There is the “normal” way that one usually visits a restaurant. That is, to make a dinner booking for say 7:30pm or 8pm, arrive and sit down and have a meal. I think it’s safe to say that normal is not a word I hear to describe myself and when Cafe Sydney asked me if Christie and I would like to have a Behind The Scenes view of the Cafe Sydney where we’d get to explore every nook and cranny of the restaurant and the kitchen we instantly said yes.
It had been years and years since I last visited there. I used to go there for corporate lunches and would always order the tandoori salmon (this was way B.B. aka Before Blog ) . One time I dined in the private dining room for a friend’s birthday and had some of the most enormous prawns I’ve ever laid eyes on.
The view
More view
Christie and I front up at Cafe Sydney at 4:45pm. We’re doing an evening shift starting with the staff meal. Around us some staff are busy setting up while others eat their staff meals. Jan the Operations Director whose idea this was, greets us and gives us a tour of the premises. We have free reign to go anywhere at any time. The restaurant all looks very familiar and I am instantly transported to my advertising days and I wonder whether the tandoori salmon dish still features on the menu (it does but in a different version!).
“How many people do we have tonight?” Jan asks.
“240″ answers the front of house staff as we learn out of a possible 300 diners.
Christie and I are amazed. It’s a Tuesday night and restaurants usually are much quieter at the beginning of the week but they are operating at 80% capacity on this cold, Wintry Tuesday night. As it is a chilly evening the outdoor terrace area is reduced so that diners don’t feel the chill too much. There are outdoor heaters as well as but nothing can distract us from the view. Ah that view. The Harbour Bridge on the left and East Circular Quay on the right with the Opera House peeking out from behind it.
The bar
Staff eating their staff meals
Staff meal: Penne bolognese
Staff meal: rocket and cucumber salad
Back to the staff meal. I’ve always been interested in staff meals ever since I got my copy of the Buon Ricordo cookbook where there is a section on the staff meals. Tonight it’s a penne pasta bake with a meat sauce and cheese as well as a vegetarian option which is baked polenta. There is a large rocket salad with pear as well. Each night has a different type of meal but the same staff meal is served for lunch and dinner that day. Monday nights are curry night as the Tandoori chef Ram cooks.
Ram the tandoori chef
Kitchen preparation sheet
Jan is handed a kitchen preparation sheet. On it are the number of diners (pax), special requests (like birthdays) and there is also a number for “amuses”. Each evening Cafe Sydney holds a table for 2 and a table for 4 (a “2 top” and a “4 top” in restaurant speak) for each of the 5 star hotel concierges in the area. These are held until around 7:30pm and each table is also given an amuse bouche with “compliments of the hotel” . There is no percentage of the meal or fee for this for either party and twice a year they host the concierges for dinner. Their clientele is mostly corporate and repeat customers and they can get up to 50 walk ins an evening and they usually try and accommodate them as best as possible. Seating is done on a first come first served basis and your seat depends on the date that you booked. Seating arrangements are done at 3pm each day.
Staff meeting
Staff meals finished all of the wait staff go to the private dining room (where from 3-5pm that day all the oysters are shucked) for a front of house briefing which are held at 11:30am and 5:30pm. Tonight there are 25 front of house staff including waiters, runners and reservations people and 14 chefs. Tim runs through the details of the specials and the items that they need to push and talks through the cheese, amuses and petit fours. He quizzes them about where certain ingredients come from and asks them about what makes certain ingredients different or special.
Tasting the new cocktail
Tom the head bar man explains the latest cocktail which is a Staten Island. This is a cocktail that has a mix of Rittenhouse rye whisky, fresh lemon juice, egg white, Canadian maple syrup and a dash of angostura. Each staff member takes a straw and pokes it into the drink and then samples it.
