognac, Danish Cherry Heering Liqueur, Cotes de Rhone red wine, cherry and chocolate bitters, served with ripe cherries and pieces of dark chocolate ($20)

Cubanesque: Nicaraguan rum, Western Indian falernum, whiskey barrel-aged bitters, zest of orange, Grand Marnier ($18)

WORTH TRYING :-)

Bittersweetheart: Plymouth gin, Chambord, lemon juice, rhubarb bitters, home-made raspberry and rhubarb jam ($18)

Bella Vista: Prosecco, Aperol, lemoncello, orange bitters, blood orange sorbet ($18)

WORTH TRYING :-)

Tears Royale: Plymouth Slow gin, French St Germain elderflower liqueur, cranberry bitters, prosecco ($18)

Design Shots:

French Cheesecake Shot ($9) WORTH TRYING :-)

Sloe Jam Shot ($9)

Pirate Of The Carribbean Shot ($9)

Salmon function canape

WORTH TRYING :-)

Kingfish function canape

Mini burger

Lamb Cutlets function canape

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Beetroot gazpacho function canape

Duck function canape

Cheesecake function canape

Jelly Shot function canape

WORTH TRYING :-)

Bar area

Outside courtyard seating

Photographer, musicians, bar staff and chefs in the kitchen

Bartenders Simon and James looking after the cocktails

Stairs to level 1 furniture showroom

Classique showroom

Decor features

Boys watch out if someone opens the door and a lady is walking past at the same time — you might be on show. I think a wall privacy screen would be appreciated in front and between the urinals.



Outdoor bar vibe


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Cafe Sydney: Fine dining with a great view, Circular Quay (4 Jan 2011)

31 Alfred Street, Sydney NSW 2000
http://www.cafesydney.com

Great view and good service

To celebrate on my actual birthday my brother took the family out to Cafe Sydney for dinner. Arriving just before our 7 pm booking we were informed our table wasn't ready so we sat near the bar to order drinks. I sometimes think this is a ploy to have customers order pre-dinner drinks as I noticed other guests being let through to be seated but perhaps our special terrace spot was indeed not ready for a further 25 minutes waiting. In the meantime I enjoyed a Cafe Sydney Lounge cocktail ($19) albeit the excessive ice while others enjoyed the Bellini cocktail ($17), Hurricane cocktail ($19), Non-alcoholic Kiwi Crush cocktail ($11) and a Hahn Super Dry beer ($8.50).

Once we were finally seated on the terrace we realised the wait was worth it. With an outdoor terrace spot booked and thankfully clouds holding tight above the weather was very pleasant to enjoy the great views over Circular Quay including the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House — I felt like a tourist in my own city. Being open to the elements I think having a comfortable experience on the terrace is very dependent on the weather and if it was very hot and humid it might have been a repeat of Berowra Waters Inn. Our wait staff seemed professional, friendly and accommodating which I wasn’t expecting. Even to the point where I complained about my table support not being correctly aligned for comfort and they managed to swap my table quickly to my liking — bonus ticks for service, but I felt a little guilty for the other couple still to arrive that got my misaligned table, sorry.

A pricey bottle of 2006 Cloudy Bay Gewurztraminer, Marlborough NZ ($81) was good and the very affordable freshly cooked Garlic naan ($2), Spiced caramelised onion naan ($3) and Goats cheese and spinach naan ($3.50) were great tasty starters — very unusual to see on a fine dining menu. A side of Sauteed rosemary kiplfers ($9.50) were a bit oily but nevertheless full of flavour. I really enjoyed the nicely presented Grilled scallops with zucchini ribbons ($27) which was light yet flavoursome. Equally enjoyable were the Pure Coffin Bay oysters ($22.50 for 6) which had been freshly shucked although I might have preferred the eschallots to be caramelized a bit to sweeten the oniony taste and not sure what the 'pure' meant. Chips ($8) were thin and crispy as hoped and reminded me of McDonalds French Fries but fresher — when they’re cut the same size how can one not joke if they’d actually been bought from downstairs, but I know they weren’t.

