Quadrant, Macquarie St, Sydney

Quadrant, Macquarie St, Sydney
Friday 9 March, 2007

Learning that Quadrant offers a pre-theatre menu special was music to my ears. As their website explains,

Quadrant Restaurant is perfect for pre-theatre dining just a few minutes stroll from the Sydney Opera House. For just $35.00 per person the imaginative pre-theatre dinner menu offers guests a main course and a glass of fine Australian wine.

As a regular visitor to the Opera House for live theatre, plays etc it is getting a little tired to find somewhere new & exciting to eat beforehand. So, without hesitation we decided to give Quadrant a go.

I called about 2 weeks to make the reservation. The call was answered by a reception desk staff member who explained she would take the reservation and the restaurant would call back later to confirm. They didn't. A few days later I called again and got the same response. A few days after that I asked to be put through to the restaurant and finally got confirmation of our booking. It can't be that hard people.

We arrived early-ish and immediately loved the vantage point Quadrant offers - it is on L2 so looks down across East Circular Quay. On a Friday night this a fabulous people watching territory.

The pre-theatre menu was already on the table and our waiter was pleasant and attentive, ensuring our water glasses were topped up and we had enough complimentary bread (served with an accompanying platter of butter, salt and olive oil). The dining space is compact but we didn't feel cramped. We were fortunate enough to have a corner table so felt quite private and removed from the remainder of the restaurant.

There were three options for the main meal on the pre-theatre menu. I opted for the tenderloins of lamb served with asparagus whilst my dinner buddy ordered the trout. To compliment this we ordered a bowl of fries. We were offered our wine up front while waiting for our meals which was a nice touch and it didn't take long for the meals to be served at all.

The lamb was delicious, very tender and a generous serve. The disappointment, however, was our fries. They were those shoe string fries that go cold really quickly. This isn't to say we didn't polish off over the bowl....we could have sat there for hours enjoying the activity below.

For a pleasant pre-theatre meal I would absolutely consider Quadrant again.

Quadrant - Level 2, Quay Grand Suites, 61 Macquarie Street, East Circular Quay - (02) 9256 4000

http://www.mirvachotels.com.au/