Two days ago I celebrated my 22nd birthday with my buddies at Sails on Lavender Bay, a French-style restaurant. This restaurant has taken the top spot on my list of dating venues due to its magnificent view, great food and excellent atmosphere. If you are looking for a classy restaurant with the best views of Sydney Harbour and tasty French cuisine, this is it!
The location and view of this restaurant are simply unmatched by any other. It is located at Lavender Bay on the north shore of Sydney Harbour. The restaurant has glass walls all around so diners can enjoy the beautiful view of Lunar Park and Opera House at night. This is why I name it my No.1 dating spot. Trust me, your special one will be thoroughly impressed and overwhelmed by the atmosphere in the restaurant. At dinner time, the restaurant is dimly lit with candles on every table so that you can get a clear view of the twinkling lights from Lunar Park and Sydney Harbour. It makes you feel like you are dining in the middle of the harbour, with 180-degree view of your surroundings. The whole experience is romantic and surreal.
The service is very top-class. Waiting staff are very friendly, polite and helpful. They will constantly check on you to make sure that everything is okay. The catering expertise of the waiting staff makes you feel like someone important. The restaurant does get very busy for dinner so it is recommended to make bookings before hand. To me, service is a huge part when assessing a restaurant, especially French restaurant since you are paying more money for a better dining experience. I give Sails a 10/10 on service.
Now let's talk about the most important part of a dining experience---food. The food here is top-notch, and as I mentioned in my previous reviews, I've been to my fair share of French restaurants. We ordered blue cheese, oysters and pork, quail and rabbit terrine with foie gras as entree. The blue cheese they had was Australian-made unlike other restaurants which use mainly European cheese. The flavour of the cheese is surprisingly good, very rich in flavour and satisfying. It has more of a dairy aroma comparing to its European counterparts. The oysters are nice and fresh, served with a special chilli sauce that was very refreshing yet not too overpowering that it masks the taste of the oyster. The special terrine was one of the highlights. Most French restaurants simply offers foie gras with bread. The special terrine of Sails is a mixture of pork, quail, rabbit and foie gras and the end result is amazing. It is a cold dish, very rich in flavour and aroma unlike anything I've had before. It goes great with bruschetta or sourdough. If you are going there for the first time, you must try the terrine.
For the main course, I had roasted grimaud duck breast. The meat was very tender and juicy, cooked just right so that it maintained the texture of the duck breast. The mashed pea infused with garlic on the side was also nice. My friends ordered pan-fried barramundi and lamb loin which they also liked. Taste wise, this was one of the best on my list of Western-style restaurant.
If you are a dessert-lover, you have to try the creme brulee. The waiter lights up the top of the caramel crust so it comes in flames. The crust itself is very crispy and not too sweet, which was to my liking since I'm not a big fan of sweet stuff. My other friend ordered dark chocolate torte which was absolutely delicious to a dark chocolate lover like me. I didn't quite like the pudding due to its gingerbread flavour but that's just my personal opinion.
Sails on Lavender offers a dining package so complete that you simply won't find any other substitutes. If you are willing to spend a little extra to have an unforgettable night with your loved one, this is the place. P.S. for the dudes: this place is going to cost you but you will get laid.
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