Folks, we need to talk about Solander Dining and Bar and the stellar job it’s doing in celebrating native Australian ingredients.
A year ago, the ultra lush West Hotel opened for business in the western pocket of Sydney’s city centre, not far from Darling Harbour and Barangaroo. It brought with it the equally lush Solander Dining and Bar.
Back then, the ground floor, all-day restaurant and bar was decked out with swanky dark blue velvet chairs, luxurious bucket seats and an emerald green terrazzo bar. The moody space that’s all swank was named after the First Fleet’s botanist, Daniel Solander.
Like Solander did in 1770, executive chef David Vandenabeele – fresh from the kitchen at The Langham in New York – scoured the region to find fresh, local ingredients to create a beautiful botanical-inspired menu.
A year on and Solander’s menu has been revisited, undergoing a series of enhancements. The botanical theme still runs strong, but the menu is now even more Aussie, incorporating more native produce and plants. And the result is pretty special.
Solander’s new mod-Australian menu
Late last year, I got to stay at the West Hotel and it was divine, so when the opportunity came up to try out Solander Dining and Bar’s new Autumn/Winter 19 menu it took me 30 seconds to respond. The experience didn’t disappoint.
The new modern, very Australian menu stars native and botanical flavours and rubs, infusions, seeds, vegetables and proteins, with each dish a complete work of art. There’s things like kangaroo, bush tomato, acacia seeds, saltbush, Kakadu plum and more. The slow cooked wallaby shanks, with macadamia cream and Quandong berry are a signature. While Bankia nectar is used to sweeten the house-made pot bread.
Jude said it all tastes like, “a true private school, bush tucker camp experience” – whatever that tastes like…
The menu is broken into flora and fauna mains, with plant-based dishes given equal respect alongside meat dishes. And the servings – bloody generous. Check out the size of the bugs and mussels, which were both unreal.
Highlights for me were the OMG bugs, melt-like-butter pork cheeks and velvety Milo panna cotta. Special mention also goes to the kingfish-accompanying oysters poached in champagne and the watermelon drop cake, even if it looks remarkably like one of Pammy’s implants.
Charred bugs, with chilli butter and bush tomato
Australian mussels, with sauvignon blanc and saltbush
Seared kingfish, with Sydney rock oysters, asparagus and pickled lemon butter sauce
Young Henry-braised pork cheeks, with shiitake and Kakadu plum
Sides of broccoli and chunky chips
Milo panna cotta, with salted coconut mousse and Oreo
Watermelon drop cake, with sloe gin pearls, pepper charcoal coral and micro basil 
Solander Dining and Bar is…
I will admit, I do approach hotel restaurants with a degree of caution. We’ve all experienced the overpriced, lacklustre hotel restaurant that survives on convenience.
And while Solander Dining & Bar might be a hotel restaurant by technicality, it has none of the trademarks. It’s a destination in its own right – not just for tired tourists but for Sydneysiders seeking a unique, high-end and good value dining experience. You’d be doing well to take parents, a date or yourself here.
Solander Dining & Bar | 65 Sussex Street, Sydney, New South Wales
solanderdiningandbar.com.au
