Nel

Headed by Nelly Robinson (ex numerous London Michelin-starred venues), Nel is an intimate fine dining restaurant that caters to my cold dead heart: no children under 12 allowed, smart-casual dress code. The food is a heavenly marriage between fresh seasonal produce and a showcase of culinary skills to manipulate textures and flavours.

The Boss, $22

You can always tell the quality of an establishment from the details. Look. At. That. Ice Cube. I am not a fan of vodka so I have no idea what possessed me to order it, but no regrets. Nel has somehow made vodka (my least favourite spirit of all time) develop a depth akin to an old fashioned by pairing it with maple, chocolate bitters and cherry syrup. 

Apple & elderflower mocktail, $10

For my darling mother (who is the definition of 'lightweight'), I ordered a crisp, tart, refreshing mocktail that completely changed my mind about mocktails - I wasn't a fan, now I absolutely am. 

Lettuce, sorrel

This amuse bouche is so cute my father free-styled a poem about it. I would share it but for the fact that it was in Chinese and therefore the rhyme and rhythm would be lost if translated. The base is a light, creamy mousse of sorrel, topped with biscuit 'soil' from which crisp baby lettuce leaves sprout. Each leaf is perfectly coated in olive oil and a light sprinkling of fine salt. 

Kangaroo, rhubarb, endive, grains

Endive has a distinctive bitter taste which is not to eeryone's liking, but the slightly sweet, almost jam-like dressing balances the bitterness out, so that you taste both bitterness and sweetness distincly, yet neither have the power to overwhelm. The kangaroo comes in the form of aged kangaroo floss, so it plays a very small roll in the overall experience of this dish.

Cuttlefish, neettle, fennel, bisque

This dish is amazing. The cuttlefish is shaved thinly and so tender I thought I was having cuttlefish-flavoured noodles until I realised that no, these 'noodles' are the cuttlefish. Inside the ball in the middle is a rich bisque that compliments the sea-like flavours of the cuttlefish.

Pork, jamon, artichoke, date

I have never had such melty pork belly before. The texture is creamy yet the pork belly leaves no fatty residue on your tongue, despite it being obviously fatty due to the very fact that it is pork belly. The clear consomme is satisfyingly savoury, the date bringing a welcome sweet richness to the dish.

mandarin, black olive, sheep's yogurt

Surprisingly, this dessert dish is my least favourite of the meal. The milk and olive sheets have the texture of paper, and although I appreciate the skills involved in creating them, I did not enjoy them. The flavours, on the other hand, were beautiful. An absolutely clean mandarin sorbet is paired with a sponge cake filled with sheep's yogurt, creating contrasting flavours which are very satisfying.

Selection of 5 cheeses, $28

There are seven cheeses, all from Australia, on the cheese menu. Starting at the bottom, we chose a pyengana from Tasmania (a hard cows milk mature cheddar with a rich flavour and crumbly texture); a pecorino (a young semi-hard sheeps milk from Victoria); Tilsit (my favourite, a semi-hard cows milk cheese that's smear ripened and has a distinctively nutty flavour with a dense texture); a triple cream(a cows milk cheese with a white mould that is absolutely soft and rich - almost like a heavy cream in texture but very rich in flavour) and an organic goats milk (too goaty and gamey for our palate, but a beautiful cheese for those who appreciate goats cheese). 

The selection of accompaniments are stars in their own right, particularly the light as air yet satisfyingly salty pork crackles. 

Not to mention the fact that this is the best-valued cheese board i have seen anywhere in Sydney. 

chocolate, raspberry, coconut

This may look like, and be referred to as, lamingtongs, but don't be fooled - they're actually semi-solid chocoalte moose rolled in coconut and served with a dollop of raspberry jam. The flavours are absolutely familiar, and the perfect little sweet ending to a beautiful meal.

Score: 5/5
Cost: likely the best value-for-money degustation in Sydney.
Address: 75 Wentworth Ave, Sydney
Website: http://nelrestaurant.com.au/