Date Night was a concept I always thought that we’d never need. Mr NQN and I are such a team and we virtually live in each other’s pockets that the idea of having a particular night just to ourselves seems unnecessary. Until a furiously busy amount of travelling this past couple of months (Canada, Los Angeles, Hamilton Island, Canberra and South Australia in the space of a few weeks) meant that we just wanted a weekend at home with each other.
We had a show to see (more on that later 
) and we wanted a place that would serve us quickly but not a fast food meal. A pre theatre would be ideal and so we honed in on where else but the Sydney Opera House. The Studio Cafe there was said to be a hidden gem with good food and an absolutely killer view.
We walk along the western promenade and up the stairs. The Studio Cafe occupies a prime position. I recall hearing from my friend The Second Wife that the North facing area of the Opera House is one of the most expensive places to hold a function and this is just west of that. There are flame column heaters burning and each table has a chair with a colourful cushion on it.
They ask us what time our show is as they guarantee to have you on your way within 40 minutes. You can also eat your entree and main and then opt to have your dessert after the show if you wish. We choose one selection from the pre theatre menu which is 1 course plus wine, tea or coffee for $25 or 2 courses with wine tea or coffee for $35. I want to try the seafood linguine while Mr NQN selects the orecchiette with smoked ham hock and peas from the pre theatre menu. When I ask about the antipasto plate the waiter dismisses the idea saying that it is tiny. Wow, that is certainly honest!
Tomato bruschetta $9.50
We start with some tomato bruschetta. True to form the food comes out within about 10 minutes or so. The bruschetta is crunchy and topped with finely diced tomato and red onion.
Seafood Linguine $25.50
I squeeze the lemon on top of the sefood linguine and dig in. It comes with a tangy salsa verde and a hint of anchovy and a generous amount of seafood and what looks to be Australian scallops. The pasta is al dente and the lemon juice, garlic and parsley gives it a good flavour although I don’t taste much chilli.
Orechiette with smoked ham hock, truffle, peas and pecorino with Hungerford Shiraz $25 (or $35 with dessert)
I try some of Mr NQN’s orechiette (which means “little ears” due to its shape). The smoked ham hock, peas and truffle go well together with the pecorino cheese although I was expecting more of a cream sauce with this whereas there appears to be very little sauce and it is a little dry.
Apple and raisin crumble with vanilla bean ice cream and biscotti (second course of $35 main and desesrt menu)
We toss up whether to get a dessert or not. I’m quite full by this stage but then a crumble wafts past us and we relent. The waiter is quite intent on us having two desserts but I beg off. When the crumble arrives I try some and he stops and raises an eyebrow jokingly. “I thought you weren’t going to have some?”. “Don’t you know the wife gets 50% of everything?” I answer continuing to spoon exactly 50% of the crumble into my mouth. There is a nutty brown sugar topping and a layer of apple and plump raisins strong in cinnamon with an after-taste of star anise. the vanilla ice cream is good, proper ice cream with vanilla bean specks.
Bellies full we went off to see Richard Ashcroft at the United Nations of Sound (thanks to Klick!). The band The Verve has a special meaning to us. At our wedding after we said our vows we walked back up the aisle to the Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony. It may sound like an odd choice but once we heard Bittersweet Symphony played by a talented church organist we were utterly smitten with the tune!
So tell me Dear Reader, do you ever have Date Nights?
Studio Cafe
Sydney Opera House
Level Western Broadwalk, Bennelong Point
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: +61 (02) 9250 7868
Open 7 days from 11am until 11pm
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44 Comments | Add your own
Glad you had a great night – isn’t it fabulous how affordable little gems with amazing views are hidden around the city?
he he I like the honesty of the waiter.
I love the The Verve and have all their cd’s, I think thats an awesome choice for a wedding song!
I am so bummed that my one and only trip to Australia never took me to the famed Sydney Opera House, only the airport there! Looking at this incredible meal, I simply have to find a way to get back there.
Check out that view – it looks fantastic. I miss Sydney, I need to go back for a long overdue visit.
We don’t really do date nights, it tends to be “alone time” every so often where we both just spend time together without the evil distractions of the internet & twitter (me) and the xbox (R).
Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony is a beautiful piece of music, so I think you made a lovely choice for your wedding
Sadly, to have date nights one needs a, well, date… So not me!
We try to do date night. Being married to someone on a rotating shift means that if you don’t schedule time together it may not happen! Sometimes date night is fish and chips on our lounge room floor watching TV – you have to be flexible about these things
Sounds like an amazing date night. Not sure I would make it past the pasta, but dang that raisin crumble looks good
xo
I am finally going to Sydney end of this month! I am looking forward to see the famous Opera house!
That is definitely a killer view! My husband and I don’t really have date nights but, like you, when things get really busy we tend to schedule in some quality couple time together
Date nights are awesome, regardless of whether you’re married or not =]
My boy and I have at least one date night a week, fortnight at the very least.
I plan to be in the puppy love stage forever!
I think it was attentive of the cafe to ensure you guys get to the show on time – it’s more important than a pasta that is slightly too dry.
Looks like a fantastic spot for a date night. Will have to borrow your line about the wifey getting half! lol!
I love this place – it is amazingly good value for the location and I love to take OS visitors there. Sadly, date night is still a bit of dream for us, but maybe ONE day we’ll have sorted babysitters and guilt and get out more!