We are given our chef’s whites and some removable buttons and we go into the bathroom to change (the motion sensing bathroom lights are on a power saving feature). The Dinosaur Design lights are also charged up every evening after service and the lights for the restaurant are powered automatically by detecting the amount of light there is and gradually activating the lighting. There are three levels to the dining area of Cafe Sydney and they are all designed so that each level has a view of the harbour.
The kitchen busy prepping
We make our way to the kitchen where we meet the executive chef Matt Bates. We see them getting ready for the onslaught and we take our chance to observe things before we truly become an annoyance. At the front is the pass which is where Matt stands. There is the POS system that spits out the dockets and he will direct the orders to his team of chefs.
Then there is the grill area where they grill and also make their own jus, the sauce section and the cold larder. Desserts are made by the pastry chefs who come in at 6am and these are then plated up to order by the cold larder in the evenings.
Sauce section chefs
The stewards
Then there are the three stewards Papsa, Soyaz and Masi who do the cleaning and they’re much lauded for being able to clean in such a small space. As the building is heritage listed, there are not a large number of changes that can be made and the guys do an efficient job cleaning everything for a 300 capacity restaurant.
The specials: confit duck leg with duck cigar, pickled cherry, savoy cabbage, speck and jus $40
The special: dry aged striploin with Swiss brown mushrooms, braised short rib pithivier and jus $58
The special: Octopus with pancetta
The waiters gather at the other side of the pass to try the specials of the day. They each take a set of cutlery and dig in. “It’s normally everyone digging in but they’re behaving themselves today” Matt says. We try the dishes. The specials are: confit duck leg with duck cigar, pickled cherry, savoy cabbage, speck and jus for $40 which is my favourite, dry aged striploin with Swiss brown mushrooms, braised short rib pithivier and jus for $58 and octopus with pancetta. They are all delicious but the crispy duck and plump pickled cherries have won my heart.
Wait staff trying the dishes
Matt takes us for a little tour and what is surprising is that there is only one cool room for the whole restaurant. The supplies in the coolroom will last the restaurant just 24 hours and every day they get deliveries (twice a day for fish). And does the cool room break down? Yes it does but they have preventative measures and their cool room company visits the restaurant at least twice a week to maintain it.
Second year apprentice Jake attends to the fresh seafood
The cold larder is definitely the coolest place in the kitchen temperature wise and second year apprentice Jake is busy preparing some of the cold seafood.
Paging system
There is also a paging system for when Matt needs to speak to any of the key floor staff. “Press Tim” Matt says. “Press it twice to make him think its an emergency”. I do and Tim arrives within seconds-thankfully not upset that we’ve just paged him for nothing 
The first dockets come through and the first thing is a tenderloin well done. I ask Matt if people still often order their meat well done and he says that they do and of course they will cook it to order although medium rare is most popular. However a cut like venison or kangaroo is just not suited to being cooked well done as it would make it tough so in that case he would suggest a tenderloin or another cut for the diner.
Executive Chef Matt Bates oversees the three tier docket system
There are three levels to the docket system. When they first come through and Matt tells the kitchen the order they start at the top, once their entrees are given to them they are moved to the next tier down and once their mains are given they are moved to the last tier. The dessert orders go directly to the cold larder section. When the waitstaff have collected the entree plates, a docket with the table number comes through and says “Mains Away” signalling to the kitchen that the diners are ready for their mains.
Staff eating their staff meals
Apart from waiters there are also runners who run the food to the table. These are waiters in training and aren’t allowed to take orders but will gradually work their way up to becoming a waiter. One role that is crucial for the runners is the “expediter” Greg. He has a look at all of the dockets and instructs the runners on which item to take to which table and at which table position. He also tells them if finger bowls are needed as well as any other special instructions (i.e. whether to put two sets of cutlery for a seafood platter).
The table positions are important as they tell the runner who ordered what and where to set down the plates and thus avoiding that awkward moment where people forget what they’ve ordered. And are there any codes for diners? I remember reading that some places sometimes put unflattering codes for diners according to their appearance. No, it is number based and the number 1 position at any table is the person whose back is to the kitchen.
