A Menu Before The Theatre
Sydney, Australia
Cuisine Style: French, Haute
Average Price: $$$
Overall Rating: 5/5
Dined in March 2015
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Executive Chef:
Ben Turner
Chef/Owner:
Sommelier:
Matt Dunne
Paul Beaton
Aria is an award-winning restaurant in Sydney located at Circular Quay, on the very edge of Sydney Harbor, with spectacular views, elegance and assorted theatre and tasting menus. The restaurant holds two AGFG Chef's Hats awards plus they were awarded the 'Diner's Choice' restaurant by the readers at the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2012. My first night in Sydney had me at the Opera House enjoying a Beethoven concert which was a very nice way of relaxing after a long day which began in Melbourne with a flight to Sydney, lunch at Tetsuya’s, wine tastings at a festival, and after the concert the theatre tasting menu here at Aria located right next to the Sydney Opera House with views of the Harbour Bridge.
Menu:
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Chef Tasting Menu - 8 courses
- Sides
- Desserts
- Lunch
- Pre-theatre menu
Aria has two main dinner menus, and the restaurant is located on the second floor of the building facing Sydney Harbor, with windows across the entire section for excellent viewing while you dine. They also have a special Chef’s Table located right next to the kitchen for special reservations. The ground level of the building has small gift shops and tourist catered areas. The entrance to the restaurant is on the same ground level, but on the opposite side on the main street, versus the Quay, so it made it difficult to find at first.
I had a spectacular lunch so even at 9:00 pm at night after the concert ended I was still not that hungry. The two menus offered were a chef’s tasting of 8 courses, and the second was a theater menu broken into four courses, but if you wanted you could choose either one for an à la carte or all four courses. Each course had a selection of items to choose from. I chose the one-course menu and figured if I had a nice side, I’d be just fine. Normally I would enjoy a glass of wine, and their list was very nice, holding a great selection of world and of course Australian wines. But since I did a wine tasting after lunch, I was wined out, and would not have enjoyed it, especially at their price point. After placing the order, an amuse was brought to the table with a creamed cheese base, nuts, and peppers, very appetizing, but I have no idea what it was.
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| Amuse course |
The scenery was wonderful looking out at the Opera House, and seeing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, though it was partially blocked by other buildings. After the amuse, some bread and butter selections were brought out to munch on while the main course was being prepared. For my one course entree, I had the Grilled Rangers Valley flat iron steak topped with watercress lettuce, citrus yuzu, and soy dressing. I also ordered a side of mashed potatoes to go with it. Other choices included a lamb loin on a globe artichoke barigoule with green olives and harissa, plus a Cone Bay barramundi with grill cabbage.
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| Grilled Rangers Valley flat iron steak |
Normally I enjoy eating the cuisine the country has to offer versus typical international food without that countries flair, but then again, it was a long day, and comfort food was right up my alley. I enjoyed the experience, and when I return to Sydney I’d like to try the Chef’s Tasting menu of eight courses.
Dessert:
The menu had six dessert choices ranging from a soufflé of baked pink lady apples with toasted raisin and pecan bread ice cream, caramel and cep tart with hazelnuts and mandarin along with some espresso ice cream, or a selection of Australian and international cheeses just to name a few.
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other Noteworthy Haute and French cuisine Articles & Restaurants:
Bistrot La Minette Charming French Bistro with movie filmed terrace in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Chef Bernard Loiseau Is Michelin at fault?
Restaurant Le Gabriel Haute Gastronomique French restaurant & bistro in Bordeaux, France
Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud Impeccably prepared French fine dining in Dublin, Ireland
The Brasserie at the Café de Paris A Parisian style bistro rendez-vous in Monte-Carlo, Monaco
The French Laundry French-American fine dining restaurant in Yountville, California
The Test Kitchen Modern eclectic and Nouvelle Latin cuisine in Cape Town, South Africa
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other Sydney restaurants and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
|
Eclectic French-Asian Tasting
Sydney, Australia
A top 20 on Wine Dine and Play
|
Yearly tasting event at Hyde Park
Sydney, Australia
|
Quintessential Modern Australian Cuisine
Sydney, Australia
A top 20 on Wine Dine and Play
|
A Few Australian Favorites:
|
An innovative and eclectic tasting menu
Ripponlea, Australia
A top 20 on Wine Dine and Play
|
Rustic café for Modern Australian
Melbourne, Australia
|
Elegant Modern Australian with Molecular Gastronomic
Melbourne, Australia
A top 20 on Wine Dine and Play
|
|
Creative modern Australian dining
Yarra Glen
|
Famous battle named blocks
Gruyere, Yarra Valley Australia
|
Two city-block landmark market
Melbourne, Australia
|
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings
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Max Points Possible:
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Total Points Awarded:
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Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
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9
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9
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0
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Food quality
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10
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8
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2
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Plate presentation
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8
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8
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0
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Customer service
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8
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6
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2
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Alcohol and other beverages
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9
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8
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1
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Total regular points awarded
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44
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39
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5
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Total percentage Before Bonus
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0.886363636363636
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“Wow” factor BONUS
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5
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2
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0.0454545454545455
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Total percentage with a bonus for the final star rating
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0.937818181818182
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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5
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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5 of 5 Stars:
94% Rating with a 2 point “wow” bonus
An Extraordinary Dining Experience
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Wine List:
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Wine rating:
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8 of 10
Old World selections:
France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Portugal, Greece, England, Switzerland
New World selections:
Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, California, Oregon, Washington State, New York, South Africa
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Corkage fee’s:
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This Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge
$25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant style:
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Conservative to Semi-formal dining
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Cuisine style:
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Australian, French, Haute
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Farm to Fork, Gluten Free, Grass Fed, Organic, Pescatarian, Sustainable, Vegan, and Vegetarian Options
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Reservations:
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Required
Walk-Ins:
Not accepted
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Dress code:
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Business casual to Smart casual attire
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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Experiences:
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Place for foodies, Contemporary, Modern, Trendy, Business parties, Romantic, Hotspot, Good for special occasions, Scenic views, Classy, Upscale, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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A Public lot or Street meter parking
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Medium
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant
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Patio or terrace:
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No
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
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Price
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Australian Dollar (AUS)
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$$$
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United States Dollar (USD)
|
$$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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££
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$$$
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
|
¥¥¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
|
€€
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Aria Restaurant:
1 Macquarie Street
East Circular Quay
Sydney 2000
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+61 2 9240 2255
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Online reservations
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Email Contact:
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Serving hours:
Australian Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC + 10:00)
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Lunch: Mon-Fri
12:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Dinner: Mon-Sun
5:30 pm - 11:00 pm
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Social Media
&
Accolades:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
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Eclectic tavern for Surf 'n' Turf in Griffin, Georgia, USA
|
Nautical themed eatery with crafted cocktails and raw bar
Sarasota, Florida, USA
|
New American Cuisine, tapas, and exotic cocktails
St Pete Beach, Florida, USA
|
Other Pictures:
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
