rockpool bar & grill

rockpool has been on my list since few years and finally get to try it! ordered the asparagus with spanner crab for the appetizer and it was cooked perfectly, the crab tasted so delicious and both the asparagus and the crab complemented each other really well.

for the mains, we ordered the king george whiting and cape grim dry aged vintage 60 mongh old grass fed fillet “minute style”, and also mixed boiled greens and onion ring for the side. the fish was cooked very nicely, the meat was nice and tender and was seasoned really well, and there was no bone as well. the meat was also really nice and tender, and very juicy.

would only come here again for the steak, pricey but one of the better ones i've had in sydney. tried a couple of cocktails, entrees and side dishes but found them all to be very average, which was disappointing for a fine dining restaurant. the mac and cheese, for example, was extremely salty and the cocktail recommended to me by staff (supposedly "sweet") was bitter.

special occasion restaurant. good ambience (but dark!) in art deco building.

superb steaks - rib eye and fillet. yet to try wagyu steaks.

great wine list but prices steeply marked up: expect three to four fold mark up on most wines.

i had the full blood wagyu burger with handcut chips, the pineapple and lemon mocktail and an espresso. it was the best burger i've ever had. absolutely enormous, perfectly cooked, and everything on it in balance. yummy!

the chips were like the ones i used to eat at home as a kid, and the mocktail wasn't super sweet, but tangy and refreshing. the espresso was really good too, not bitter and harsh but smooth and strong in flavor.

then, for dessert, i had the rhubarb and strawberry pudding. they call it a pudding, but it's basically an enormous souflé with a whole bunch of compote in the middle. amazing. and i also had the peppermint chamomile tea with caramel popcorn.

so. much. food.

my waiter was lovely and friendly, very helpful and pleasant.

definitely coming back!

a must visit, one of the go to restaurants in sydney managed and curated by chef neil perry. we got this line from a friend of a friend when we asked what to try when in this buzzing australian city.

chef perry is a well known, seasoned celebrity chef, restauranteur and a consultant to a number of other food establishments.

as we went in, this placed was packed to the brim. and so we ended up sitting at their bar area instead of the restaurant. the price range were still on the upside here but well worth the bite as we tried four dishes.

their seared king prawns in goat cheese tortellini was delightful. it also had playful ingredients that include burnt butter, pine nuts and raisins. a bit of caramel taste also comes out of this savory sweet masterpiece.

for sandwiches we got two of their burgers, the wagyu and the grass fed heritage breed. the former had a softer and marbled texture and the latter leaner but tastier. both of these came with crispy bacon, ample gruyere cheese and sour zuni pickle.

for a light starter, we also got roasted chicken and walnut. i recommend this with some fruit juice if you're the type that does not drink alcohol, like i do. my friends got a bottle while we chilled here altogether.

rockpool bar & grill is a stunning restaurant, with great, fast and easy service. they are has polite as can be, and definitively has a great feeling of vividness. i have to say that this is quite the pricey place but is fully forgettable when trying their yummy food that is succulent and melts in your mouth. i had the sausages and lentil's which was lovely and full of flavor and spices. i suggest it very much.

this art decor restaurant holds a majestic presence. ive been to rockpool a number of times, the service is impeccable as is the food.british high end cusine with a twist. fresh ingredients, even the sausages are hand made. lovely for a special occasion or romantic dinnrr for two.

we had the wagu steak medium rare - excellent. and the wagu brisket - surprisingly tender but fully cooked to my liking. friendly service too.

they stole my credit card but then shortly abrupt afterward they just gaven/gaved it rate right back to me. it still had money but not as much - - methinks it was cos of all the food i eaten (e.g. big meal) the food tasted great but im not sure about the staff because i didnt taste them.

