Sensational Spring Degustation Dining at these 7 Venues

It’s no surprise the world’s first restaurant appeared in Paris – it all started in 1765 when a man named A. Boulanger opened a business selling a range of soup and broths.

He named his shop after the nutritive benefits of the soups he was selling…a restaurant, which in French means ‘to restore’. Boulanger’s restaurant was the first eatery that offered a menu with a range of dishes to choose from.

After this, menu-driven restaurants spread rapidly around Europe and the world. Today, we have many different types of menus at our favourite dining destinations, including the degustation. 

‘Degustation’ is the French word for ‘tasting’ – it is a menu where you can try lots of different dishes; some restaurants can offer up to 20 courses, but usually it is a four or five-course offering, sometimes with matched wines.

Also known as a Chef’s tasting menu, it is the ideal opportunity to test your culinary adventurousness when it comes to food and gastronomic trends.

Here are seven venues to get your Spring dego fix:

 

Imagine a fine dining restaurant that is only accessible by water, has been redesigned several times and still maintains a Chef Hat 43 years after it was first awarded. Welcome to the Berowra Waters Inn on Calabash Point in Sydney where Executive Chef and owner Brian Geraghty delivers food to take your breath away along with water views that have to be seen to be believed.

Originally described as a ‘verandah by the water’, this restaurant dishes up a degustation menu with temptations like Hawkesbury squid, prawn and coriander to start; followed by duck, cherry and mustard, enjoyed with a glass of Coal River Valley Pinot Noir, finish a decadent degustation with melon, yoghurt and olive oil.

 

By road, water or air, Cottage Point Inn on Anderson Place offers a magical Sydney dining experience not quickly forgotten. Set on the water in the Kur-in-gai Chase National Park, by day or night, this stylish restaurant is framed by a stunning bushland waterfront making it the ideal location for a uniquely romantic destination.

Sharp service and a quality menu complement the surroundings, whether sipping a wine alfresco, or dining indoors at intimate settings – think five and eight-course tasting menus dishing up starters of blue swimmer crab, finger lime, smoked caviar and wattle seed brioche, moving onto sake-braised beef short rib, Jerusalem artichoke, macadamia and yuzu.

When only the best will do, head to Cucinetta on Woolwich Road, overlooking Lane Cove River, where guests embark on a culinary adventure like no other. Offering an abundance of natural light, retreat into rustic decor of warm, earthy tones, a sandstone kitchen and bursts of greenery, best suited to intimate dining at any time of the day.

Cucinetta is committed to reviving old cooking methods and sourcing the finest, sustainable produce for a seasonal six or eight-course luxury share menu; with a dynamic, open kitchen the showpiece of the restaurant. Delve into starters of tea oysters nectarine and salmon caviar, before twirling your fork around spaghettone with rock lobster, cherry tomato, garlic and chilli.

 

Savour masterful skill and innovation in every dish inspired by Italy’s food culture at Aromi Restaurant on New Street in Brighton. The name of this Melbourne dining destination reveals a deep connection to Italian cuisine based on aromatics, with each region emphasising different herbs to enrich local dishes.

Expect an experience for the senses from the six-course degustation menu with dishes like BBQ pork belly skewers and crackling powder to start; then devour pasta plates such as tortelli with a rich pumpkin filling, perfectly balanced with sage and goats’ cheese and finished with pumpkin seeds and amaretti. Finish with a divine dolci like apple and pear terrine, filo pastry, vanilla custard and sultanas.

 

Experience elegant dining in a relaxed atmosphere when you feast at Hunters Quarter restaurant, located in the Pooles Rock Vineyard on De Beyers Road in Pokolbin. Offering stunning views across the Hunter Valley, Hunters serves captivating dishes on a private terrace among the vineyards while aweing guests with a sophisticated interior design and steeply sloping ceilings.

From a five-course degustation menu delivering pure flavours and textures, begin your culinary journey with hiramasa kingfish crudo, burnt orange ginger soy, pickled fennel, kataifi and smoked sour cream; for the main, think hickory smoked duck breast, cauliflower cream, radicchio, crimson raisins and Pedro Ximenez. Desserts such as mandarin tonka bean pavé, dark zokoko chocolate and whipped panacotta always entice.

 

Sandalford Restaurant and Bar on West Swan Road in Caversham celebrates a marriage of Modern Australian and contemporary European cuisine where the flavour of Western Australia’s seasonal produce is enhanced by hand-rolled pasta, wood-fired pizza and artisanal products.

A bustling, open kitchen creates delectable, healthy dishes destined to delight the most discerning diner, while the restaurant’s tranquil, leafy ambience issues an invitation to relax and indulge all the senses; experience a unique blend of vineyard views, great wines and unmatched service as you sip a glass of estate wine. Start your set menu experience with Shark Bay bugs, followed by slow-roasted beef short rib, sweet potato purée, charred onions, chard leaves and pan jus.

Showcasing a farm-to-table food philosophy, head to Temperance Restaurant on Murray Avenue in Renmark for an unforgettable dining experience. Nestled in Hotel Renmark and paying homage to the alcohol prohibition movement of the late 19th Century in the area, discover a stylish vibe of softly glowing wall lights and intimate tables set with sparkling glassware as you ponder menus featuring seasonal Riverland produce.

Choose from either the Prosperity or Austerity degustation menus and delve into dishes such as cured yellowtail kingfish, radish and avocado; before mesmerising mains like Waikerie lamb, cultured yoghurt, salsa verde, organic sweet potato, Brussels sprouts and lardons, or Gumshire pork, cabbage and apple, enjoyed with a glass of Sixty Eight Roses Syrah.