Greg cleaning the plates
We watch as Matt and Greg clean the rims of the plates with a scrolled up wet teatowel with a touch of vinegar in the solution. I am SO using this tip when doing it at home as a dry teatowel doesn’t do the trick and in fact Matt tells us that if the staff are caught using the dry teatowels around their waist they get into trouble. He also shows us the proper way to carry a plate to minimise finger prints.
The proper way to carry a plate to avoid fingerprints
A docket comes through and it says on the octopus dish “No cheese”. There is no cheese in the octopus dish so Matt calls the waiter over who explains that the customer wanted to ensure that there was no cheese and asked him to let the kitchen know. Do they get many eaters with allergies or special food requests? They have a separate vegan menu with two entrees and two mains. They also get a lot of gluten free eaters. And famous diners? Ashton Kutcher recently dined here on his last promotional visit to Australia. Pauley Perrette (Abby from NCIS) recently ate here as did Robert De Niro with his large family. He entered through the back entrance and sat with his back to the restaurant.
Matt shouts out the new dockets
And what about tips? They kitchen gets a percentage of the tips and these are divided up amongst the kitchen staff depending on the their level and can change month on month. On average people tip about 10% here. I ask one waiter Woody whether he can tell a good tipper from a bad one and and he says generally not although corporates can splash out.
The chip drawer-why can’t all houses come with a chip drawer?
Matty F. puts the finishing touches on an heirloom tomato salad
Dispensary bar
We’re sensing that the kitchen is heating up as the dockets spill in so we go for a walk around the restaurant. There is a lot of activity on the floor and it is packed except for a few tables. We go the the dispensary bar where some of the more standard drinks are made. The cocktails are made at the Havana bar which is also open to customers but the soft drinks and drinks like scotch and cokes are made here.
Peach and vanilla iced tea $11
We check out the Havana Bar where Tom Bulmer and Tom Wood are mixing cocktails. We opt for a mocktail each. I adore my peach and vanilla iced tea which is a frappe of T2 Madagascan vanilla tea, white peach, cloudy apple juice and sugar syrup.
Elderflower Smash $11
The Elderflower Smash is fresh and bitter with mint and coriander with organic elderflower, clear apple juice and tonic water. Fortified with liquid (it’s easy to get dehydrated in those temperatures), we are curious to see the system where they enter the meals.
Supervisor David shows us and it’s interesting to see how much information that they can put in. There is also the “See Me” button which is for extremely complicated orders that need to be communicated directly to the kitchen in person. He tells us that they are all trained in food safety standards and how to ascertain a customer’s allergies or needs and they put in as much information as they can to give the kitchen the best idea of the customer’s needs.
Seafood platters
Plating the cheesecakes
We’re back in the kitchen and they’re busy plating up desserts. I spy a dessert that I’ve just got to have. It is a cheesecake with glazed pineapple and coconut tuile on top. We spend some time in the grill section and the sauce section and it is going at full blast. It is incredibly hot and action packed.
Chefs whizz past us chiming “Behind!” “Behind!” “Behind!” and like two chickens trying to cross a highway we wait cautiously and dodge bodies to get to the other side where it is clearer. It’s definitely not a a great place to be wielding a camera or being a stray person so when Jan says “We’ve got a table ready for you whenever you are ready” Christie and I change out of our chef’s whites and make our way to the table. Being around food for this many hours is making us hungry.
Caramelised onion naan $3 and goat’s cheese and spinach naan $3.50
We start off with some naan bread. We choose two types: a spiced caramelised naan and a goat’s cheese and spinach naan. I especially adore the goat’s cheese and spinach one as it’s fluffier and delicious, particularly when you bite into a pocket of cheese. And please excuse the photos, the light is very, very dark and tinged a glowing orange. Very romantic but a challenge to photograph in.
