Overview
As the days grow warmer and summer draws closer, it's time to shake off the winter blues and discover somewhere new. To help you out, we've teamed up with Citi to share our favourite dining spots for spring. Whether it's a long lunch in the sunshine or a balmy evening drop-in at one of Sydney's best restaurants, this list will take you on a culinary tour of Australia, Europe and Asia.
Through its special dining program, Citi has partnered with more than 400 restaurants — from high-end hatted restaurants to local cafes and trendy wine bars — to offer complimentary wine for all Citi customers this spring. Dine and pay with your Citi card and receive a bottle of wine for free — what better way to welcome the warm weather?
KID KYOTO, CBD
Pair alternative 90s rock music with Japanese dining, and you get Kid Kyoto, the latest venue from the hospitality group behind Indu and Mejico. Set on Sydney's Bridge Street, the venue offers grungy vibes with a hit of Tokyo izakaya. Neon-lit song lyrics span the exposed brick walls and the moody lighting makes it a spot to be seen, or not, if that's what you prefer. The menu reads like a set list, starting with an intro of gyoza and concluding with an encore of yuzu and miso desserts. If you're feeling adventurous, opt for the Trust Us menu and let the chefs send out anything from smokey edamame with pepperberry salt, to Black Hole Sun Pressed Pork served with apple jam and daikon salad. Use your Citi card to pay, and choose a complimentary bottle of McW Alternis tempranillo or vermentino to pair with the meal.
MARTA OSTERIA, RUSHCUTTERS BAY
A summer trip to Italy may feel like a distant memory, but if it's the food you're missing make the short commute to Marta Osteria in Rushcutters Bay. Inspired by the streets of Rome, Marta's menu is traditional yet fresh and full of flavour. And, a year on from opening, the venue boasts an impressive crowd of regular patrons. Order an array of antipasto such as the fried zucchini flowers, gnocchi fritti — fried gnocchi, need we say more? — and octopus salad, before committing to the main event of cacio e pepe with pecorino romano or traditional Roman pinza dough. No trip to Marta is complete without indulging in a little Italian dessert and the signature Martamisu with layers of mascarpone cream, coffee soaked hazelnut shortbread and rich chocolate sauce will convince even the fullest of stomachs. Book a seat on the patio and enjoy an ice cold bottle of Chant Du Midi rosé or Mionetto Prosecco DOC as the sun starts to dip into the horizon.
Alana Dimou.
PAPER BIRD, POTTS POINT
Following the closure of Redfern's much-loved Moon Park, the restaurant team returned last year to open up a new venue in Potts Point, Paper Bird. With a focus on East Asian flavours, the menu takes diners on an elaborate journey from Korea to China and Japan in a matter of hours. The signature Korean fried chicken brined in shrimp paste and buttermilk may have left the menu earlier this month, but the rest of the menu certainly holds its own regardless. Whether it's a congee for breakfast, a kimchi and emmental toastie for lunch or an array of share dishes for dinner paired with a bottle of Nobody's Hero pinot gris or pinot noir from the Marlborough region — the versatile menu will have you coming back for every meal.
RESTAURANT MOON, DARLINGHURST
Upon first glance, Restaurant Moon may appear to be another neighbourhood gallery-bar hybrid, but behind the unassuming exterior lies an experimental collaboration between European and Thai cuisine. Ex-Longrain chef Aum Touchpong Chancaw brings together his love for molecular gastronomy and Thai cuisine with dishes such as duck confit with panang curry and roast pumpkin or fresh betel leaf with smoked salmon, caramelised coconut and chilli. If it's a show stopper you're after, order the Groot After Moon dessert with matcha mousse, strawberry consomme and a chocolate and passionfruit sorbet — but get in quick because they only make four serves a day. To complement the variety of cuisines, Moon stocks a vast array of vino, including Nobody's Hero pinot gris and Partisan by Jove tempranillo, which are free if you're a Citi cardholder.
STANTON & CO, ROSEBERRY
Located in a renovated warehouse in Sydney's inner south, Stanton & Co draws inspiration from New York's Meatpacking District — think red rusty trusses, mottled brick detailing and dark wooden floors. With a focus on Aussie-Japanese share dishes, you get the most out of this venue by going with a group. Start with soy truffle oysters, miso butter edamame and charred octopus with quinoa before tucking into tender slow-cooked lamb shoulder and artichoke or Moreton Bay bug tempura with ponzu mayo. If you're keen for a meal and a show, grab a seat near the open kitchen or catch some rays on the nearby sun deck while sipping a glass of Coombe Farm Yarra Valley chardonnay or Mount Pleasant Philip shiraz. Finish off the experience with a photogenic liquid lemon meringue for dessert.
HO JIAK, HAYMARKET
In the midst of Sydney's bustling Haymarket sits a restaurant that may have well been plucked straight out of Malaysia's Penang. With a tell-tale queue that snakes around the corner on a regular basis and wafts of rich mie goreng and spicy char kway teow floating from the premises, there is no doubt this place serves up flavourful fare. Ho Jiak is the brainchild of head chef and owner Junda Khoo, inspired by a childhood of cooking with his grandmother in Penang. Get your hands dirty and order the traditional charcoal-marinated chicken skewers with peanut sauce or a steaming bowl of Hainan chicken laksa, then wash it down with a bottle of Framingham Marlborough sauvignon blanc or McW Alternis petite sirah. Relax, the wine is on Citi.
Make your next dinner even better by using your Citi card at one of the participating restaurants to get a complimentary bottle of wine with your meal.