Name: Modern Australian Tasting Menu (Sydney style)
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients: Native dukkah for the table: 50g hazelnuts, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tbsp sesame seeds, 1 tsp wattleseed, 1 tsp lemon myrtle powder, 0.5 tsp native pepperberry, salt; First course (oyster): 12 Sydney rock oysters with finger lime pearls; Main course (lamb): 800g rack of Mulwarra lamb, native pepperberry crust; Crust: 2 tbsp native pepperberry, 1 tsp wattleseed, 1 tbsp Dijon, 50g panko, 2 tbsp olive oil; Pan accompaniment: 200g saltbush leaves, blistered in olive oil; Dessert: 4 native finger limes, 200g good vanilla ice cream, 50g toasted muntries (native cranberry)

Multi-course menu of native and seasonal Australian ingredients: finger lime, wattleseed, kangaroo, saltbush, native pepperberry, Sydney rock oysters.

The Modern Australian (Mod-Oz) movement emerged in the 1980s with Phillip Searle, Christine Manfield and Tetsuya Wakuda; it took its current native-ingredient form under Peter Gilmore at Quay (closed 2026) and Josh Niland at Saint Peter (Paddington, 2016). The vocabulary now spans Bennelong, Sixpenny, Margaret, Cafe Paci and Ester. Each tasting menu draws on producers who supply nothing else: Hawkesbury oysters, Manjimup truffles, Mulwarra lamb, finger lime from northern NSW.

4 editor picks for Modern Australian Tasting Menu in Sydney, ranked by editorial score. All Sydney signature dishes · Modern Australian Tasting Menu across every city.

Saint Peter ★ 4.8

Seafood

paddington · 161 Underwood Street, Paddington NSW 2021

Josh Niland's fin-to-tail seafood room in Paddington, Sydney holds three Good Food Guide hats. Dry-aged fish, seafood charcuterie, daily catch boards.

Sixpenny ★ 4.8

Modern Australian

stanmore · 83 Percival Road, Stanmore NSW 2048

Three-hat Sixpenny in Stanmore, Sydney. Daniel Puskas and Anthony Schifilliti run a seasonal tasting menu inside a 1907 inner-west terrace dining room.

Bennelong ★ 4.7

Modern Australian

cbd · Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney NSW 2000

Peter Gilmore's two-hat Bennelong under the Opera House sails, Sydney. Native ingredients, harbour views, three-course or counter dining all year.

Margaret ★ 4.5

Modern Australian

double-bay · 30 Bay Street, Double Bay NSW 2028

Neil Perry's two-hat Margaret in Double Bay, Sydney. The veteran chef's post-Rockpool flagship runs wood-fired produce and dry-aged steaks daily.

Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide

Modern Australian Tasting Menu makes more sense with someone from Sydney explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.

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