Non alcholic version of Barbadan Milk Punch (left) and Kiwi Crush (right) $11
Tom the head bar man comes over and makes some suggestions. We both want to start with something non alcoholic so I opt for a drink that he makes using home-made Carribean spice syrup with raisins, vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon and star anise. The alcoholic version would be a Bardaban milk punch. I adore this drink, it’s just the right amount of aromatics to refreshment. Christie gets a Kiwi Crush which is kiwifruit, lime, passionfruit and apple soda drink which is satisfying lip smacking drink strong with lime and soda.
Prawns with mayonnaise and lemon $27
I’m walking down memory lane tonight and so I’ve chose to start with a small serve of their chilled Mooloolaba prawns with mayonnaise and lemon. Our friendly waiter Michael asks me if I would like them peeled. I usually don’t mind peeling them but since I spent one hour peeling two kilos of prawns this afternoon I opt out of peeling these. They come fresh and cold and delicious when dipped in the garlicky mayonnaise and lemon.
Salt cod filled zucchini flowers with seared scallops, shaved fennel and red pepper $26
I try some of Christie’s scallops with salt cod stuffed zucchini flowers. These are Canadian scallops cut in half (although I like them fat and juicy and whole) and I do like the generously filled zucchini flowers which are expensive to buy at the moment. Matt tells us that they are $1.50 per flower to buy. The salt cod stuffing is gorgeously rich and soft against the crispy outer.
Twice cooked pork belly with caramelised pear, speck, pistachio and jus $38
The twice cooked pork belly is sweet and unctuous. The pork belly is ringed with soft, yielding jellied fat (yum!) and is accompanied by a caramelised pear, speck, pistachio and jus. It’s for those cold, rainy Winter nights when you just need comfort and utter richness with a bit of sweetness.
Tandoori roasted freshwater salmon with spiced globe artichoke, green lentils and buffalo yoghurt raita $39
Ahh Tandoori salmon, how I remember you and am pleasantly surprised that you are still on the menu! Apparently this dish is so popular they cannot take it off and whilst the accompaniments may change and it may be salmon or trout, it still tastes great. The salmon although it is cooked through (as Christie had requested it to be as she is pregnant) is still wonderfully moist and juicy without a hint of dryness. The lentils are a nice accompaniment to it along with the tangy buffalo yogurt raita. A chargrilled globe artichoke tops it off.
Chips-how we love thee…
Baked cheesecake with glazed pineapple, coconut crisp and pineapple sorbet $18
I do love a baked cheesecake and fruit desserts so this is a welcome sight. It’s not inexpensive for the size admittedly but we enjoy the coconut biscuit base, the coconut tuile on top and the rich vanilla cheesecake especially when combined with the glazed pineapple pieces. The pineapple sorbet is refreshingly good and tastes of pure, fresh pineapple with just about the right amount of sweetness.
Warm hazelnut pudding with chestnut creme and praline $18
We took our waiter Michael’s recommendation. We were expecting a chocolate hazelnut sort of dessert but this appears to be like a warm toffee pudding. It comes in a pool of caramel butterscotch sauce, a nutty ice cream and a quenelle of thick unsweetened cream that sits on top a fantastic nutty toffee praline crunch. During the night the friendly reservations staff come over and say hello including the lovely twitter gal @sharonpiggott.
Creme Blanc $19
I finish off with a dessert cocktail, the Creme Blanc which is white chocolate melted with Belvedere vodka , creme de cacao and vanilla liqueurs. It’s creamy and potent and slips down my throat easily.
We’re reluctant to leave-it certainly was an action packed night full of surprises and we were made to feel welcome like we were part of the family here. We waddle out well fed and well educated about life in a successful 300 seater restaurant with a new appreciation for the theatre of it all.
You can also check out Christie’s post is here for her view on our view from the top!
NQN visited Cafe Sydney as a guest of Cafe Sydney.
