Tetsuya's Sydney: Still One of the City's Finest

Tetsuya's Sydney is an icon of the Australian dining scene. When Tetsuya’s began to receive worldwide attention well over a decade ago, Sydney instantly lit up on the world’s fine-dining map. This is what the world realised: Sydney has access to incredible fresh ingredients, with some of the world’s best produce at its doorstep. It also has worldly, discriminating diners with sophisticated tastes. And, in chefs like Tetsuya Wakuda, Sydney has the talent to make the absolute most of the city’s bounty, and to become home to some of the best restaurants on Earth.

So, exactly what is eating at Tetsuya’s like?

The vast mechanical gate opens up before you, and the Tetsuya’s adventure begins. You stroll through a minimalist courtyard and the restaurant’s facade appears as a traditional Japanese eating house. Inside it’s all rather staid and understated, although there’s a rather exquisite Japanese garden inside a glassed-in central courtyard. By the time you’re seated, you’ve been greeted by at least five different people. The army of wait staff at Tetsuya’s is quite a thing to behold. There are lots and lots of them, and they all work together flawlessly, with grace, seamless efficiency and pride. Tetsuya is known for his down-to-earth nature, and just as Tets himself would have it, his staff don't come off as snooty and judgemental. They’re affable, well-spoken, infinitely knowledgeable, and just, well... nice.

Once heralded as ground-breaking, Tetsuya’s Australian, Japanese, French hybrid cuisine isn't considered particularly innovative by today’s standards. The food here is simply about good cooking, complete mastery and conviction, and incredible ingredients taking precedence over showy tricks and gimmicks. Every diner at Tetsuya’s takes a journey through a 10- to 15-course degustation; a marvellous progression of flavours, textures, techniques and temperatures.  Sashimi kingfish with blackbean and orange is incredibly delicate yet powerfully flavoured. The optional oyster course with rice vinegar and ginger is truly heavenly, and the signature confit Petuna ocean trout with konbu, celery and apple mystifyingly beautiful.  A richly-flavoured braised ox tail is married with sea cucumber in meltingly gelatinous harmony, and the brilliance doesn’t end until the final dessert. Tetsuya’s miniature summer pudding is like an upmarket ais kacang with a seemingly endless variety of delightfully bursty, gooey, chewy treasures hidden beneath custardy goodness. Simple, but moan-out-loud delicious.

Some shy away from Tetsuya’s, imagining a dining experience that's too intimidating to be pleasurable. But the truth is, as far as the world’s best restaurants go, Tetsuya’s is extraordinarily accessible. Tetsuya Wakuda has created a restaurant simply for people who love food and want to celebrate it.  What more could you really ask of any chef?

HelloSydney Tip: There are some drawbacks to dining at Tetsuya’s that we should point out. Firstly, if you opt for the matching wines (highly recommended), expect to pay upwards of $300 per head. And you will need to book as far ahead as possible. Friday and Saturday dinners, in particular, book out many months in advance.

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