A legend of the Sydney restaurant scene, Matt Moran is a renowned chef, TV personality and cookbook author. He’s also the restaurateur behind Aria, one of Australia’s finest dining experiences, as well as venues as diverse as the stylish bistro Chiswick in upscale Woollahra, city steakhouse Chophouse and beachfront North Bondi Fish. He recently launched a Japanese-style restaurant and vinyl bar, Rekodo, which sits between his House and Smoke bars at the three-level Barangaroo House in the harbourside Barangaroo precinct. Here Matt shares his tips for an unforgettable night out in this dining and bar-hopping hub on the fringe of the city centre.
Kick off the night with a house call
Matt’s Barangaroo House may not be the tallest building in the Barangaroo dining precinct, but it’s one of the most visually striking. The three-level structure resembles three giant bowls stacked on top of each other, with a different venue on each level. “Barangaroo House is a real mix,” says Matt. “You’ve got sit-down cocktails at Smoke [on the rooftop]. It’s not a bar where everybody is pushing in [to get served]: you can sit down and relax and have a quality cocktail, and obviously you have that view up there which is fantastic. “Then Rekodo is predominately about the food, but at the same time you have music and you’ve got a bar there too. It’s a fun venue — it’s a bit loud for some people, but the younger generation love it. And on the ground floor you have House Bar — that’s your pub.”
Rekodo, which is modelled on Japanese bars where patrons gather to listen to long-playing records, has replaced Matt’s fine-dining Bea restaurant on the second level of Barangaroo House. “It’s a much more fun venue now, which is what we wanted.”
Explore the waterfront precinct
The Barangaroo strip stretches from Barangaroo Reserve, a headland that’s culturally significant for Sydney’s Traditional Owners, past the landmark Crown Towers Sydney to a long line of restaurants and bars facing a row of wharves servicing city passenger ferries and party cruise boats. There’s also a vibrant dance club scene, with venues such as Bungalow 8 and Cargo Bar pumping until the early hours of the morning.
“It’s definitely a late-night precinct,” says Matt, “with the casino there and so many restaurants. When you’ve got a hub of that many restaurants and having DJs and music, it creates that late-night vibe which is fantastic. There’s something for everyone, with so many casual places. There are also some quality restaurants in Barangaroo, and I’d say Cirrus is probably the best. [Cirrus co-creator and chef] Brent Savage is a great cook and he produces very good seafood-orientated food there. I’ll often eat down there – it’s great.”
Smoke, Barangaroo Credit: Destination NSW
Patrons enjoying evening drinks at Smoke bar, Barangaroo House.
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Smoke, Barangaroo Credit: Destination NSW
Patrons enjoying evening drinks at Smoke bar, Barangaroo House.
Rekodo Restaurant and Vinyl Bar - Barangaroo House Credit: Steven Woodburn
Menu items at Rekodo Restaurant and Vinyl Bar - Barangaroo House
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Rekodo Restaurant and Vinyl Bar - Barangaroo House Credit: Steven Woodburn
Menu items at Rekodo Restaurant and Vinyl Bar - Barangaroo House
Level up your night out at Crown Tower
Cirrus looks out to the water and Goat Island and across an open plaza to Crown Sydney, which is Matt’s pick for a place to stay in Barangaroo. “Crown Towers Sydney looks pretty good – I think it’s one of Sydney’s best hotels. It’s a great location and there’s no question I’d direct as many people there as possible.”
He’s also a fan of some of the fine-dining options at Crown Sydney, including Ross and Sunny Lusted’s Woodcut, a restaurant using an ash grill and a wood-burning oven to create flavour-packed meat, fish and vegetarian dishes. “Ross is one of Sydney’s great chefs. I’ve had a couple of phenomenal meals there — anything from the wood-fired oven is always amazing. “And then you’ve got the refined Oncore by Clare Smyth. Clare is renowned for being one of the best chefs in the world — it’s some of the best food you’ll eat anywhere in Australia. It’s fine dining at its best.” Some of Matt’s staff also rave about Alessandro Pavoni’s Italian restaurant a’Mare at Crown Sydney. “Those guys are great operators – if I’ve ever had an Italian waiter work for me over the past 15 years, they’re all working there now!”
Make some Vivid memories
Barangaroo lights up in May and June each year as part of the Vivid Sydney creative festival, drawing crowds to the light installations around the dining strip as well as Wulugul Walk, a foreshore pedestrian and cycling path connecting Barangaroo with the Walsh Bay arts precinct and Circular Quay. “Vivid is one of those great activations of the past 20 years,” says Matt. “It generates so many people out late at night — I think it’s great. “And the walk there is amazing, just following the coastline all the way around to Circular Quay. Barangaroo is not just a precinct for food and drinking: it’s also a precinct to go and sit by the water, it’s absolutely beautiful, and those walks are classic.” Matt’s also a fan of The Cutaway, a cavernous cultural event space underneath Barangaroo Reserve. “I’ve done a couple of events there and it’s got a great feel to it. The way they’ve structured it is fantastic.”
Vivid Sydney 2022 Credit: Destination NSW
Views of the Vivid Sydney 2022 event captured from a suite in Crown Sydney, Barangaroo.
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Vivid Sydney 2022 Credit: Destination NSW
Views of the Vivid Sydney 2022 event captured from a suite in Crown Sydney, Barangaroo.
Vivid Sydney 2022 Credit: Destination NSW
Views of Harbour Lights installations over Sydney Harbour during Vivid Sydney 2022, as seen from the Sebel Quay West Suites Sydney.
