When the lovely Prue from The Mint Partners invited me along with a small group of other bloggers to the 11 week old Ripples on Sydney Wharf in Pyrmont, I couldn’t have said yes fast enough. I’d dined at Ripples Milsons Point before but that was only for breakfast. This time she said, we’d be partaking in the dinner menu and in a special spot: sitting right in front of the action at the Chef’s Table. I’d heard of Chef’s Tables before, mainly at overseas restaurants, but had never dined at one so I was particularly excited about this.

Head Chef Richard Park

It’s an intermittently raining evening tonight but even that can’t dampen my enthusiasm. And true to form, the Chef’s Table is exactly that and we are seated bar style watching Chef Richard Park and his efficient team fly into action. New Zealand born Park formerly of Aqua Dining and Kables, creates exquisite French bistro style cuisine.

We discuss how much we love lunching during Winter when the sun is shining but it’s not swelteringly hot and Ripples’ Manager Andrew Roebuck tells us about some very loyal customers, who despite living in Mosman (where there already exists a Ripples in Chowder Bay), have dined here every Sunday lunchtime with a changing group of friends for the last few weeks. They stay from 1pm until 7pm and make the most of the location and view. The menu is very reasonably priced, somewhat of a miracle for a Waterfront restaurant in Sydney with mains ranging from $24-29.

Crusty French Epi bread with anchovy butter $7

Our first tastes for the evening are the Epi bread (from Brasserie Bread if I’m not mistaken) with a variety of butters and toppings. The crusty Epi sourdough is lovely with the anchovy butter which has the distinct but not overwhelming taste of anchovy.

Crusty Epi bread with olive tapenade and pesto butter $8

Duck liver parfait with cranberry jelly, onion marmalade and pickled prune $11

The olive tapenade and pesto butter is delicious and true to flavour but my favourite is undoubtedly the duck liver parfait with onion marmalade and pickled prunes in Earl Grey tea. It is a sweet, salty and aromatically rich start to the meal.

Spring Bay Scallop with fennel salad

We are also given a new season’s Spring Bay Scallop with fennel salad as the season has only just commenced. It’s fresh and tastes of the sea combined with the rich scallop roe.

Shucking and prepping the oysters

Click here to read the full story

Supper hour is an hour that goes largely uncatered for in Sydney. If you have a hankering for something late at night, most restaurants will have their last orders around 9.30-10pm and aim to have you out by 11pm. So for the supper loving or those the choices usually involve a trip to Chinatown to partake of some BBQ King or Mamak. Tastevin in Darlinghurst however keeps Night Owl hours opening their bistro until midnight and their wine bar with snacks until 2am.

Tonight Mr NQN and I are dining at a more “normal” time for my birthday dinner with Teena, Gina, Philippe and HotDog. When I get there I accidentally walk into Spice I am next door before I realise I’m in the wrong place. It’s tastefully decorated in a Parisian apartment chic style (oh how I love thee!) and we’re seated at a banquette, which they assure us is the best table. They know it’s my birthday and they’re very sweet and accommodating. Lighting is of the “romantic” kind (i.e. dark – especially the bathrooms where we almost feel our way about!) so please forgive the photos.

As I’ve been eating all afternoon I opt for a couple of entrees so we order a good range of things from the menu.

Bread selection $12  for 3

The bread selection is nice and fresh. There’s a seeded bread with fennel seeds and a fresh white baguette. I prefer the white baguette although the amount of French butter so this serve is minuscule with a small 2.5cms diameter round slice (we don’t get three times the amount of butter which we should have given that we’ve ordered three lots of bread).

Rock Oyster with Champagne vinegar and cracked black pepper $3 each

Gnocchi a la Parisienne, sauteed mushroom and white truffle mornay $16

My Gnocchi a la Parisienne is delicious. Tiny potato gnocchi are interspersed with pieces of soft mushroom and this is all coated in a creamy mornay sauce with cheese with a lightly scented truffle oil. I eat every last drop of this, scraping the plate with  my spoon.

Endive salad with Roquefort mousse, citrus and candied walnut $16

Mr NQN’s endive and pear salad certainly looks impressive. I usually steer away from endive as I find it too bitter but this one isn’t at all, with the sweet balsamic dressing and creamy Roquefort mousse assisting in this regard.

Pithivier of Escargot with beetroot $17

I love Pithiviers (little pies) and this one has escargot (snails) encased in a little igloo shaped puff pastry pie. The escargot when encased in a pie aren’t particularly distinct tasting, in fact they could be mushrooms or something similar and it’s mostly puff pastry rather than filling, but it is delicious, particularly with the sweet beetroot emulsion.

Confit of Duck $29

My husband’s confit of duck is delicious and as you’d expect, it comes away from the bone with ease.

Spatchcock $28

Lemon Sole $28

The lemon sole is moist and soft with most of the lemon flavour on top. It’s a whole sole so the serve is generous and it is accompanied by peas. I usually adore peas but these are underseasoned.

Beef $29

The beef is deliciously tender although Teena and Gina say that they prefer a classic Bernaise to the rich Roquefort which they feel overwhelms the beef.

Apple Tart  with Honey Almond Nougat icecream $13

The apple tart is a thin layer of very buttery pastry with paper thin slices of apple accompanied with a lightly crunchy honey nougat ice cream. The tart is delicious, very freshly baked so that it is crisp and the ice cream is a delicious accompaniment and a nice alternative to vanilla. And since it’s my birthday it comes with a sparkler and a song!

Chocolate Cake with vanilla bean anglaise $12

Sadly, the chocolate fondant is a disappointment. The flavour seems almost watered down for what should be a deliciously rich dessert.

Creme Caramel de Maman $11

On the other hand, the Creme Caramel which is sublime and moreish. I adore this and the custary eggy texture and scoop up every drop of the delicately wobbly custard edged with caramel.

We didn’t have time or inclination to visit the bar but it looked inviting.

And because you know I love lighting fixtures…

Tastevin Bistro and Wine Bar

292-294 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 9356 3429
Open 12noon-2am
Closed Tuesdays
http://www.tastevin.com.au/