Chiswick, Woollahra

Well hello there! Pardon my extended absence from this little corner of the internet (again) but rest assured all is well and we can save the stories for another time. Now that the nights are getting colder we empty fridgers are at our element - finding the comfort food that makes you want to hug the person next to you.

Together with our friends Mr&Mrs Macaroni - this evening's double date took us to the leafy suburb of Woollahra to check out Matt Moran and Peter Sullivan's newest Sydney establishment - Chiswick. Unlike most of our spontaneous adventures here, we actually booked a few weeks in advance. It truly is a popular new addition as we had a 3 week wait to secure a 6pm booking on a Wednesday night! But thankfully there was great wine ahead of us in this French-provinical garden style restaurant. With wall length windows looking straight out into the manicured gardens - the scene was set for a very homely and cozy atmosphere sans the feminine vibe.

There were 6 sections of the menu and it was wonderful to see unpretentious and simple dishes on offer. Listed were a selection of nibbles and small plates as well as mains which were all under $39 with share plates under $60. Our waitress advised us that servings were quite generous so we devised a plan to tackle as many dishes as possible. 

Our Small Plates: Steak Tartare $18 and Pulled veal ravioli with soybeans $20

The ravioli was interesting as one would automatically assume that it would be coated in a thick pasta sugo - not in this case. The little parcels of veal were tossed with beans, capers and a light shiso flavour making it very fresh and tangy. Absolutely unexpected but all the more wonderful.

My friend Mrs Macaroni told me that she judges restaurants by the taste of their chips and we were both in our element when the side of Hand Cut chips came out. The black garlic aioli is the stuff my dreams are made out of - no word of a lie here, the creamy garlic goodness nearly led me to the open kitchen where I could steal a bottle. 

Hand cut chips $9 and Shared Dish - Fish and Prawn Pie $58

It was a perfect night to have the fish and prawn pie although we all wanted a bit more of the flakey and buttery pastry. A little piece of my heart breaks when a pie comes out and the pastry is just "topped" and does not entomb the meaty goodness within. I love a good pastry but the sentiment of the table was that the wood roasted chicken in spiced hay would have come out guns blazing had there been a re-order opportunity . Mind you, we fought over the pot until every last pastry crumb  was gone.

In the presence of our token Greek male - Demos, we couldn't say no to the lamb and he was given the honour of carving it up.

The wood roasted Moran family lamb with chick peas and mint $59

The beef and lamb served in Chiswick is raised on the Moran Family farm in NSW and boy did this little lamb had a good life - even in the end there was no carving needed with every piece of tender meat literally sliding off the bone. Delicious, succulent and you cant go past this on a visit.

Even after stalking the menu online, Mrs Macaroni and I were hardly enamoured by the dessert offering but when faced with the decision on the night we caved. The chocolate mousse cake ($15) was rich and decadent but what swayed me was the mandarin sorbet on the side. It was the perfect pairing and sold the dessert for me. The rhubarb eclair ($15) was a contrast to the first dessert - with the sweetest and fluffiest pastry, it was a winner too.

Chiswick is a beautiful neighbourhood restaurant, appropriately located in one of the most beautiful neigborhoods in Sydney. It is spacious yet so cosy and full of unexpected surprises in both the decor and the dishes. We were not able to appreciate the rich garden where they grow their own tomatoes, radishes and herbs but that gives us an excuse to return in the daytime. 

Chiswick is one of those places where you feel at home and even between visits, its a place that will welcome you back with a big hug, a delicious table full of food and the feeling that its good to be back home. Kinda like what I'm feeling now after writing this overdue post xo.


Chiswick, Woollahra - http://www.chiswickrestaurant.com.au