The Lord Wolseley Hotel

Former chef at Quay, Momofuku Seiobo and Master Dining, John Javier has emerged at this unsuspecting Ultimo pub. For anyone who’s been patiently waiting to experience this chef’s enchanted approach to food once again, look no further.

Pub Life Kitchen, as The Lord Wolseley Hotel's dining room was formerly known, was a place for a pretty mean burger. Now, it’s called House Diner and on John’s menu are pub-like things with a bit more magic and a lot more flavour and charm.

Think cavatelli, lamb belly, tripe and mint bolognese, a Szechuan fried chicken burger, and these totally delectable fine-dining style grilled scallops with trout roe and seaweed butter.

There’s lamb kofta with stracciatella and pistachio praline, served with warm homemade flatbread. Oh, and a fresh-caught fish of the day too. For dessert, there is a pillow-like pannacotta in a pool of Vietnamese coffee and dusted with toasted buckwheat.

So—not your average pub grub at all, really. Yet despite all the kitchen wizardry happening here, it’s pretty low key and very reasonably priced too. Pick up a schooner of Grifter or a cup of Australian wine at the adjoining bar and settle in beneath that soft pink glow for the night.

You should hurry on down too. John Javier is a chef in high demand throughout the world and, while his menu will stick around, he’ll just be in the kitchen at The Lord Wolseley for a good time, not a long time.

Image credit: Dominique Berns-Blackwell.