The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay

• The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay, Ferry St off Glebe Point Road (9519 9011)
  

I absolutely love this restaurant, lunch or dinner, the atmosphere is extremely soothing and relaxing and has a view that is just priceless. I can picture a quiet romantic dinner with candlelight on my table, the city softly lighting up the bay which you overlook through the large glass windows. My mind also takes me to a carefree yet indulgent lunch with a group of friends who enjoy top quality seafood. As you look out over the bay you can see straight into the fish markets where all the fish were unloaded that morning after being caught.
I have dined in both of these scenes so I know that it adapts to whatever you want it to be. It is truly a place where time can seem to drift away any time of the day.

But onto the food....there is one must try delicacy , the oysters. There is a choice of 14 varieties:
Camden Haven Rock Mid North Coast NSW
Clair de Lune Bouton Rock South Coast NSW

Label Rouge Rock South Coast NSW
Macksville Rock North Coast NSW

Macleay River Rock Mid North Coast NSW

Manning River Rock Mid North Coast

Moonlight En Surface Rock South Coast NSW

Moreton Bay RockSouh East QLD
Wallis Lake Rock Mid North Coast NSW

Broken Bay Pacific Sydney NSW

Cupid Coffin Bay Pacific Eyre Peninsula SA

Pittwater Pacific East Coast TAS

Smokey Bay Pacific Eyre Peninsula SA
Moonlight Flat Angasi South Coast NSW

Served laid in a ring around a champagne eshallot vinegar, they are described when placed on the table so you can distinguish the differences and experience and learn about their different flavours, shape, size and colours. Nowhere else in Sydney, outside of the fish markets, will you be offered such variety.

The other starter which is quite unique, well one that I have never quite seen be served like this before is the sashimi. Plated up on a stainless steel thin long platter the different sashimi were arranged along the plate with accompaniments and the diner was given smooth stainless steel chop sticks to enjoy the meal. I have never seen such a presentation before, but then I have not been to many fine dining Japanese restaurants, but I am still very impressed with this dish.

Ok for mains the one dish which is so very well renown is the Snapper Pie. Served with smoked tomatoes and mashed potatoes it is a dish that is so regularly ordered that I have heard they have gone through a few chefs as these particular chefs were sick of just making snapper pie all day. The serving of the food is again impressive. The pie is wheeled to your table in its baking dish, then the waiter serves you some tomato and potato then finally add a serving of the pie to your plate which is then placed it in front of you. Creamy and rich flavours of the cream balance out the strong characteristics of snapper, with the light crisp pastry, it is really a very decedent dish and one to be shared among a few as I have only ever seen one person finish a whole pie, and this person was just infatuated with it.

IF you have room for dessert then be prepared to be served some works of art. Both the Blood Orange & Honey Parfait and the Pedro Ximenez Ice Cream, Chocolate Mousse & Coffee Granitaare absolutely scrumptious, but beware of incoming spoons as you may need to fight away as I am certain everyone will want a taste.

I think the strong focus on presentation and the artistic flare of the chefs has definitely been influenced by the large painting in the foyer by Jenny Dolezel, a New Zealand artist who was commissioned to create an artwork, in her dark style, which was to become part of the architecture, explain a story of what the Boathouse wanted to become whilst being challenging and in Dolezel's dark style. As you walk inside and are confronted by the large panels, it immediately introduces the space and the restaurant as a casual and fun place, not an exclusive upper class restaurant which is pretentious, they just want you to relax and enjoy the food and the view.

If you are not quite sold yet, I will say that the service is excellent, and this is not always the case in find dining restaurants. So be prepared to be treated like a king and sit back with your wine to just enjoy.