Cafe Sydney
Fifth floor, Customs House
31 Alfred Street, Circular Quay, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 9251 8683
Open Monday to Friday Noon until late
Saturday from 5pm until late
Sunday from 12 noon until lunch
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76 Comments | Add your own
What a great little insight.
I’ve dined at Cafe Sydney a few times, and the food & service always delights me. x
My wife and I stay (almost) next door at the Quay Grand suites once or twice a year and have never eaten here. However, my mother (a discerning diner) ate here just two months ago and raved about it, saying of all the restaurants she ate at during her stay, this was the best, and believe me, she ate at some of Sydney’s best! That’s a good enough endorsement for me and this story makes me even hungrier to go there next time we’re in town!
What an interesting experience to have! I’d love to be able to do something like that.
I’m intrigued by how detailed their receipts are and the baked cheesecake looks delicious!
What a wonderful experience! Having worked in restaurants when at uni I am always fascinated with the ‘behind the secenes’
Words cannot describe how much I LOOOOOVEEEE Cafe Sydney, have only been there twice (once corporate once personal) and both times it was magical, especially on the roof top with a Sydney sunset. You’re so lucky to get the behind the scenes tour and OMG that twice cooked pork belly! I WANT SOME!
This looks ike it was an interesting experience. Of all the dishes, the pork belly is the one I crave – even over the desserts!
Thanks for the back room tour. I worked for years as a waitress in another life. It brought back lots of memories – not all good. This looks like an amazing place to work and the food looks delicious. I would be quite happy to have a staff meal there.
In my college days I worked in a “prestigious” city hotel and I used to cringe at some of the food preparation methods used – I never touched any of the staff meals!
These staff meals look pretty good!
I love seeing behind the scenes. I have to say that when you dine out at a great restaurant you generally have no idea as to how complex it all is behind the scenes.
All the food here looked so delicious.
Lorraine, love this post!
Cafe Sydney is one of my favourite restaurants in Sydney and it is so interesting to read on all the actions behind the scenes. I’m impressed.
What a fabulous post! I love behind the scenes looksees! As if they weren’t busy enough, I think this might get Joe Average to Cafe Sydney too! Well done xx
oh my god..
the chip draw.
the iced tea.
the scallops.
I LOVED this post. Thanks so much for the insight. I definitely am going to get myself a serving of the twice-cooked pork belly one day!
A place like that would be full on to work at. Nice to see such good systems in place
What a great look into the ins and outs of a restaurant! I think everyone in Sydney should read this – it’s certainly an eye opener. I don’t think alot of people put too much thought into how their meal gets to their table. Great entry
What a fun behind-the-scenes look. And what a fabulous view. It’s good to know that the old restaurant adage, “The better the view, the worse the food,” does not hold true in this case.
Terrific post, I really enjoyed this one. The detail that goes in to make the dining experience a special one, in such a big restaurant is amazing.
What a wonderful look at behind the scenes.The food looks utterly wonderful.
My mouth is watering.
Hoping to get to Sydney soon.
It will be on my list.
I want to know why doesn’t anyone else save us Kiwis eat Scallop corals???? it always astounds me as they are so colourful and delicious.
wow what a fantastic insight!! And yes.. my next kitchen shall have to have a chip draw
Thank you for the beautiful details of your experience.
NQN, nice post. Did you play a part in any of the prep or the cooking, or were you just watching the events unfold?
Matt
The paging system seems wicked. I’m sure the waitstaff have nightmares about it!
Ooh, you’re so lucky to have experienced such an interesting behind-the-scenes look!
And I’m glad to see the kitchen is well-lit – the last time I dined at Cafe Sydney, it was so dark we had to hold the table lamps up to read the menu, and I could barely see what I was eating (it was delicious, though!).
What a great post! You do get to do the most fun things. A stroke of genius to invite you to visit as this has whet my appetite for a return to Cafe Sydney and order that Tandoori Salmon again. Kudos to Jan!
