BAR CUPOLA
Sydney, New South Wales

Bar Cupola is such a wonderful surprise to stumble upon in the heart of Sydney's corporate clutch of offices. The pleasing aroma of coffee draws its punters into the Angel Place tower giving a good indication of the first-rate, artisan blend that they have been using since day one. A wall separates and elevates this gourmet gem of a restaurant from the marching minions where a thin ribbon of tables and chairs snakes along the side. While most diners are dressed in business suit grey, a Romanesque mural covers most of the wall bringing a welcoming brightness to the venue. Bar Cupola provides the perfect arena for a delightfully relaxed meal so step up, loosen the tie and put your mobile phone on silent and give your full attention to the menu.

Owner, Beng Lim, hails from Malaysia and hence, due to the love of his mother's cooking, the menu sports a unique fusion of Western bistro dishes and Asian cuisine. Crisp chicken breast with sweet potato mash, grilled asparagus and jus, and prawn and calamari linguine with cherry tomatoes, olives, parsley and toasted breadcrumbs represent a traditional, homely fare that many go mad for. Or, skip to the East for a taste of Asia and tuck into a Malaysian beef rendang with rice and accompaniments, or chicken curry served with Indian roti chanai. For a lighter lunch, order a sandwich with lemon crumbed chicken tenderloin with avocado, tomato, romesco salsa and lemon mayonnaise. With this impressive cosmopolitan menu and an extraordinary can-do attitude to match, it's no wonder Bar Cupola was voted Best Casual Restaurant and Best Cafe in the first Sydney Magazine's readers' poll.