O Bar and Dining
With attentive service, a sophisticated menu and incredible views to pair from 47 floors up, this is one high that will be hard to come down from.
Overview
They say that the reason aeroplane food tastes so bad is because our tastebuds decrease by 30 percent when we're in higher altitudes. Whether or not this is true, it's pretty clear that 47 storeys won't spoil any flavour, because the excellent food and drink at O Bar and Dining is incomparable to that 'beef(?) lasagna' you got on your last flight.
An ear-popping 47 floors up George Street's Australia Square building, this sleek bar boasts a breathtaking 360-degree, sky-high view of Sydney, a modern menu and charming cocktails to match. The circular space comprises a restaurant, bar, private dining area and relaxed tapas lounge complete with comfy armchairs for you to gaze out the window at the spectacular blinking lights below.
Chef and owner Michael Moore, whose cooking career has spanned nearly 30 years both in London and Australia, oversaw the redevelopment of this prime piece of real estate from an 80s buffet restaurant to a sophisticated social hub in the sky. Moore is passionate about promoting a healthy eating philosophy, so you can take comfort in the fact that you'll find a lot of superfoods (quinoa, agave, chia) substituted for the naughtier ingredients throughout the menus.
The cocktail menu will please any palate, featuring classic and signature serves made with fresh and local ingredients. The signature mezcal- and coconut-starring Crema de Coco is a popular choice, bursting with citrus-forward yuzu, while the sweet Bees Knees G&T combines Archie Rosie's honey gin with candied ginger. Plus, there's a premium range of crafted cocktails to choose from, too, including a martini and caviar bump pairing if you're feeling especially extra.
There's also an extensive wine menu that focuses on Australian producers, as well as an impressive selection of wine and champagne available by the glass. You can pair your pour with a pick from the savoury and sweet bar menu, available for lunch Wednesday through Saturday and dinner seven nights a week.
As for the food, the menu is classic Mod Oz – local produce is front and centre in dishes that take their inspiration from around the world. Lunch highlights include the baked miso cod fillet with a miso marmalade and charred sweetcorn; and rock lobster ravioli in a saffron and tomato broth. The dinner menu features the likes of wakame-crusted Murray cod with miso-braised daikon; and a poached and grilled Margra lamb fillet elevated with smoked and charred eggplant and sumac sweetcorn. There's also a selection of premium hibachi-grilled proteins — the standout is the 500-gram dry-aged Copper Tree Farm grass-fed wagyu, cooked on the bone to your desired doneness. For a decadent date-night dessert to share, our pick is the passionfruit and lime soufflé with coconut cream and passionfruit jelly.
O Bar is the perfect spot to impress a date, client or visiting friend, and with attentive service and top-notch food and drink, this is one high that will be hard to come down from.
Photo: Leigh Griffiths
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