Best Sydney restaurants for fresh produce: Paddock to plate trend helps turn cooks into farmers

Here is a list of Sydney and regional NSW’s best fresh-produce restaurants.

SYDNEY 

AGAPE, BOTANY

This restaurant serves dishes, including tapas and spelt pizza, using sustainable and organic produce. Chef Simon Lawson also focuses on ancient grains such as spelt and amaranth which are easy for the body to digest. He aims to break down the stigma that organic food is expensive by buying smart and using local, seasonal ingredients.

1385 Botany Rd, Botany, 8668 5777, agaperestaurant.com

ARIA & CHISWICK

As host of the award-winning TV series, Paddock To Plate, chef and restaurateur Matt Moran has travelled all over the country meeting growers and farmers. His passion for fresh, Australian produce is also evident at his fine diner, ARIA, overlooking Sydney Harbour, and Chiswick at Woollahra and the Art Gallery of NSW, with an emphasis on where the food comes from and how it is grown.

ARIA, 1 Macquarie St, Sydney, 9240 2255, ariarestaurant.com; Chiswick, 65 Ocean St, Woollahra; Chiswick at the Gallery, Art Gallery Rd, The Domain, chiswickrestaurant.com.au

THREE BLUE DUCKS, BRONTE

The team of surfing mates behind this small restaurant up the hill from Bronte beach source many fresh ingredients from their on-site kitchen garden and use organic, Fairtrade, biodynamic and locally sourced products wherever possible.

143 Macpherson St, Bronte, 9389 0010, threeblueducks.com

THE GANTRY, WALSH BAY

New chef Joel Bickford (ex-Biota Dining, Bowral) will champion the seasonal, regional produce concept started by recently departed Canadian chef Chris Irving at this acclaimed waterfront restaurant at Pier One Sydney Harbour.

11 Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay, thegantry.com.au

THE GROUNDS OF ALEXANDRIA

Heirloom vegetables, edible flowers, herbs and fruit grown in recycled sleeper boxes and garden beds in this innovative space supply the kitchen for the cafe and The Potting Shed restaurant.

7A, 2 Huntley St, Alexandria, 9699 2225, thegrounds.com.au

PEI MODERN, SYDNEY

The restaurant inside the Four Seasons has a focus on local, seasonal produce. Chef Matt Germanchis’ signature dish is Milly Hill lamb shoulder cooked in camomile, sourced from a Peter Strelitz’s family-owned business in the New England Tablelands, and cooked in a woodfire oven for 12 hours.

Four Seasons, 199 George St, Sydney, 9250 3160, peimodern.com.au

ALTITUDE, SYDNEY

English-born chef de cuisine Nathan Griffin is passionate about local and organic ingredients. Vegetables come from Epic Harvest in the Blue Mountains, seafood from Joto Fresh Fish, meat from Vic’s Meat, olives and olive oils from Alto and RSPCA-certified chicken. The hotel also has seven honey-producing bee hives on its roof. Signature dishes include WA swordfish loin with white balsamic charred sweet corn, puffed wild rice and coconut and Rangers Valley tenderloin and braised short rib with pickled Blue Mountains heirloom carrots, onion puree, seared bone marrow and onion ash.

176 Cumberland St, Sydney, 9250 6123, shangri-la.com

O BAR AND DINING, SYDNEY

Head chef Darren Templeman sources top-quality artisanal produce including chicken from Burrawong Gaian Poultry on the mid-north coast, Milly Hill Lamb from Armidale and vegetables from Epicurean Harvest in the Blue Mountains. Cream and un-homogenised milk are from Country Valley at Picton, butter from Pepe Saya and handcrafted burrata from Vannella cheesemakers at Marrickville.

Level 47, Australia Square, 264 George St, Sydney, 9247 9777, obardining.com.au

NOMAD, SURRY HILLS

Jacqui Challinor and team endeavour to source produce from local growers that use sustainable and ethical farming practices. Pork is from free-range pigs, eggs from free-range chickens and goats’ cheese made from milk from free-range goats rehomed at the end of their milking life. They also removed foie gras from the menu and replaced it with a rabbit and pork rillettes.

