LOCATION
Café Opera can be found on level one of the InterContinental Sydney, an elegant hotel hemmed in by the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Circular Quay and the Royal Botanic Gardens.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
Many people who venture to the Sydney Opera House for a ballet or opera don’t realise that equally dramatic food theatrics are a few steps away, within the belly of the swish InterContinental Sydney hotel. Cafe Opera is the Hotel’s elegant restaurant which, dressed in creams and blues, sits on the first floor of the building. A few tables rest near an atrium allowing their occupants to enjoy live music that echoes from the ground floor. However the real show happens inside the restaurant where diners watch chefs dance around food stations preparing meals while a large, central buffet constantly wows with seasonal freshness. Daily changing buffet spectacles feature cuisines from France, Italy, Spain and Asia throughout the week. On weekend evenings the star of the show comes to dazzle – welcome to seafood buffet night.
Overflowing with oysters, crayfish, crab, prawns, sashimi, sushi, salads as well as hot seafood dishes (even paella) this buffet leaves very little to be desired. Guests are also treated to fruit-of-the-land like cold cuts and Peeking duck pancakes. Fight the temptation to fill up completely – you don’t want to miss the sweet stuff. Sitting meekly at the far end of the restaurant, the dessert buffet is filled with delicacies from bread and butter pudding to little sweet treats of fruit, cream and chocolate. Then again, if you’re not much of a buffet buff you can opt for the short-but-sweet a la carte menu which features entrees like goat’s cheese tart with caramelised hazelnuts and a witlof and radish salad and robust mains like char-grilled lamb loin, celeriac puree, broad beans and orange gremolato. But no matter what you choose, make sure to finish it off with a glass (or bottle) of one of the many wines on the extensive list – perhaps a Delamotte champagne will do the trick?
Agnes Gajewska, December 2009
BREAKFAST
A lavish breakfast buffet is presented every morning including freshly squeezed juices, eggs made to order and a selection fresh breads, croissants and pastries.
LUNCH
Enjoy a lunch buffet featuring local produce, a selection of fresh seafood, seasonal dishes and an irrestible selection of desserts.
DINNER
Choose from a wide variety of dishes on the buffet and enjoy authentic tastes from different corners of the world. At the live cooking station the chef prepared exciting dishes before your eyes. On the weekend, spoil yourself with one of Sydney's best known seafood buffets complete with hot selections and a variety of salads, sushi and desserts. An a la carte menu is also available for dinner.
Please contact Cafe Opera for bookings. Phone 02 9240 1260.