Gourmet Traveller

editor’s letter

One of the things I missed most during lockdown was an afternoon at the pub. Long Sunday lunches spent solving the world’s problems and laughing away your own. The first time I went to Sydney’s Old Fitzroy Hotel was one of those afternoons. It came just two weeks after my husband and I had moved to Australia last year, when our friend Will arrived on our doorstep, ready to show us something special. His friend Nik Hill had taken over the kitchen earlier in the year and was reinventing the historic hotel as Sydney’s home of English pub classics. Knowing my husband’s love of a good pint and my exacting standards when it comes to a Scotch egg, Will was certain we would love The Fitz. He wasn’t wrong. When it…

what we’re drinking…

Domaine de Sulauze, Hyper Modeste I’ve been dreaming about this biodynamic pet nat since I first tried it. Fresh, fruity and fragrant, it was the perfect drop to end a Sunday lunch. Georgie Meredith, writer & editorial coordinator Tash Sultana cocktail, Eileen’s Bar Gin aficionados, rejoice! Four Pillars have opened a gin haven in Sydney’s Surry Hills complete with a bar and laboratory. Stop by for a fun and sophisticated cocktail. Karlie Verkerk, deputy editor Finger lime cerveza, Sobah These zippy alcohol-free brews from Burleigh Heads-based, Indigenous-owned label Sobah are convincingly hoppy and make for a refreshing drink alternative. Jordan Kretchmer, writer…

contributors

OLIVIA BLACKMORE stylist Puttin’ on the Fitz, p68 After studying visual arts, fashion and costume design, Olivia Blackmore fortuitously came across the world of food styling and has never looked back. For this issue, she took to our cover shoot with gusto. “This shoot was a dream brief for me: fun, nostalgic, ’80s-esque dining, coupled with a fantastic team,” she says. “Also, chef Nik Hill and I realised we both share a love of paper doilies!” NIK HILL chef Puttin’ on the Fitz, p68 For our cover feature we called upon Nik Hill, whose classic pub fare draws on fine-dining sensibilities (courtesy of his time working at Quay, Sepia and The Ledbury in London). Hill respects the rules of classic cooking and time-honoured flavours, serving up Scotch eggs and eel pâté in one…

what we’re eating

CONFIT SQUID, Cupitt’s Estate A long Sunday lunch is one of life’s true pleasures and this one started on a delicate high, thanks to this elegant salad, where butter-soft confit squid met the tart crunch of pickled garden vegetables, grown just a few metres away. Paired with a glass of fruit-driven arneis. Heaven. 58 Washburton Rd, Ulladulla, NSW. JOANNA HUNKIN, EDITOR. KINGFISH SASHIMI, Chin Chin Chin Chin’s signature kingfish sashimi with lime, chilli and coconut was already picked for us as part of the “feed me” menu. Not only was this one of the prettiest dishes of the night but the zingy marinade and drizzle of coconut cream was a refreshing way to start the meal. 69 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills, NSW HANNAH BLACKMORE, CREATIVE DIRECTOR SAM WONG DAN, Ho Jiak “Three types of steamed…

restaurant news

SYDNEY With a touch of normality returning to the Harbour City comes a suite of new openings. Sekka in St Leonards has former Ichibandori chef Hideto Suzuki cooking down a rich 15-hour-cooked tonkotsu broth and snacks inspired by his hometown of the Akita Prefecture; while Surry Hills has welcomed slick new charcoal chicken shop Henrietta, from the crew behind the nearby Nour. Sydneysiders love of Italian continues, as the CBD scores a new small-scale trattoria Restaurant Leo in Angel Place by LuMi Dining’s Federico Zanellato and Oscillate Wildly’s Karl Firla; while Maurice Terzini’s CicciaBella is set to open in Parramatta come September. Also, longstanding Italian favourites are set to reopen after longer post-Covid closures, including Icebergs Dining Room and Bar (August 1), Darlinghurst’s A Tavola (August 5), while Ormeggio has reopened with…

new horizons

Australians still have a fierce taste for adventure, but their destinations of choice are ever changing, not surprisingly. Research undertaken by online travel company Luxury Escapes reveals Australians’ desire for a destination vacation has not waned as a result of the pandemic, with 46 per cent of Australians reporting they are more likely to travel and 40 per cent just as likely to travel in the next 12 months. Domestic travel desires are focused on exploring Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania. Travelling somewhere new is the top priority for respondents, while enjoying downtime, getting immersed in nature and trying new restaurants and dining options are all on the agenda. luxuryescapes.com.au Voyager Estate has just released their second Pet Nat. The naturally fizzy drop is made from 100 per cent merlot fruit,…