Regatta not only pokes out onto the waters of Rose Bay, it’s also culturallyofRose Bay. Boats bob gently on the swell outside the glass of the pretty, gently maritime-leaning space, just as the room rustles with pressed linen and grown women address their fathers as “Daddy”. (Well, we assume that was her father.) Damien Pignolet, chef emeritus to the moneyed east, has wisely decided to play things along the classical, French-accented lines that won him generations of fans at Bistro Moncur. And even if the service doesn’t always rise to the occasion, there’s a have-it-your-way feel to the menu that is a hit with the crowd, happily hoeing into fish and chips, roast salmon with anchovy butter, minute steak present and correct with wine-merchant’s sauce and chicken breast (breast!) served with tarragon and kipflers. Skip the $17 plate of oddly ordinary fruit to close and opt instead for a praline-flecked passionfruit soufflé. Let’s hear it for constancy.
This review was made independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way.
Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide
Wine: ★
Gourmet Traveller’s star-ratings, which range from zero to three stars, reflect reviewers’ first-hand experiences. The best-rated restaurants form our national Top 100. Our wine ratings, from zero to three stars, are made by wine editor Max Allen on the strength of the quality of the restaurant’s wine list. View our rating key here.
Regatta
594 New South Head Rd Rose Bay, Sydney, NSW Australia
