Seafood on the waterfront in Sydney without busting your budget

Nothing says "Sydney" and "summer" like kicking back and eating fresh seafood while sipping cold wine on the waterfront. 

There is no shortage of seafood eateries in Sydney, but one that combines a great location with good food is love.fish, a 175-seater that is part of the Streets of Barangaroo precinct and located directly opposite the Barangaroo ferry wharf. 

If you love people watching this is your spot: from rollerbladers to joggers, cyclists to posers, the chronically under-dressed to commuters. All the world's a stage. 

And given the huge rents the love.fish team must pay for their prime spot, their prices are extremely reasonable. Think locally-sourced oysters, raw fish, whole fish, platters, and crustaceans.

We tried the $69 per person "Feed Me" menu for lunch - and it offered an impressive range of seafood dishes that can be matched matched to wines for another $29 per person. You still get out for under $100 a head, which seems very fair to me. There is a two-person minimum for this offering. 

The menu starts with tuna crudo (on betel leaf with chilli and lime, above) and a salt and pepper squid from Tasmania. Both hit the spot but the artisan focaccia was sadly soggy and tasteless. These dishes were matched with a bright 2024 Nick O'Leary Riesling from the Canberra region. 

Next up: a grilled Daintree barramundi fillet with asparagus, peach and salsa verde (above) and a very well-composed blue swimmer crab risotto with fennel and zucchini blossoms (below). This duo was accompanied by a well-matched Briar Ridge chardonnay from the Hunter Valley. 

To finish: toasted coconut and mango crumble with a coconut sorbet. Impressively summery and paired with a chilled Pfeiffer NV Topaque fortified.

Love.fish just gets it right - but they've got some experience. The business was founded 15 years ago with a policy of delivering sustainable and all-Australian casual seafood experiences.

The a la carte menu ranges from sashimi and scallops to a classic old-school king prawn cocktail, with mains like battered fish and chips. to a seafood platter for two for $195.

For those needing some greens there is a range of vegetable and salad sides. 

From small beginnings in Rozelle, this remains a family business; operated by Michael Milkovic and Michelle Grand-Milkovic, with an offering of affordable, sustainable seafood and casual but attentive hospitality.  

 See https://www.lovefish.com.au/    

# The writer was hosted by love.fish 

A fusion of flavours is a Sydney feast for the senses

Nikkei cuisine is a fusion of Peruvian and Japanese flavours.

It is served in an elevated form at Callao, one of the standout restaurants in the Streets of Barangaroo gourmet precinct on the Sydney waterfront.

Opened just over a year ago, the flavours on offer at the 104-seat eatery have clearly hit the target.

There is a hip young crowd on hand: both the customers and the very efficient servers.

And the quality of the food, with the two distinctive cuisines delivering intriguing combinations, is matched by a drinks list peppered with cocktails, Japanese whiskies, and some astutely chosen wines (think names like O’Leary Walker, Bream Creek, Giant Steps and Moss Wood by the glass).

Japanese Peruvian cuisine is a global trend right now and Nikkei is the word used to describe immigrants of Japanese origin - of which there are many in Peru.

Nikkei food is characterized by its use of the wide variety of ingredients available to Peru, including aji amarillo, an emulsion of the South American chilli pepper.

The Callao menu blends traditional techniques with vibrant ingredients - every dish on the Chef's Selections tasting menu ($119 per person) offered myriad flavours, but with a real sense of cohesive style.

You are taken out of your comfort zone - but remain very comfortable.

Mainstays include fresh seafood like tiradito, marinated in zesty Peruvian sauces, and Baby octopus with tomato, green olives, saffron potatoes, chickpeas and chili oil.

 

After some warm edamame beans with smoked salt, our starters were a stunning scampi tartare with crispy rice, truffle mayo, avocado puree, pickled jalapeno and Siberian caviar - a very upmarket fish finger (above) - and a delightfully tangy salmon ceviche with aji amarllo, leche de tigre (a zesty Peruvian marinade made with lime juice, fish, and spices), toasted corn and sweet potato puree (below).

Then came Skull Island tiger prawns with aji panca (red pepper) bisque, sea urchin mayo and tabiko (flying fish roe) mayo (below); and Wagyu tri-tip with smoked date teriyaki, aji amarillo mayo and togarishi spices. Both extremely moreish. 

Main course is a chuck tail flap steak with with yuzu koshu butter, shitake jus and house mustard, served with with hasselback potato, quezo fresca, aji amarillo and dried sisho (below).

The final touch is "cheesecake" with toasted corn, finger lime, milk skin and avocado ice cream,

Tradition with a few twists and turns. Delightful flavours; great service, sensible portions. Highly recommended.  

For those wondering, Callao is a Peruvian seaside city and region on the Pacific Ocean in the Lima metropolitan area.

 

Callao is open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday and is at 100 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo, Sydney. callao.com.au.

Images: Anna Kucera, Winsor Dobbin

# The writer was hosted by Callao