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Vivid Sydney 2022 Credit: Destination NSW
Views of Harbour Lights installations over Sydney Harbour during Vivid Sydney 2022, as seen from the Sebel Quay West Suites Sydney.
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Firedoor, SydneyCredit: Nikki To
Chef Lennox Hastie in the kitchen at Surry Hill's Firedoor restaurant.
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Renowned for the sparkling harbour and balmy evenings, Sydney reveals a slew of new flavours as the hot days turn to cool and colourful nights this winter. Where comfort food reigns supreme, from fine dining takes on classic dishes to cult-status budget friendly eats – refuel with some delicious winter warmers in the harbour city.
Firedoor
The hottest seat in town is the counter at Firedoor. Literally. Escape the winter breeze and be warmed by the heat of the wood-fired oven, which can reach 1600C, as you watch Lennox Hastie and his team cooking over charcoal, embers and open flames. Everything is kissed by smoke, from fat oysters to fresh vegetables and memorable steaks - dry aged for around 150 days, it’ll thrill your taste buds in a way you never thought possible.
Fred’s
The crackling fire over the open hearth is a sign of what’s to come at Fred’s. From a daily changing menu featuring freshly caught seafood and mouth-watering steaks - you can see and hear the chefs prepare your meal so that it feels as if you’re part of the kitchen. The rhythmic chop of the knives, the bubbling water as it boils and the hiss of the hot grills makes you forget bustling Oxford Street is just behind you as you immerse yourself in the theatre of a fine dining kitchen that has the rustic charm of a country farmhouse.
Ester
The concrete walls and woodfired oven at Ester create the sensation of stepping into a bunker, albeit one with deliciously scorched food. The modern Australian menu is peppered with native ingredients and while it’s not bush tucker, it is a unique taste of this land of sweeping plains. Think handpicked mud crab with claypot rice, king prawns with fermented shrimp butter and dry aged pork chop with a flavourful native spice rub cooked over charcoal.
Margaret
Retreat from the cool wintry nights with a heartwarming dining experience at acclaimed chef Neil Perry’s first solo restaurant – Margaret. Named in honor of his late mother, the 170 seat fine-diner combines the homestyle heart of mum’s cooking with a surprise twist of a chef at his peak. The chicken is done over a wood rotisserie, the fish has a gremolata crumb and the baked pear and raspberry pudding with vanilla sauce is just the thing to warm you up from the inside out.
Margaret, Double Bay, Sydney Credit: Petrina Tinsley
Margaret by Neil Perry AM, presents modern Australian cuisine with Mediterranean and Asian flavours with a large focus on fresh local produce.
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Margaret, Double Bay, Sydney Credit: Petrina Tinsley
Margaret by Neil Perry AM, presents modern Australian cuisine with Mediterranean and Asian flavours with a large focus on fresh local produce.
Margaret, Double Bay, Sydney Credit: Petrina Tinsley
Margaret by Neil Perry AM, presents modern Australian cuisine with Mediterranean and Asian flavours with a large focus on fresh local produce.
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Margaret, Double Bay, Sydney Credit: Petrina Tinsley
Margaret by Neil Perry AM, presents modern Australian cuisine with Mediterranean and Asian flavours with a large focus on fresh local produce.
Bennelong
Set inside the iconic sails of the Sydney Opera House, Bennelong’s curated menu offers a one-of-a-kind dining experience. Peter Gilmore’s dishes are as whimsical, memorable and quintessentially Australian as the restaurant’s setting. His lamington has all the nostalgic flavours of the beloved classic, with the addition of cherry jam, coconut cream ice-cream and chocolate ganache.
Chaco Ramen
For a delicious soul-soothing dish on a cool winter eve’, pay a visit to Chaco Ramen for one of their cult-status dishes - The Fat Soy ramen. The equivalent of a big, warm hug on a chilly day – this delectable velvety mix of broth, pork, chicken and fish, made rich and thick by the addition of pork fat is a true crowd pleaser, so pack a jumper and get in line.
The Duke of Clarence
A roaring fireplace, cozy Chesterfield couches you can sink into and wall-to-wall bookshelves make The Duke of Clarence a place to linger. Hidden in the centre of the harbour city, this 18th-Century inspired London Tavern is renowned for wholesome British eats ideal for cooler days – from home-cooked pies, to bangers and mash. Warm up your weekend with a memorable roast, and pick from one of four options every Sunday, each served with delicious Yorkshire puddings to soak up the rich gravy.
Restaurant Hubert
Descend the curved, wood-paneled staircase to Restaurant Hubert and lose yourself in a world made for bon vivants. Time is irrelevant here; this is the kind of place that makes you want to stretch your night out. Martinis in the bar turn into a dinner of French bistro classics with a twist, think roasted snails with XO butter, and live jazz that will convince you to linger a little longer over a digestif.
Aalia
Reveal a world you didn’t know existed at Aalia as you take your taste buds on an adventure through the lands of the Levant and Northern Africa. With chef Paul Farag at the helm, Middle Eastern food is elevated to fine dining status. He combines tradition with modern techniques to offer diners a time-travelling odyssey. Discover the old-world flavours of molokhia, geymar and kabsa as Farag spins his new-world interpretation of classic dishes.
Bennelong Restaurant, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Bennelong Restaurant chef prepping in the kitchen. Bennelong Restaurant, Sydney.
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Bennelong Restaurant, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Bennelong Restaurant chef prepping in the kitchen. Bennelong Restaurant, Sydney.
Restaurant Hubert, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying food and drink at French restaurant Restaurant Hubert, Sydney.
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Restaurant Hubert, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying food and drink at French restaurant Restaurant Hubert, Sydney.