The Blue Door — Restaurant in Sydney

We were lucky enough to recently visit this gem of a restaurant, the Blue Door, located in Surry Hills. This is a true farm to table experience, where the staff ensure that they’ve personally visited the provider and know exactly what they’re working with and paying tribute to the provenance of the vegetables, grains and proteins. The menu remains seasonal and utilises the whole animal, nose to tail approach, to avoid wastage. The menu changes every week, showing the skill and knowledge of the chef and his team.

The 24 seat restaurant has two dining times, 5:30 and 8:30 to allow for the seven course tasting menu to be enjoyed at a comfortable pace and not be rushed. We attend the 5:30 time slot, and love the natural light shining into the venue, with wooden tables, banquette seating and natural hues.

When we visit a fine dining restaurant we are always excited to taste the bread, we were very pleased to be presented with two types here. In keeping with their ethos, you receive dinner rolls made using yesterday's spent loaf. It is ground down and made into flour for these rolls and remade. Then you also have a slice of the daily sourdough, made using a 8 year starter. The bread is served with cultured butter and a board with a steel grater and four chunks of salt from around the globe. Guests grinding salt provides a sensory experience and adds to the ambience, with the percussion of salt grinding sounding of randomly around the restaurant.

After the bread the excitement levels continue to rise with the tasting menu, the first course is their “snack attack”, beginning the tasting menu with a myriad of tasty snacks filling our table and this was only the first course. This offering included the XO duck wings, some romesco dip with house made tortilla and some fresh crispy fish scales!

There’s also their house made charcuterie, a crumpet with duck pastrami and the most beautiful little tart with yellow beetroot, horse radish and creme fraiche topped with smoked fish. This was all outstanding and we both commented this reminded us of Centrale in Peru.

Each dish is narrated to you, focusing on the origins of the ingredient, the supplier and then beautifully presented for you to savour.

The menu began with the the delicate flesh of the ethically hand line caught Reef Fish Sashimi from @chrisboltonfishing, the pickled strawberries adding a nice tartness and the macadamia purée giving it a pleasant earthy flavour, the cucumbers providing a  freshness to the dish.

The Little Hill farm chicken terrine was full flavour, served with celeriac three ways, puree, pickled and topped with fried chips, each preparation providing a different flavour and texture, highlighting the skill of the team in the kitchen.

Bougie mac and cheese, is what they called the tasty pasta and they elevated this humble dish to another level. The house made macaroni was aldente and the addition of the Andouille Sausage added plenty of flavor and a bit of spice, we utilised some of the bread to soak up the delicious sauce.

Our favourite dish of the evening was the Chris Bolton caught  North Queensland Cod in a fennel beurr blanc sauce with broadbeans from Walacia. This was phenomenal, best dish we have eaten in a long time, the fish perfectly cooked, a nice crisp skin and soft flakey flesh melting in your mouth, the creamy acidic sauce was amazing.

After this was the little_hill_farm chicken breast, with crooked vegetables co carrots. The chicken used here are grown by little hill farm where they eat chemical-free produce an and live with access to fresh air and sunshine meaning there’s no need to use any antibiotics or other chemical treatment. The moist chicken was sprinkled with sesame seeds and served in a lovely light broth, with black...

What is behind this Blue Door?

Quality, Ethics & Sustainability.

This is probably one of the BEST restaurants I have ever tried in 2023 last year! It leaves me nostalgic as soon as I walked out from the restaurant...

Often we step into a restaurant expecting "explosion of flavours" or pretty food and interior presentation. While these are valid for our sensational experience, we should be really celebrating the hero of the dish, aka the freshness of the produce. The team at Blue Door led by Dylan has nailed this perfectly. What is also different is that everything is sourced locally, ethically and sustainably. This is something I pay high respect for.

The 7 courses menu changes every week so what you see online may not be the same as what you will get. However it works out well as you will have surprises throughout the night. Everything was presented beautifully and it was a feast for the eyes and the stomach. The seasoning and balance of flavours and texture were executed flawlessly without overpowering the very fresh produce per se. Some of the champions of the producers are

gundooee.getaways thecrookedvegetableco newcastlegreens nearriverproduce mussettholdingsfamilyfarm

For those who pay attention to details, their bowl, plates, tables and even the cutlery stands are handmade. The cutlery stand is a very cool idea for people who choose whatever they need for dining. Freestyle.

The design of the restaurant is rather minimalistic but also gives a sense of modern and spacious look. Staff are very friendly and provide detail information about the dish and produce - they know the produce back to front. I highly recommend this place and I am already looking...

In the heart of Surrey Hills, nestled amidst the bustling streets, lies a sanctuary for the discerning palate: The Blue Door. A humble abode, no more than 22 seats, yet within its intimate confines resides an unparalleled culinary journey.

Ah, The Blue Door, where the essence of New South Wales flows through every pour, where the symphony of flavors dances harmoniously with the finest wines this land has to offer. Their New South Wales wine program, a testament to dedication and passion, transcends mere indulgence; it is an ode to the terroir, to the very soul of this majestic region.

Step inside, and be embraced by innovation woven with threads of tradition. The menu, a masterpiece of culinary artistry, strikes a delicate balance between the avant-garde and the timeless. Each dish, a revelation, whispers tales of the land, of its bounty, its heritage.

But it is not just the cuisine that enraptures the soul; it is the warmth of the hospitality staff, the guardians of gastronomic delight. Their presence, a beacon of grace and charm, elevates the dining experience to celestial heights.

In this realm of refinement and complexity, every bite is a revelation, every sip a communion with the essence of New South Wales. The Blue Door is more than a restaurant; it is a sanctuary for the senses, a haven where culinary dreams...