People's Choice
Kudos to you, Sydney: you voted with your forks and your feet. And here's the fruits of your labour: Fix St James. It's the little restaurant/wine bar that could and did.
Since nabbing chef Sam Bennett from Glebe Point Diner, this restaurant/wine bar has been going from strength to strength including funkifying their wine list. Right now they're even giving each customer a free glass of wine, no strings attached, between the hours of
five and six. One week it could be Dubbonnet; the next, lillet.
Stuart Knox, owner, floor manager and sommelier, has recently acquired what the nerdier wine drinkers among you will be very excited about: a 23-litre glass jar of natural wine (selling for a mere $38 per litre carafe).
These aren't the only reasons Fix St James has captured the hearts and stomachs of Sydney voters - it's also cheap. You can eat here for as little as $44 per person for a five-dish sharing menu (minimum of two people to order) and for the sort of food you're getting we're here to tell you that's a pretty damn good deal.
Bennett's food is based on great ingredients, cooked simply to keep their integrity. The menu changes regularly but you might order the likes of the slow-roasted pork shoulder with mustard-slathered potatoes, rare breed carrots and brussells sprouts or bone marrow, roasted and served with croutons and a tiny salad of parsely and capers. We love their chips, too.
Fix St James is one of the city's best casual diners/wine bars and worthy winners of Time Out Sydney's 2010 People's Choice Award. 111 Elizabeth St, Sydney 2000. (02 9232 2767).
RUNNERS UP
02 Bécasse
Bécasse offers peerless service and one of the most interesting wine lists in the city. Dishes stay within the realms of refined French yet still explore the edges of progressive cuisine. It' a smooth ride all the way from entree to dessert. 204 Clarence St, Sydney 2000. (02 9283 3440).
03 Marque
The constantly evolving, never boring and always-on-the-roll cuisine of Mark Best and co is reason enough to visit Marque, which won the breakthrough award at the World's 50 Best Restaurants this year. 355 Crown St, Surry Hills 2010. (02 9332 2225).
04 Bodega
You can't stop the beat, they can't stop their feet. The hella-loud, tapas den that is Bodega delivers one tasty snack after another accompanied by rock, roll 'n' swing Their beef empanadas are worth the trip alone. Shop 1/216 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills 2010. (02 9212 7766).
05 Glebe Point Diner
The menu changes daily so there are no guarantees what you might be
eating, but it's a pretty sure bet there'll be chicken liver paté with
house-made bread and deep-fried calamari – fantastic for the table to
share as you decide on the rest. 407 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe 2037. (02 9660 2646).
Which restaurant won last year?
