Four Seasons by name and by nature. We are the lucky ones who have a chance to experience its latest triumph of tradition over adaptability to weather the changes in the Sydney dining scene.
We first started noticing Four Seasons with when it snapped up Hamish Ingram and launched a bold new dining concept with fire called WOODS, then came Pei Modern with Mark Best, to be replaced by pop up ‘Tables’ who kept the punters happy till today and now MODE.
This is more than simply a change of pans. The ground floor has gone through a metamorphosis, walk up the ramp to be greeted by a green illuminated marble bar. You’ll be dining inside a glass chrysalis, hidden from the outside world transporting you to a 1920’s era. A stunning central bronzed bar breaks the dining areas into different pockets of light, intimacy and drama. Touches such as the 18 pearl-like Tom Dixon pendant lights and the chef’s table make the most of the open kitchen led by Head Chef Francesco Mannelli (ex Balla, Bistrode CBD and EST).
No surprise that the menu is all about produce, technique and sourcing. Sydney has lost its love of fine dining but this is timeless finesse and elegance on a plate. Our pick of dining options is the bar, central to all action and cocktail mastery! Start with a Reposado Sour of Ilegal Mezcal and agave, it’s perfect with the bar menu of salt and pepper school prawns, and dainty polenta chips.
Starters get more grown up – our first dish looks like a Monet oil painting of a lily pad, yet everything is reversed. A pad of creamy white local burrata is surrounded by a bright green pond of broccoli, micro florets and roasted hazelnuts. Free range chicken liver pate is perfect smeared over Poink Bakery sourdough.
A single tentacle of WA Freemantle octopus is a pretty sight dotted with slivers of radish on a leek and potato puree. The WOODs fire oven is still intact and roasted spatchcock on a spicy soy sauce is all the better for a lick of flame and attitude served with a muddle of shitake mushrooms and greens. Pair it all with roasted beets, goats curd and toasted almonds or a fresh fennel orange and black olive salad and it’s a new meets old world experience we wish we had our flapper dress on for.
Mode Kitchen & Bar
Four Seasons Hotel Sydney
199 George Street Sydney
7 days, 12noon-10pm
Juanitaaas!! It’s a name you want to shout out while rattling some maracas or swishing your flamenco skirts. The brand new bar at everyone’s favourite Potts Point eatery, The Butler, is making us kick up our heels and want to have some fun.
You’ll certainly be in the right mood to try some of the brand new cocktails – The Butler’s brand new head chef Amber Doig has brought bold, brave Ibero-American flavours to the table and the bar list follows suit. Heavy on smokey flavours that still make for easy drinking, the cocktails range from a zesty Juanita Spritz, with rhubarb and lemon, or a Highland Flower, given a kick with Johnnie Walker Black Label Whisky and sloe gin, to Smoke & Chocolate, a decadent mescal, crème de cacao, lime, orgeat and orange bitters concoction. Right On Thyme is a fun, herb and gin cocktail that cleanses the palate or there’s the ubiquitous Espresso Martini that’s given some oomph with toasted coconut.