Date nights? Yeap! It is a mandatory that we have date nights. And it sounds like you have a great time
What a great little restaurant, I never knew that one existed. Will be keeping it in mind for the next time we are at the Opera House to see a show
Beautiful night, lovely views, sounds absolutely perfect. Yep, I’m a big fan of date night & coz we’re still in awe of each other, its date night at least twice a week…., hope we never get past the newness of it all
What a great find =) Date nights are awesome! We get too comfy sitting around at home in front of the TV. Social outtings are fun but sometimes it’s nice to go out, just the two of you, find that we seem to bond more =)
That waiter sounds so funny, his honesty sounds nice and refreshing though! We have date nights sometimes too even though we work from home and pretty much spend every waking moment with each other. Sometimes it’s hard to just spend time as a couple having fun rather than working.
Date nights are wonderful, aren’t they!
Will definitely check out Studio Cafe the next time I’m in the area.
SSG xxx
Frank and I have date nights as an excuse to try some lovely restaurants. We haven’t been on one in ages though!
Wish someone would hightail us to Australia…like now! Not for a date though. Just to see all the fun things you see on a daily basis.
Heh. We are now part of the old and decrepit.
Our idea of a date night is the Damn Emos are out and Boo goes to bed early… and then we break out the good icecream.
It looks like a beautiful idea for a date night. Fabulous food with a terrific view -you can’t lose.
Haha I thought we were going to read about another dessert scuffle between you and Mr NQN there! Soy and I have more ‘date days’ and strangely involve unromantic things like going to the markets or just hanging out together.
That is great value for pre-theatre dining in that location. Good that they were prompt as well – nothing more annoying than running late for a show!
Date nights for me and the chief are now relegated to take away and True Blood on Thursday- sad no?
I love the date night concept and have made room for it in both my (failed) marriages. Regardless of how marriages turn out though, date nights are so important. They are a chance to rediscover what you loved about each other in the first place, and to take time out of busy lives to just be with that special, important person. And a chance to maybe spoil each other a little too.
I must say I didn’t like the waiter’s snarky comment that: I thought you weren’t going to have any? (dessert). Everyone knows that if a female shares a dessert with someone special it doesn’t count as having eaten a dessert. And waiters are supposed to make people feel good about indulging, not guilty. I know you are slim and fit, but as a person struggling with her weight, that comment would have made me feel greedy and guilty. And never to return to that establishment, because when I go out and spend money somewhere I want to feel good about myself, not worse.
We try to do date night now and then, but it seems to be squished into the hour and a half of whatever pre-teen activity our daughter is at. It always seems to be silly to go home just to come straight back again when we drop her off, but sometimes it would be nice to linger.
Yes, date nights are so important, making time for just the two of us. Going to see a movie, trying out a new restaurant or re-visiting old favs.and we still hold hands after 28 yrs of marriage
Isn’t “Bittersweet Symphony” (esp the instrumental version) up there with U2′s “Beautiful Day” as the modern “Pachelbel’s Canon” of wedding music?
Looks like a great time!
I do love the word orechiette
these particular ears do seem quite dry though, poor little things.
No date nights for this single lass, unless they actually are dates!
Now I desperately want seafood linguine. Might have to make it for dinner tomorrow!
We manage to have a date night occasionally!
What a lovely evening
. Yes, hubby and I do date night. I have to enforce it though LOL.
Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.
*kisses* HH
Apple and raisin crumble with vanilla bean ice cream and biscotti
I feel like a symphony is taking place in my mouth and they are about to break out into a full blown kegger.
This dessert sounds ridiculously good.
We love date nights! Mike and I spend quite a bit of time together but there’s just something special about getting dressed up and going out for an evening of romance.
Looks like you and Mr. NQN had a lovely time! The view is extraordinary.
Not yet. But probably after our holiday we will be making Tuesdays our date night. Hadn’t heard of the Studio Cafe before so will be adding it to the(long, loooong)list of places to try. I am guessing that when daykight savings kicks in thay Studio Cafe will be quite a busy little place, all those people watching the sunset with the bridge in the foreground.
Hubby and I have always tried to have date nights but they’ve slipped a little recently as life tends to get in the way. However, we agreed last week that we’d have a monthly date night (the third Thurs FYI) where we would work through the list of ‘nice’ restaurants that we want to check out. Of course there are other dates throughout the month ranging from takeaway or nice dinner sat home but this way we’ll at least get out to one good restaurant each month!
What a gorgeous place… we don’t have date nights as such but I think we should.
ps we also walked back down the aisle to bittersweet symphony played by a trio, it was beautiful.
I jogged pass this place every week. would you strongly recommend?
Only with my best friend, my husband having passed on, although we enjoyed going out together when he was alive.
What impressed me most about the Studio Cafe when my friend and I went there a couple of months ago, was that we were each given a lovely soft rug to put over our knees. With the heater, a cushion and a rug we were very snug on an outdoor winter night.
And we enjoyed the food. And the location is perfect if you are going to a performance, as it is part of the Opera House.
This looks like a nice spot – and excellent value!
We have date nights – usually it’s going to dinner
yummo! it looks perfect! what a view and love how you can come back for dessert – that is genius!
we have a date lunch booked in 2 days before baby arrives – because we figure it might be a while before we go out just the 2 of us!
Corrie;)
as if it could ever be debated whether or not to get dessert…pshaw!
LOL. I love it: “The wife gets 50 % of everything.”
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