The Twice cooked pork ($38) was enjoyed along with the flavoursome Tarragon gnocchi ($32). I had a bit of food envy for the nicely cooked Herb crusted lamb rack ($39) and my Crumbed crab cake with grilled prawn ($27) was light yet tasty but relatively pricey I guess for the small serving. I really enjoyed the Mixed young salad leaves ($8.5) as a side which was very fresh and had a lovely dressing reminding me of the one I had at est. Some crispy skin was thankfully to be had on the W.A. barramundi with goat cheese ravioli ($39). The Buttermilk panna cotta with poached strawberry and rhubarb ($18) was chocolate signed with my surprise birthday wish — the strawberries could have been sweeter but the panna cotta was nice. The Warm hazelnut pudding ($18) and Baked cheesecake with glazed pineapple ($17) were rather simply plated but still enjoyable. You can’t go too wrong washing the desserts down with some 2009 Brown Brothers Orange Muscat and Flora ($9) and 2008 Scarborough Late Harvest Semillon ($12.50). To my surprise the Cappucino ($4.50) and Flat white ($4.50) were pretty decent without being too bitter on the palate. The overall experience was very good and special and I think a great spot to wine and dine any tourist friends visiting Sydney or for those who are looking for what seems like a well-run enjoyable restaurant with excellent views and nicely prepared dishes.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Friendly and professional service, Nice dishes, Great view from terrace, Romantic atmosphere at night, Privacy screens in mens toilet, Entertainment Book discount available

CONS: Some table supports are awkwardly positioned (and should be corrected), Expensive but the view makes it special, Had to wait 25 minutes for our 7 pm table booking, Very limited free street parking, Terrace table is weather dependent

MUST TRY: Grilled scallops with zucchini ribbons, Oysters, Mixed young salad leaves, Naan

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Cafe Sydney Lounge cocktail: Fresh lime muddled with torn kaffir lime leaf, Bombay Sapphire gin, Bacardi Superior rum, citrus-ginger and melon liqueurs; complemented with cranberry juice ($19) — ice factor is quite a fair amount.

Bellini cocktail: White peach puree and Creme de Peche topped with Prosecco di Congeliano ($17)

Hurricane cocktail: A refreshing balance of passionfruit, orange and lime juices shaken with Bacardi Superior and Bacardi 8 rums ($19)

Kiwi Crush non-alcoholic cocktail: Crisp and fresh with kiwi fruit, lime and passionfruit syrup; finished with Appletiser ($11)

Hahn Super Dry beer ($8.50)

2006 Cloudy Bay Gewurztraminer, Marlborough NZ ($81 bottle)

Garlic naan ($2), Spiced caramelised onion naan ($3), Goats cheese and spinach naan ($3.50)

Sauteed rosemary kiplfers ($9.50)

Pure Coffin Bay oysters on ice with eschallot and caramelised cabernet vinegar ($22.50 for 6)

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Grilled scallops with zucchini ribbons, radish, lemon and horseradish creme fraiche ($27)

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Chips ($8)

Twice cooked pork belly with pork fillet, prosciutto, caramelised apple, pistachio and jus ($38)

Tarragon gnocchi with asparagus, yellow squash, roasted eggplant, truss tomato and persian feta ($32)

Herb crusted lamb rack with braised lamb shoulder cigar, heirloom baby carrots and jus ($39)

Mixed young salad leaves ($8.5)

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Crumbed crab cake with grilled prawn, cornichon, fennel and sauce gribiche ($27)

W.A. barramundi with goat cheese ravioli, butternut pumpkin, pine nut, raisin and sage brown butter ($39)

2009 Brown Brothers Orange Muscat and Flora ($9), 2008 Scarborough Late Harvest Semillon ($12.50)

Buttermilk panna cotta with poached strawberry and rhubarb ($18)

Warm hazelnut pudding with chestnut creme and praline ice cream ($18)

Baked cheesecake with glazed pineapple, coconut crisp and pineapple sorbet ($17)

Cappucino ($4.50), Flat white ($4.50)

Bill $499.50 for 5 people, minus $50 with Entertainment Card discount = $449.50

The terrace view during the day and night

Terrace seating — best spot for a view when good weather

In good weather the terrace shade is retracted to open up the view to the sky

Inside restaurant dining

Bar area — I'm so glad I didn't wear my pink shirt otherwise I would have looked like a staff member

Lounge area — I find the seating too low and very uncomfortable

Table support not ergonomically positioned — a pet hate of mine

Table support corrected by efficient service — I'm much more comfortable now

Dinosaur Designs battery operated table lights — I want one

Aesops liquid soap in the toilets — nice. Also the mens toilet has privacy screens between the urinals, now that's a big tick in my 'finer details' book which you don't often find.

Interior of Customs House foyer

Customs House — Cafe Sydney located at the top


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