est.

LOCATION
Located on the first floor of the Establishment Building on George Street, Sydney, CBD.

This exceptional SMH Good Food Guide award-winning restaurant has been a clear winner every year from 2003, maintaining its three hats in the 2011 edition and also awarding head chef Peter Doyle an exclusive accolade for Professional Excellence. It is the passion and uncompromising dedication for perfection from Peter Doyle and his partner head chef Alex Woolley that places this restaurant experience far beyond guest expectations.

DETAILS
With outstanding service, and a wine list personally selected by Tristian Habeck and overseen by Gourmet Traveller’s sommelier of the year Franck Moreau, est. is a dining experience not to be missed.

The gazpacho consommé shelled king crab, cucumber jelly, coriander cress and the Italian buffalo mozzarella, shaved fennel, almonds, cresses, pomegranate and lemon make for incredible starters.

And with main course lunch menu options like these; steamed coral trout fillet: shaved abalone, snow peas, oyster mushrooms, ginger - green shallot vinaigrette. Or crisp skin South Australian jewfish fillet: shaved squid, baby beans and zucchini flowers, tarragon salmoriglio. It's not surprising why est. at the Establishment is heralded as one of Australia's best restaurants.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
The crème de le crème of restaurants, Est. embodies the luxury and opulence of fine dining. Having “ooohh-ed” and “ahhhhh-ed” about friend’s experiences at Est. and having read the menu a thousand times over, I had only but high hopes for my evening at Est. But like most things that you confront with such high levels of excited anticipation, there is always the anxiety that things just mightn’t match up.

As we stepped off George Street and entered the Merivale Empire that Est. is housed, my stomach was aflutter with nerves. Up the elevator to the first level and finally the doors opened revealing the dining room. The almost all-white interior and high ceilings combined with elaborate columns and chandeliers, evokes thoughts of a wedding scene, and I smile in appreciation. It is not sterile, as I had heard nor was it particularly over-the-top. It was surprisingly peaceful and calm.

The maitre-de swiftly took us to our table-for-two where a lovely, smiley waiter introduced himself. Two sourdough bread rolls arrive before I could even take off my coat and was served with olive oil that, given the chance, I would have poured into a glass and drunk straight.

Looking as though he’d only just learnt how to shave, our waiter’s knowledge was beyond impressive and feeling immediately safe in his hands, we allowed him to guide us through both the menu and wine list. The result was a night of culinary crescendos – where each sip and taste of both wine and food created little fireworks in our mouths. An entree of spanner crab was followed by a moreton bay bug with artichoke hearts and a lemon emulsion. It was a celebration of everything I love about Australian dining – divine seafood served in a unique and special way. My expectations were not only matched but I now fear that no one, other than Head Chef Peter Doyle, will make my tastebuds happy.

Anna Lisle

Personal Statement