16 Foster St, Surry Hills, 9280 3395, nomadwine.com.au

BENNELONG, SYDNEY

Executive chef Peter Gilmore aims to showcase the flavours, diversity and quality of Australian produce in this newly refurbished restaurant at the Sydney Opera House. Dishes include grilled Lady Elliot Island bug; roasted john dory from the NSW south coast; culatello (cured ham) from Byron Bay black Berkshire pigs; and an organic vegetable salad with produce grown at Johnstone Kitchen Gardens in Richmond.

Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, 9240 8000, bennelong.com.au

MAJESTIC HARVEST, PETERSHAM

Dishes at this Mediterranean restaurant in a former roller-skating rink are made with the on-site market’s local, seasonal produce. While it is only open for breakfast and lunch, the owners are planning a dinner menu and wine bar. Signature dishes include The Vege Patch breakfast of sweet potato, chickpea, quinoa, asparagus, mushrooms, poached egg and truffle salsa verde.

49a New Canterbury Rd, Petersham, 0416 926 242, majesticgourmetgrocers.com.au

ABODE, DARLING HARBOUR

Head chef Ryan Hong, who mastered the skills of Japanese-style food preparation in his home country Korea and has previously worked at Rockpool Bar & Grill and BLACK by Ezard, has created a menu of fresh, seasonal flavours from local producers.

150 Day St, Sydney, 9260 2945, abodebistro.com

SPICE I AM

Thai chef Sujet Saenkham grows many of the ingredients such as kaffir limes, lemongrass and coriander, used at his popular restaurants, on his 15ha property in the lush Kangaroo Valley.

Balmain, Darlinghurst, Surry Hills, spiceiam.com

GLASS BRASSERIE, SYDNEY

Luke Mangan’s restaurant uses Australian and organic ingredients where possible. Dishes include Hiramasa kingfish from Arno Bay at Port Lincoln, SA; Palmers Island mulloway from northern NSW and mirror dory from Shoalhaven on the south coast when in season. Mangan and group executive chef Joe Pavlovich have also create a special lamb rump dish from Cowra in NSW to be served during the Farm To Fork campaign in September.

Hilton Sydney, 2/488 George St, Sydney, 9265 6068, glassbrasserie.com.au 

THE RICE DEN, ST LEONARDS

Head chef Nelson Cheng’s love for fresh produce stemmed from visits with his grandmother to the markets in Hong Kong when he was a child. He and Roy Chan continue the concept at their Cantonese restaurant. The chefs have a strong working relationship with Murdoch Produce which sources meat from Game Farm at Galston and seafood from the Sydney Fish Market.

30-32 Chandos St, St Leonards, 9411 2001, thericeden.com.au

 REGIONAL 

FARM TABLE, MITTAGONG

Former TV chef Geoff Jansz’s Farm Table restaurant, at the 1871 Fitzroy Inn, uses ingredients from his own Bowral farm and local growers and producers, with select produce sourced from interstate. Jansz also makes his own sausages with pigs supplied by Katy Brown of Glen Eyrie Rare Breeds Farm and Green Isle Pure Bred Pig Stud on the NSW/Victoria border.

1 Ferguson Cres, Mittagong, 4872 3457, fitzroyinn.com.au

BIOTA DINING, BOWRAL

Executive chef James Viles’ menu is designed to showcase produce from the region’s dairy farms, livestock farms and vegetable growers and the relationship between the raw ingredient, the growers and those who prepare the meals.

18 Kangaloon Rd, Bowral, 4862 2005, biotadining.com

FARMHOUSE RESTAURANT, CANBERRA

Diners here can see the market garden, which dates back to the 1820s, orchard, olive grove, and award-winning smokehouse from their table at the historic Pialligo Estate, which reopened earlier this year after an extensive refurbishment.

18 Kallaroo Rd, Pialligo, 6247 6060, thepialligoestate.com.au

THE FARM, BYRON BAY

The Farm houses a collection of microbusinesses on a 32ha working farm which uses sustainable practices. Heritage-breed pigs, Scottish Highland cattle and chickens roam freely and are used for meat and eggs in the on-site Three Blue Ducks restaurant, cafe and produce store. Ingredients are also sourced from nearby farms.

11 Ewingsdale Rd, Ewingsdale, 6684 7888, thefarmbyronbay.com.au

Source: The Daily Telegraph, 1^st September 2015
Originally published as: Best Sydney restaurants for fresh produce: Paddock to plate trend helps turn cooks into farmers