Ete Restaurant

Ete Restaurant

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Posted 2018-05-04 by GiGi GMV follow
The Barangaroo dining precinct is fast becoming Sydney's newest harbour foreshore playground for the trendiest dining options. Ete is a contemporary French restaurant located by the waterfront on Barangaroo Avenue. It offers an impressive menu of contemporary French-Australian cuisine, with dishes designed to be shared.



Ete means 'summer' in French. Chef and co-owner Drew Bolton offers an adventurous dining experience with a close linkage to his classical French training. Bolton's experience stems from a list of Michelin starred establishments, having worked at Aria Restaurant under Matt Moran and with the acclaimed Peter Gilmore at Quay before taking on the Executive Chef position at Vine. Growing up in the Blue Mountains, Bolton gained a deep appreciation and respect for quality produce and formed close relationships with local farms and suppliers which reflect heavily on his menu.



This is the place where you will indulge in fine hearty food and Ete makes things a bit easier with its reasonably priced banquet dinner menu and/or Autumn lunch specials, good wine selections, gorgeous view and attentive services.

Sydney was a bit cool this Autumn evening and from afar, we could see the restaurant emitted a soft warm amber glow through the glass panels. Ete has a light airy relaxing setting and it was certainly inviting.




There was a large wall installation at the entrance and it was artfully decorated with seasonal floral arrangements. I noticed the interior decoration used a lot of white and it contrasted dramatically with the full-height wall murals by the Chicago-based artist John Zabawa. The back wall was also lined with more abstract arts.

Bolton has conceptualised Ete with quarterly seasonal installations of produce and flowers. This means Ete's menu, wine list and interiors will change with the seasons and together they will transport diners on a multi-sensory dining experience!



The place was already bustling with activities when we arrived but the noise was kept at a reasonable level. I noticed Ete has a well-stocked bar filled with local and imported French wines and spirits.



The manager looked after us well by offering us a glass of sparkling wine after we were seated. This Petite Cordon by Maison Mumm (an acclaimed French Champagne House) was an elegant pre-dinner drink with delicate fruitiness and purity.

[IMAGE="http://www.weekendnotes.com/im/002/07/gmv-french-restaurant-review-food-dinner-sydney-et.JPEG" thumb="http://www.weekendnotes.com/im/002/07/gmv-french-restaurant-review-food-dinner-sydney-et2.JPEG" border="1" title="GMV, French, Restaurant, Review, Food, Dinner, Sydney, Ete" caption="Assiette de charcuterie, selection of house made and artisan produced charcuterie $44; Terrine Du Jour $18
Terrine of the day, roast grape & pomegranate chutney" width="100%" link="http://www.weekendnotes.com/im/002/07/gmv-french-restaurant-review-food-dinner-sydney-et1.JPEG" align="CENTER" wrap="0" margin="5"]

There's nothing better than a glass of wine and an elegantly laden charcuterie board to ease into the night. Ete certainly knows a thing or two about putting out a good charcuterie platter.



I had a glass of red from Fronto, Chateau Bellevue La Foret South West France and it was the perfect accompaniment to the artisan charcuterie.



Our Assiette de charcuterie was filled with different types of aromatic cured meats. The salami was delicately sliced and together with the terrine of the day, pomegranate chutney and artisan bread, it definitely satisfied our taste buds.



These intense starters were a fantastic way to prime our appetites and everyone was excited the feast to come.



The dishes at Ete were wonderfully presented. Our vegetarian friend received a special entree and we all gawked at it. It was artfully plated and our friend said it had a lovely earthy flavour.



For entrees, we had the prawns and the blue eye trevalla to start. The grilled king prawns looked and tasted sumptuous. There was no heavy seasoning, so it showcased the ingredient at its finest moment.



As expected, the fish was beautifully presented and that oyster and mustard beurre blanc sauce was divine! Slightly salty yet creamy on the palate and complimented the fish fillet beautifully. We did find the Blue Eye tasted a bit dry on its own, but the sauce made up for the shortfall. The coastal succulents was a surprising ingredient and I really enjoyed the texture.



Our vegetarian friend certainly enjoyed her gnocchi Parisienne. The gnocchi was lightly pan-fried and served with roasted squash golden raisins, zucchini slices and crunchy pine nuts. It looked outrageously decadent. Our friend said it just buttery enough to feel rich without being too heavy.



Our shared mains for tonight was the slow braised lamb neck. It was served with ancient grains, caramelised roast carrots and navarin sauce.



That lamb shoulder was braised so well, it fell off the bone with minimal effort. It tasted tender and fatty, in a warm and filling way, without leaving a heavy aftertaste. Those ancient grains and roasted carrots were so delicious that they kind-of out-shined the lamb neck.



This was an absurdly decadent mash potato. Everyone stopped eating at the sight of this humble side dish. It looked as good as it tasted - rich and velvety and secretly, I wanted to hog it all.



Now for the really exciting part – Ete's highly Instagrammable mini dessert cart. Our content tummies had to find room for 'some' divine French desserts.



This mini dessert cart is a shining example of the power of visual stimulation. The entire table was mesmerized when the waitstaff placed a mini cart on the table and the board was filled with a colourful array of artistic decadent possibilities.



The problem was which one to start! There was two small creme brulees, chocolate mousse tarts, two different types of refreshing sorbets, mini macarons, meringue pops, chocolate cake, coffee eclairs and an irresistible sugar dust trail for you to nibble on. It was indeed a comprehensive dessert platter. I liked the meringue pop the best, although it isn't perhaps quite as refined as the other desserts.



It was my sister's birthday and she certainly received care and attention from the moment she stepped through the door. Ete team spoilt her further with a birthday candle on the dessert platter. She felt very special and had a wonderful time.



With Mother's Day coming up, this is truly an ideal restaurant to celebrate the special occasion. Ete is offering a French-style Mother's Day banquet for $79 per person. The dishes will be similar to our dinner, the dessert cart is included! Please see HERE for more details and booking.



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154299 - 2023-06-14 09:06:52

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