everything you expect in a fine dining experience. cannot fault any dish that was served. as a pescatarian, there was great options and i went for the cooryong yellow eye mullet from the charcoal oven. when it came out, i was shocked. it looked like slithers of canned fish, i was worried it would be not what i liked when ordering fish for a main, but looks were deceiving with this one. it was so delicious!!! it didn't need to be presented any other way as the flavour and texture spoke for itself. this fish was perfect, and surprisingly filling. for my entree i had the roasted cauliflower and cheese gratin, also perfection. bit of an upgrade on the usual home cooked version i'm used to! for dessert, i had the passionfruit pavlova which as nothing special in terms of pavlova, but it was lovely. the wine/champagne list is long and daunting. ask for a recommendation according to your taste and budget and they'll give a few suggestions. i went one of the cheapest bottles of white, but for $100 approx, it actually accompanied the dishes perfectly.
ok, i have a bit is solid criticism here i hope they can take note of, which i feel i have the right to mention in a review after the cost of the bill. it is expensive, but the food and experience absolutely reflects the price, i was very happy with that, but i didn't appreciate the service. the service is of course high end level. which comes with zero personality or warmth at rockpool. from the initial greeting at front of house, to taking us to our seats, to our awkward departure where we weren't greeted at all. i took an interstate colleague - a partially blind friend who they weren't very observant or accommodating to, i had to hold her hand and guide her as the restaurant was so dark, she also walked out after arriving early, as she walked in and the poor girl couldn't see a thing, so she had to walk out and wait outside for me to arrive. i would have hoped one of the 2 staff members at the front desk would have noticed her actions and asked if she was ok and offered her a seat inside out the cold after she stood outside waiting after that. the waiters say very little. they barely interact with you besides taking orders and pouring wine/sauces. i know this is the high end way, but i tried to joke with our first waiter and he barely cracked a smile, i don't even think he heard me correctly and was just being polite instead of actually paying attention. it was obvious that we were after a more personal level of service from my language and body language, but we just didn't get that. it was just cold service from start to finish, and whilst they were quick on topping up our wine glasses in the beginning, after the second pour, i had to wait quite some time for them to notice. also. one other thing i thought i'd mention - rockpool is so dark that it's basically impossible to take good foodie photos. which is a shame as most are presented so beautifully, i would have loved to taken more and shown them off. sorry for just the lame pavlova photo! i would love to try rockpool again in the daytime for this reason. i'll be back next time i have a visitor from interstate/overseas, it's the sort of place you take someone to impress, that's for sure. don't offer to pay if they're not 😂

wow wow wow - i haven't been to rockpool for 10 years but neil perry still rocks! i went to the old location only to discover that he had moved to hunter street.

anyway i walked to the new establish which is in a beautiful art deco building (see photos).

i started with the scallops with lemon (the best i have ever had) with a mersault (by the glass).

then i tried the 36 month rib eye with winter greens done in chilli and parmesan......lost for word. oh and i tried a 2011 brunello with that once again by the glass.

if i was going to be picky i would say the rib eye needed more salt but hey i added that myself.

the greens reminded me of neil's classic spinach, butter and garlic dish - i eventually got the recipe out of him but he won't remember that as
it was back in 2003!

i wimped out on desert and went for goat and blue vein cheeses with a glass of 2005 ch rieussec. the cheese was at the right temperature (which is a dark art) and the wine was sublime (which is great as i think i have some tucked away somewhere).

service was impeccable.

the double espresso needs work - only warm slight acidic. great salted caramel though.

basically these guys can cook and if i lived in sydney i would be here every week until they got sick of me.

if you live in or go to sydney and you haven't been here you are missing out - it up there with the french laundry, the restaurant, ramsays, le manoir

i was in sydney for a weekend trip and i really wanted to eat here (though i haven't been to the one in melbourne). there was so much to choose from, but i couldn't resist going back to the wagyu rib eye. so, i ended up getting that along with wedges. the wait was a tad long, but taking in the lovely low-light atmosphere, watching the action in the open kitchen and chatter helped passed time. my wagyu came out and with my first bite i was in love. with every bite came a hit of flavour and the tenderness of the medium rare beef was amazing. it paired beautifully with the wedges. i've never had a steak as delectable as that one, and i believe it was worth my money. the service was great and very attentive too. i would definitely come back to eat that beautiful steak again!

it's a great experience: a fantastic space and excellent service being the stand-outs. the food is, of course, really good, but doesn't justify the prices. there are plenty of places in sydney where you'll get equally good food for 2/3 of the price of less. 

still, for a special occasion (or if someone else is paying) it's well worth a visit.

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rockpool bar and grill is a two hat fine dining restaurant in the sydney cbd. having been to the rockpool in melbourne, we loved it so much that we decided to go to the one in sydney to celebrate my dad’s birthday. the restaurant is located in a grand building with wide entrance and high marbled ceilings and walls, making for a terrific ambiance. read on for our full review!

such a sleek fit out and professional operation. really enjoy visiting rockpool when interstate- can we have one in brisbane please? arrived on time for our booking and were seated, brought menus and water swiftly. specials were explained and after ordering drinks we were left to peruse menus.
i really love the sides at rockpool.
the desserts were a highlight this time as well. special occasion restaurant.