Gowings Bar & Grill – a 120 seat European-style brasserie, created by acclaimed restaurateur Robert Marchetti, is tucked away on the first floor of QT Sydney and well worth a visit.

This is not a restaurant you will walk past on street level. To get to Gowings Bar & Grill guests will enter via the QT lobby on Market Street. From here a staircase connecting the historic State Theatre to the Gowings Building will transport gourmands and bon vivands to the European-style brasserie. And that is part of the charm – that it is hidden!

The concept for this CBD located restaurant is a European-styled brasserie. The ambience is busy with an open kitchen, the design is sleek yet comfortable and the menu is focusing on wood-fired meats, crustacean and seafood using fresh Australian ingredients from artisan suppliers.

Famous for their exquisite breakfast, there is plenty more to be discovered from this brasserie styled menu.

Lunch time is busy however despite the (at first sight) hectic environment the staff members manage to get you a table in no time and the food is served as promptly as your water glass is topped up.

It is evident that the restaurant caters for both business and leisure lunches which seems to be a winning combination for everyone. Business meetings are being held over seafood pies and free-range chicken from the rotisserie whilst tourists and locals duck in for salads and coffees.

The Seared Yellowfin Tuna Belly “Nicoise Salad” ($35) with marinated Ortiz and white anchovies, duck egg, Ligurian olives, green beans, Kipfer potatoes, tomato and seeded mustard dressing is an excellent lunch option.

The dinner menu is actual the same as the lunch menu which is a pleasant surprise.

From the extensive wine list, the Ata Rangi Sauvignon Blanc 2015 stands out and is nicely paired with the “Duck ‘n’ Toast “($27) fennel-confit duck shredded on garlic malt bread toast with pickled shitake mushrooms, mushroom cappuccino sauce and cured duck egg.

The restaurant has managed to bring back the old classic “Oysters Kilpatrick” ($25) and the wood roasted live oysters are served with shredded cured speck, air dried pancetta, double smoked bacon, minced garlic, lemon, Worcestershire sauce and parsley.

For the main course, the “Julien’s Simple Fish Dish” ($35) Barramundi fillet with burnt baby leeks, grilled shitake and shoestring fries is a great choice. The fish is cooked to perfection and the French way of serving chips adds to the European experience.

One of the most popular dishes, the “Rib Eye 100% Black Angus, Exclusively Soured, Darling Downs NSW, 320g” ($48) is served with old school tarragon Bearnaise sauce, shoestring fries, black sesame and lemon salt. Worth every penny!

To finish off a lovely meal it is difficult not to resist the “Cherry & Chocolate Profiteroles” ($19) served with vanilla gelato, cherry marmalade and spiced cherries drowned in chocolate sauce. The deliciously melted chocolate is one of the most exciting items on the dessert menu.

Reasons to visit

This is no-fuss food cooked to perfection using premium fish, chicken, meat and vegetables prepared in lovely dishes that taste as appetising as they look. The menu offers both healthy options as well as more rich and traditional dishes.

The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and delivers excellent service. Any questions around the wine list, the food or the ingredients are outside of their area of expertise.

The secluded location being a non-street level restaurant together with the extensive drinks list makes Gowings Bar & Grill the perfect spot for a romantic dinner or for a birthday celebration.

Gowings Bar & Grill, QT Sydney
49 Market Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
+61 2 8262 0000
reservations_sydney@qthotels.com.au
www.qthotels.com.au