This flashy Cantonese eatery, by Lotus Dining Group, sits in Quay Quarter Tower alongside Belles Hot Chicken's expansive eat-in-only diner, plus the rooftop bar and Mediterranean-inspired restaurant Martinez. It is also joined by a sibling venue downstairs — a Circular Quay outpost for Lotus Dumpling Bar, which offers the group's signature eats in a more casual setting. The menu places big flavours and Cantonese favourites at the centre of the offerings, serving classic dishes created with excellent produce and attention to detail. If you've got a birthday or Christmas party on the horizon, Pearl has you covered — there are both a semi-private and a private dining room, which you can book for an intimate experience a stone's throw from Wynyard and Martin Place, as well as excellent banquet dining options. In huge news for loyal fans of the group, Lotus The Galeries is taking up residency at Pearl Dining from mid-September 2026. After more than a decade of trade in Sydney's CBD, Lotus The Galeries closed its doors in April following the end of its lease, leaving many longing for its return. As Lotus Residency at Pearl arrives, so do many of the restaurant's most famed dishes — such as the duck fried rice with mustard seeds and wagyu beef with heirloom tomatoes — along with a new pan-Asian menu from Lotus Dining Group Executive Chef Steve Wu. At the core of the offering are three Lotus signatures: lobster, duck and dumplings. "Duck has always been such an important part of Cantonese cooking, and of Pearl Dining's story, so we wanted to take that idea further. The Everything About Duck menu allows guests to experience duck in different ways, from familiar favourites to dishes that are designed for sharing and exploring," says Wu. While expected classics will make an appearance, such as Peking duck, lesser-known dishes such as Lotus Beer wok-fried duck, duck san-choy bao, and duck fried rice will take things up a notch. Similarly, lobster will be featured heavily, with a choice of nine accompanying sauces spanning everything from XO to mapo tofu, ginger and shallot to garlic butter and black pepper. "Lotus Residency at Pearl is about bringing back the dishes people have been asking for, as well as giving them a new home and a new context. There is a lot of nostalgia in the menu, but it is also about looking forward and creating something that feels right for Sydney now," says Wu. The venue will be open for lunch from Tuesday to Friday, with an express lunch menu available for $35. Images: Kera Wong. Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox.
