Whalebridge

Perched right on the harbour, Whalebridge is where you want to be for oysters, fresh French fare and unbeatable views of the Harbour Bridge and surrounding harbour. In other words, it’s your next bucket-list destination.

A lot of the seating is outside, making it perfect for sunny afternoons when you feel like being a tourist in your own city or you’re trying to impress out-of-towners. Either way, expect unpretentious charm at Whalebridge.

The food follows a similar fuss-free ethos, with Executive Chef Will Elliott serving up playful French dishes and plenty of seafood—an intersection of Paris and the Pacific Ocean, if you will. 

“What’s exciting about Whalebridge is the opportunity to prepare and plate a menu [that] is entirely new to Sydney. These are produce-driven dishes rooted in traditional French technique and the articulation of those flavours,” says Elliott. 

Having previously worked at Restaurant Hubert and Melbourne’s Cumulus Inc., Elliott brings his passion for fresh-as produce and his French culinary flair to Circular Quay.

Sydney Rock oysters, market fish, and caviar are all on the menu. However, the real show-stoppers are Whalebridge’s house specialties. Order the Bouillabaisse de Marseille for an indulgent meal of scampi, prawn, fish and lobster in a saffron broth. There's also the Lobster Thermidor, which is a whole lobster served with mustard, gruyere cheese and shoestring fries. 

For those who are looking for something other than seafood, take your pick of steak frites, confit duck leg, and stuffed zucchinis with eggplant, tapenade and tomato. 

Of course, what's a long, leisurely French feed without some vino? Whalebridge has more than 150 wines on offer, showcasing both French and Aussie drops—think Cote de Rhone and Provence wines, as well as ones from McLaren Vale and Mornington Peninsula. Renowned bartender Mikey Enright has also curated a cocktail menu that similarly blends the best of French and Aussie, such as the Whalebridge Martini with local gin, vermouth, oyster shell and aromatised oil and the Harbour Highball with organic cognac, peach liqueur, native lemon and peach soda.

Image credit: Whalebridge