I remember I had an epiphany at Cafe Sydney about 10 years ago – I realised my employer was going nowhere and it was time to go. I was sitting near the window, and the next day I got on the phone and hunted out a new job, so Cafe Sydney always has a very powerful memory for me.
Fascinating! So nice to see behind the scenes – I had a birthday lunch at Cafe Sydney a lifetime ago, and the view and food were both exquisite…
It’s every Foodie’s dream to get behind the scene of a running restuarant -especially one as hip as this one. I am picking up the wet teatowel cleaning tip as well
…. Definitely hope to check this out when I get to Sydney next month 
What a fabulous evening, Lorraine! The food is gorgeous and you got to see so many tips and tricks of the trade. I’m with you on all houses having chip drawers!
What a wonderful experience, to see what happens at a top restaurant like that is amazing.
REALLY enjoyed today’s read!
WHAT excitement surrounding a quality feed!
You can FEEL “the buzz” of the kitchen atmosphere!
Look forward to visiting, HOPEFULLY next year!
Reading “confit duck leg with duck cigar, pickled cherry, savoy cabbage, speck and jus”, did E-X-C-I-T-E!
Thank you for the insight, as reading about it and the photos ARE a delight!
Wow, this was such an interesting post, Lorraine! I once got a glimpse behind the scenes too, by getting to cook with the chef. It was amazing. I worked at a waitress once too, but that wasn’t as fun.
I found this article really interesting, I’ve always wondered how restaurants operate and how they organise themselves especially at a fine dining level.
My 16 year old son did a week’s work placement at Cafe Sydney as part of his Year 11 Hospitality course. While it confirmed to him that he doesn’t want to be a chef, he is looking forward to going back there as a diner – after reading this, so am I.
You remembered so many more details than me Lorraine! Was such a great night – loved hanging out with you
Great blog, thanks for the insight into how a successful commercial kitchen is run.
I am drooling all over the place. You may owe me a new keyboard LOL! Everything looked amazing! One day when I win the lottery and travel the world…
Its always good to see behind the scenes of how a restaurant operates. I have a friend who’s sister works at Cafe Sydney. She loves her job and likes the structure of how things work there. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to dine there soon.
Lorraine, how cool that you really got behind the scenes! Lovely to see you got to talk to all the different layers of staff as well.
What an interesting post. Its great being able to see the other side of a very well respected restaurant. Really interesting. The photos added to the story beautifully.
The elderflower smash looks delightful too!
Fascinating. I love behind the scenes tours. Bit of an added bonus when the tour ends with a lovely dinner.
hehe thanks for bringing back the memories of when I worked in the industry. I must say technology has improved.
Wow…that’s an amazing look at “the-behind-the-scenes”… Love it!
Very interesting – I remember going there BB about 5 years ago and it was ok but I think being a vegetarian was challenging – wonder if things have changed or if I have as it looks veg friendly now! I do remember the views being amazing!
This was really interesting to read about – I have always wondered about how they put all the order info through. And that salmon sounds delicious!
I love having a spy-eye view of other kitchens. This was a really enjoyable post and I appreciate how you put so much attention to detail into it. It certainly can hot and heavy in the kitchen sometimes!
Utterly, utterly fascinating Lorraine, and you took such care with the detailed write-up! Fascinating.
Torn between the desserts, though! Cheesecake always has my heart and yet you know how obsessed I am with chestnut…
Very jealous you got the opportunity to go behind the scenes. I would like to go to Cafe Sydney for dinner too. The food sounds too divine. I love how professional the place is, esp the docket system. Great review x
fascinating insight – thankyou! i am a new restaurateur in bali and the behind the scenes in my place is quite different! looking after weak chefs during ramadan, balinese hindu waitresses giving offerings to the ‘bar temple’ and the crazy spicy staff meal. if you’re over here on holiday sometime you’ll have to pop in for some tapas and cocktails – it’s called ‘sea circus’.
