Two nights in Sydney on our way back from the Rugby World Cup meant dinner at two of the city’s world-famous restaurants. After all, if you’re flying to the other side of the world you might as well make a quick stop at a global culinary hot spot.

My travel companion John was prepared. A month before we left, he asked Eat Out editor Abigail Donnelly for her recommendations. “It’s got to be Rockpool,” she said. After all these years, Neil Perry’s restaurant still is more than worth the visit. The other recommendation was straightforward: the Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Food Guide 2011 Restaurant of the Year, Marque.

Before you could say ‘visa application’, John had made the bookings online and we were off to the other side of the world – almost more excited about the forthcoming dinners than the Springbok-less rugby matches ahead of us.

New Zealand was amazing, and after a few matches and a fair amount of sightseeing, we arrived in Sydney.

Our first afternoon was spent seeing the attractions and shopping – and looking forward to our dinner at Marque in Surry Hills.

After a quick taxi ride from our hotel we arrived at the address – with no restaurant in sight. In fact, the signage outside the building was so minute, we had to ask next door where it was! Next door happened to be another famous restaurant, bills. (Yes, as in Bill Granger!)

At 7:30pm Marque was quite empty and we got a comfortable corner table. The décor was simple and perhaps a bit unimaginative with black walls and white tablecloths. Most of the diners were couples, fairly young, and some were casually dressed in T-shirts.

The service was excellent and it wasn’t long before the 11-course degustation menu kicked off with foie gras, white chocolate and porcini. My highlights were the newest item on the menu, the coral trout with fermented vegetables, sprouts and caramelised goat’s cheese curd, followed by the smoked duck egg with sorrel, green strawberries, tea and toast, as well as the oldest item on the menu, the Sauternes custard. I did the wine paring and really enjoyed the French, Austrian and Italian selection, but was slightly disappointed that no local wines were included.

Three hours and 11 courses later (although the last few portion sizes were really small), we were reeling. To such an extent that I could not touch my delicious second dessert, the tomberries with chocolate jelly and crème fraîche – let alone the optional cheese course. But we had enjoyed every minute of it and felt truly spoilt.

Our next culinary adventure was a little different. At Rockpool the atmosphere was very light and welcoming, with seating arranged around the big kitchen area in the middle of the restaurant. This time we walked from our hotel and decided to be a bit more conservative and only have the four-course menu.

I had sushi of kingfish, tuna, prawn and squid for the first course; goat’s cheese cannelloni, asparagus, leeks and liquorice relish for the second; mullet for the third; and had to choose between the stalwart date tart or passion fruit soufflé for dessert. The soufflé won and was an excellent choice, although John had the date tart and was as complimentary.

So yes, I did roll out of Sydney early on the morning of day three – satisfied and just in time for my 14-hour flight to Johannesburg. And, needless to say, I did not eat much on the flight home.

By Irna van Zyl
Photographs: Getty/Kristian Dowling/Serge Thomann