Sitting on the edge of Circular Quay, with the Opera House on one side and the Harbour Bridge on the other, Quay is as iconic as it gets when it comes to restaurants. It feels really (really) special, because it is.
For over two decades, Executive Chef Peter Gilmore has turned this glass-walled icon into one of Australia’s most extraordinary dining experiences. His food is fancy but never fussy; it’s fine dining without the pretension. “Quay has always been about creating lasting memories,” Gilmore says. “Our job is to present the finest Australian produce in a way that excites, surprises, and honours the natural world it comes from.”
And it does. The Chef’s Tasting Menu – a seasonal, eight-course odyssey that’ll set you back $365 – is heaven on earth. It starts with a mud crab dumpling bathed in brown butter, glistening with golden tapioca, before moving to smoked pig jowl with kombu and brassicas that tastes somehow ancient and futuristic all at once. Then comes the Blackmore Wagyu, the White Coral dessert – a hint of coconut and feijoa so delicate you almost feel bad eating it. Almost.
It’s no surprise that food is art here.
Just this week, Gilmore unveiled yet another reason to return: the Green Mango dessert – a fresh twist on his signature Coral creation. Picture a cloud-like aerated white chocolate mousse resting on a bed of velvety brûlée cream, finished with a bright, refreshing green mango sherbet. It’s summer on a spoon.
Elsewhere, the kitchen continues to push boundaries. Gilmore doesn’t hold back transforming his beloved Crystal tart into a savoury masterpiece, reimagined with smoked eel cream and seaweed jelly pearls. Or serving up an amuse-bouche of pure surprise: oyster cream and caviar, followed by delicate parsley and seaweed chocolates that deliver the most unexpected joy.
And now, for a limited time, there’s a new way to experience it all. Five By Quay distils the essence of Gilmore’s full tasting experience into five masterful courses – a shorter format that still captures every note of his artistry. Priced at $275 per person, this spring menu is a study in balance and restraint: the mud crab dumpling in brown butter and golden tapioca; wild Greenlip abalone with sea cucumber and koshihikari rice in an aged seaweed broth; smoked pig jowl with kombu and brassicas; the deeply umami Blackmore Wagyu with Australian Maitake mushrooms; and to finish, the luminous White Coral with feijoa.
The experience doesn’t end with the food. The wine pairings, curated by Group Sommelier Amanda Yallop – recently crowned Sommelier of the Year – are as inspired as the dishes themselves. Whether you choose the classic flight ($190), the teetotal pairing ($150), or the all-out Benchmark experience ($900), each pour feels like part of the performance.
This year, the accolades continue to roll in. Quay has once again been awarded Three Hats in the Good Food Guide 2026, marking an astonishing 23 consecutive years of excellence – an achievement few restaurants in the world can claim. It also secured a place among the Top 100 in the Gourmet Traveller Annual Restaurant Awards, standing proudly alongside Australia’s culinary greats. “It’s rarified luxury that leaves a lasting impression,” says Gilmore – and it truly is.
Everything at Quay is about connection. Gilmore works directly with farmers, foragers, and small-scale producers who cultivate ingredients just for him. The dining room – reimagined in 2018 – mirrors that intimacy: curved timbers, sand-toned walls, and glass that seems to dissolve into the harbour. You can feel the ocean just beyond the window – that is, if you’re not too distracted by the Opera House staring back at you. Quay describes itself as “an ode to the Australian landscape,” and it means it – the views, the food, the philosophy.
Quay is not just a restaurant. It’s an icon. A reminder of why food matters – how it can stop you mid-sentence and create a memory that stays with you long after the final dish.
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