What a fabulous way to see a great restaurant and how it runs. Like you, CS used to be a regular haunt for me a number of years ago (dont want to think how many!)
They used to do the most amazing creme brulee……drool.
You make me miss Sydney! Pity that I don’t live there anymore. I discovered your site too late, or I would have been able to use your restaurant guides…
! I visit your your blog quite regularly though, you’ve got lovely photos and creative recipes!
It makes me proud & happy to be part of this amazing industry when I see restaurants with so many great training systems in place like Cafe Sydney (which incidentally I adore
Teatowels worn around the waist is a pet peeve of mine too, & like Matts little touch with the rolled towel & vinegar. Your images, as always are great. Loved the post.
Wow, this was such an interesting read. It sounded like you both had a wonderful afternoon, and intriguing to hear all about what happens behind the.scenes. I love it when a restaurant has those classic dishes they’ve kept – or modified – over the years, too.
Wow, what an action packed evening for you! Knowing what goes on behind the scenes makes you appreciate your meal more in my opinion =)
What a great experience! Thanks for the run down
That was really fun to read! I think it reflects really well on Cafe Sydney to allow you into the backstage of the restaurant to see how it’s all done. I’m really impressed, it looks like an incredibly well-run (and super tasty) operation!
what an awesome experience to go behind the scenes and to end it with such a nice meal!
Me want chip drawer! Seriously this has to be one of the greatest places to eat out in Sydney and now seeing behind the scenes makes it all clear why they succeed!
lol i want a chip drawer too
A great meal at this cafe, gorgeous views, and I loved the look behind the scenes!
OMG – dockets! I thought I’d left them behind me! Thanks for an entertaining behind the scenes look at one of Sydney’s premier restaurants. IT was nice to be a fly on the wall instead of being in the thick of it all….They look like slick operators.
Wow, amazing post, Lorraine!! I love the behind-the-scene pics!!
Wish more restaurants would open their kitchens like that, it’s a great way to establish a rapport with us readers and make us understand all the amazing prep, team and systems work going on in these fine dining venues…
Will need to go back to Cafe Sydney to try their new drinks then, you know I can’t resist a great cocktail
I remember going to Cafe Sydney for a work party, and oh my lord I did not expect that view or that food! If there was anyone who would ask me which restaurant to recommend in Sydney CBD with views and great food? I’d tell them Cafe Sydney!
Great behind the scenes! And oh that pork belly!! I can never pass up pork belly & that one has me drooling!
What a fascinating insight into the working behind such a busy, popular restaurant. Really a well-oiled machine in action!
the staff meal (and cocktail tasting) must be at the top of the ol’ list of job perks. what a fun experience!
Will have to try this place out, it looks great! The scallops and desserts look yum!
I have never been to Cafe Sydney but sure would like to try it after your great coverage Lorraine.
I want that chip drawer lol
It’s so absolutely awesome that you got to do this. I always love seeing how it all works
Lorraine, everything looked so delicious!Sounds like a great time was had by all!
Oh wow, what an awesome experience! I’ve always wondered how they know which meal belongs to which diner! I also love the chairs in the bar – so cool!
This post was so interesting, I so enjoyed reading it. It is great to get an insider’s view of how a restaurant works and to see how many people work together to guarantee a fabulous dining experience. Thanks Lorraine for showing us.
Fascinating..thanks for all the info..I would like a Creme Blanc too
oh! You frozed me completely. A total exclusive event to die for! A whole behind scene that i would love spending my time!
exclusive!
What a great post Lorraine! You really get the feeling that these people love to give exceptional service. I’ll have to add them to my ‘when I finally get my arse to Sydney’ list.
The pork belly would be my favorite,yum! The desserts fantastic.Lucky staff looks like great food.
Ivan Felicidades,Me encanta verte crecer un millon de exitos.Te adoro mi chef y Hermanito.Un saludo al equipo de trabajo,todo se ve buenisimo.
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