The Rocks Food & Wine Famil

Squirreled away only a short stroll from the CBD and Circular Quay lays Sydney’s oldest neighbourhood we all know as The Rocks. And like many of us when thinking about this area, we’re quick to think of it as just this historical precinct where you may have visited on a school excursion, or where tourists flock to experience an environment where buildings and public places of the last 200 odd years still remain. But what we would learn on this curated tour of the incredible gourmet food and drink offerings, is that The Rocks is much more than its beautiful architecture and vibrant culture – it’s a magnet for any food lovers.

Our first leg of the journey started at the Fine Food Store. Nestled away at the end of touristy arcade, this Brooklyn-inspired cosy café is a go-to spot for its 5 SENSES coffee but also offers everything from home-style breakfast, lunch and dinner. This buzzing space is perfect for any catch up with friends or even a business meeting looking out into the lanes. The perfect way to start your arvo is with one of its tasty gourmet brownies and a strong hot coffee to wash it all down.

Next up, just a short minute walk through a cobbled laneway we arrived at the extraordinary restaurant known as Pony. Located in Sydney’s oldest laneway, this historical building was actually a former Bonds warehouse before restaurant designer Michael McCann transformed it into the stunning space it is today, which certainly makes dining there all the more special when you see the craft behind the heritage brick walls and commissioned woven art hangings.

We were lucky enough to be seated on the outdoor deck, which boasts a 10-meter long dining table, and feasted on some succulent seared kangaroo with pepperberry dressing raspberry and pickled currants, and roasted heirloom beets served with burrata, olive crumb and hazelnut.

What makes this establishment unique from just preparing modern Australian cuisine is that Pony does so on an Argentinean wood fire grill, delivering some honest flavour driven dishes to its menu. My personal favourite the JR Signature Sirloin – wood fire grilled South American salsa and black cabbage.  

A combination of heritage charm and the latest in modern style is exactly what comes to mind when entering our next venue: Scarlett. As we’re escorted through to its beautiful Garden Terrace through a maze of sandstone walls, we’re greeted by the staff to try its Scarlett’s Dirty Mojito – muddled lime and sugar with spiced rum, topped up with soda. Decked out in a true oasis setting surrounded by luscious greenery, the whole experience made for a great introduction, and already you couldn’t help but wonder how much this place encapsulates everything The Rocks represents – a multi-faced space of then and now.

We couldn’t leave though without trying Scarlett’s delicious morsels – pea puree and hollandaise tart (who ever thought that peas could taste so good!) and the confit shallot and smoked salmon tart.

After leaving Scarlett very fulfilled we realised that our curated tour was sadly coming to an end (sad face!), but little did we know, that we were about to embark on a dessert journey at our last location Pei Modern.  Nestled in its prime city location within the five-star Four Seasons Hotel, this bistro-style dining area is renowned for exploring unconventional food pairings, and its desserts are no different.

Led by new Head Pastry Chef Lauren Eldridge, we sunk our spoons into the wildflower honeycomb and cultured cream, frozen blood orange curd with sherbet and candied orange, sorrel sorbet, blueberries, white chocolate and yoghurt, salted liquorice cake and molasses ice cream and bitter chocolate tart and cumquat jam. Lauren’s signature style of bright, contemporary and visually impactful desserts were as much an explosion of flavour as they were a work of art, and all of this paired with an English breakfast tea. It was the perfect way to end our exotic food adventure.

This tour was all about rediscovering a place you may have always known was there, but reminding us on how our first neighbourhood has been handed down over the years, with each generation finding and nurturing its own interpretation. I for one had never thought of this place in that sense and it was a refreshing experience to visit these establishments I otherwise might have missed, and tried dishes I didn’t even know to explore – all in these reinvented spaces filled with history.

I admire the way this place was described to us by our tour guides: ‘…a place made by many hands, shaped by people from the past and embraced by people of today’. It’s not often you leave a place already planning your next return.

 

The Fine Food Store Cnr Mill and Kendall Lane, The Rocks

Pony Cnr Argyle St and Kendall Lane, The Rocks

Scarlett 34 Harrington St, The Rocks

Pei Modern 199 George St, The Rocks