Été - CLOSED

Overview

French restaurant Été opened its doors in late 2017 on the Barangaroo waterfront, with fine dining chef Drew Bolton (Aria, Quay, Vine Double Bay) at the helm.

Every second eatery in Sydney is big on seasonality these days, but Été takes the word into new territory. It's not only the dishes that change with the weather, but the interior, too. "Not only does the food menu evolve with the seasons, but we want the aesthetics and general vibe to reflect that as well," said Bolton. "We want guests to feel really engaged with what we're trying to do — like they've stepped into another world and have escaped the city."

The feel is somewhere between bistro and fine dining, with Bolton bringing both his classical training and his experimental tendencies to contemporary French-Australian dishes. Results include clay-baked chicken with asparagus and truffled potato puree; pork with fermented apple and hibiscus sauce; and, for dessert, crème brulee with peach and lemon balm.

If you want to head down for lunch from Monday to Friday and have a $29 handy, you can indulge in a plat du jour — and a beer, wine or soda — which changes weekly. "We think the plat du- our will be a local favourite, as our guests are able to experience the quality technique that you would normally expect from fine dining," said Bolton.

There's an impressive wine list and, even if you don't want to buy a whole bottle, you can sample any drop by the glass — thanks to the Coravin, a nifty device that allows you to pour wine without removing the cork.

Été offers 125 seats, both indoors and outdoors, overlooking the water. The French provincial-meets-Australian-contemporary interior was the work of Foolscap Studio (Noma Sydney), plus Chicago-based artist John Zabawa, who added some extraordinary artworks including full-wall murals.