It was no surprise to the urban chic brigade when the latest SMH Good Food Guide awarded two hats and its coveted ‘Best New Restaurant’ gong to Ester in Chippendale, yesterday’s down-at-heel commercial slum, now the epicentre of cool.
Tempering the self-congratulatory we-found-it-first-ing, the only sour note was the realisation that this brilliant mix of unpretentious functionality and sublime dining is about to become even harder to book for. There’s none of that ‘We’re too fancy to take bookings, just queue outside please’ nonsense here – but we recommend hitting the web early to secure the day and time you fancy.
The food coming out of Mat Lindsay’s vast wood-fired oven is new, exciting and thoroughly swoon-worthy, as is the wine list: a refreshing mix of good Australian wine with less obvious French and Italian labels that deliver excitement at a civilised price.
One of the most potent demonstrations of the transformational power of wood and smoke is the vegetarian main simply described as ‘cauliflower/ almond/mint’. Simple it may be, but heavenly… Lord, yes. Even a hardened carnivore could be tempted by the seductive hint of char imparted by that intense heat. The roast chicken is very popular, but Essentials is drawn, like a Neanderthal to the coals, by the 1kg slab of charred grass-fed T-bone. There are plenty of subtle, clever, innovative dishes on offer but this is what I choose to croon over as I sip my Jean Foillard Gamay Morgon Côte du Py 2012. Finish with the ‘three milks’ farmyard tour ranging from goat’s milk dulce de leche, a cow’s milk panna cotta and a sheep’s milk yoghurt foam then wait for the runners to arrive with your sedan chair.
46-52 Meagher Street,
Chippendale, NSW 2008
Tel 02 8068 8279
www.ester-restaurant.com.au
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