4 May 2010
BEROWRA WATERS INN
A restaurant to visit before you die!
Berowra Waters Inn became world famous in the nineties under the ownership of Gay and Tony Bilson and then continued as Gay ran front of house with Janni Kyritsis in the kitchen. Now, with owner Dietmar Sawyere’s meticulously produced food and the comfortable refurbishment retaining the spirit of Glenn Murcutt’s archetypal Aussie architecture, Berowra is again “worth the detour” of the 90 minute drive from the Sydney Harbour Bridge or the faster seaplane trip from Rose Bay.
The menu, designed as a series of tasting dishes is offered at four courses for $130, 5 for $145.00, 6 for $160 with matched wines for $180, $200 or $225 respectively. And this is generous, as little supplementary gifts from the kitchen appear unannounced; a crisp wafer topped with cured salmon, a tiny cup of creamy sweet corn soup and a playful version of pina colada made with pineapple jelly and a thick foamy coconut.
Three of us lunching gave the seasonal menu a great test starting with the local oyster beignets accompanied with an airy chilled vichyssoise with oscietra and salmon caviars. The most perfect dish ever which I know will be my death row requested meal! We also loved fresh scallop carpaccio constructed with mudcrab, celeriac, wild rocket and pea puree, ocean trout topped with tender calamari and cauliflower, tasty goat’s cheese-filled pasta parcels with cabbage and a truffled velouté, Murray cod with ‘minestroni’, a deliciously rich ballotine of quail stuffed with foie gras and served with yabbies, and comforting pheasant breast with confit leg with parsnip, Brussels sprouts and chestnuts.
The wine list is exemplary and our matches all well chosen. Some great bottles were offered from both legendary Australian producers and from around the world. We loved the attention from the competent staff and we loved that view. The Hawkesbury River provides an ever changing scene, including unplanned entertainment when one of the local identities known as the ‘mayor of the river’ ran out of gas for his little dinghy right in front of the restaurant. Perfect. Just as this was the perfect restaurant for a long Sunday lunch.