Rockpool Bar & Grill

We arrived in Sydney late in the afternoon, and took a cab straight to our hotel in Randwick. We were here for Nicola’s conference, being held at the University of New South Wales, which has its main campus in Randwick. Checking with reception to see how to get to the city centre, we were given two maps – one of the local area and a tourist map of the CBD.

We had booked dinner at Rockpool Bar & Grill, so decided to walk into the city. This took us longer than we expected, and by the time we reached Elizabeth Street I was on the lookout for a pub. Elizabeth Street, however, wasn’t massively populated with pubs. We eventually found one in at the corner of Martin Place, originally called Martin Place Bar, and there I hoovered down a couple of beers. We then walked round the corner to the restaurant in Hunter St.

I’d been to the original Rockpool on my first visit to Australia, way back in 1997 or thereabouts. Since then, chef Neil Perry has expanded his empire somewhat and now boasts 7 restaurants around Australia. This particular incarnation is in an old bank, with marble pillars and high ceilings. I had a starter of squid with pork belly, followed by flathead fillets from the grill, while Nicola had a pear, walnut & Roquefort salad to start and tortellini with prawns. Whilst the food was competently cooked, I was a bit disappointed to go to a Rockpool restaurant and get just a piece of fish on a plate. I mean, I can do that; for Rockpool prices I want something a bit more. Neil Perry, I am disappoint.