We were lucky enough to be part of a group participating in a walking tour of Cockle Bay Wharf.
Hunter and Barrel
We began at Hunter and Barrel, a location we’ve been to a few times for we love the location, its stunning interior design and delicious food. It has a sophisticated fit our with comfortable booths, rugs and pendant lights. On previous visits, we’ve had a great sample of meats and the larger dishes, but this time we were here for drinks and tapas.
Cheese lover rejoice, for their hot melted cheese and grilled flatbread to dip in was divine. Certainly and indulgent, but incredibly mouthwatering dish.Oysters are also a fan favourite, and we were offered an overflowing platter of pacific oysters with lime gin granita and citrus. Perfect to have with a glass of champers.
They also had a few more tasting platters, with pumpkin and cauliflower croquettes, smoky chicken wings, and burrata. The grilled octopus and potato skewers was an interesting combination, but it works. These little skewers were perfect for a cocktail style event. We also tried the Schezuan fried, calamari, which was soft and tender inside, crispy on the outside and flavoursome.
Here they do know their drinks. Wine, beers, whisky’s and cocktails. You name it, they’ve probably got it. They made up a pickled Jalepeno margarita, refreshing and with a good kick to it.
Nick’s Seafood Restaurant
Nick’s is located right on the promenade in Cockle Bay, it’s a favourite of tourists and locals alike. This place is a solid restaurant with quality seafood. Here we were treated to oysters being shucked before our eyes, fresh prawns and a glass of cold champagne. The canapes offered here was just a taste of the kind of food they serve at events, perfect for parties too. They had displayed the seafood beautifully and gave us a want to return again soon.
Blackbird Café
Blackbird Cafe is on an elevated level of the Cockle Bay precinct and offers a beautiful view of Darling Harbour. Serving modern Australian cuisine in a casual and comfortable dining experience. It is a large space so would be perfect to have a function too. It’s also a bar and a great place to have a drink or two. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are available here. We began with their famous blue bird cocktail, made with midori, blue curacao, sprite, lime and grenadine served with fresh fruit.
Food wise, we tried some of their classic prosciutto pizza, followed by fettuccini geraldo. This had prawns, chicken and tossed with sautéed garlic, tomato and shallots in an avocado infused white wine sauce.
We loved the freshness and colour of the shredded braised duck salad including cucumber, cherry tomato, coriander, bean sprouts, rocket, sesame oil and crispy wontons.
A cool dish was the chicken espatad – essentially a massive skewer, marinated in lemon and garlic with a red wine sauce. In addition, we also loved the roasted pumpkin risotto with pine nuts, topped with goats cheese and dried cranberries.
We wrapped up the evening with all our foodie friends at Cafe del Mar with cheese and crackers from the huge antipasto board and a cafe del martini in hand! It is a restaurant serving up Mediterranean foods and it also has a lovely terrace and function space that has plenty of music and entertainment here too. Offering panoramic views of the harbour, its a great location to celebrate or simply socialise with friends.
What a great afternoon experiencing all that cockle hay wharf has to offer! We’d like to thank Cockle bay wharf for extending the invitation to visit.
Cocklebay Wharf
201 Sussex St
Sydney NSW