For those who have an impetuous passion for modern Australian Cuisine, Aria restaurant is the place to be for one of the most sophisticated fine dining experiences in Australia. The two Aria restaurants are located on Sydney’s harbour overlooking the bridge and the Sydney Opera House, and the sister restaurant based right on Brisbane’s river. Aria offers a range of exquisite menus boasting hyper-seasonality and unforgettable flavours created by owner-chef, Matt Moran, and his team.
Matt Moran is about premium quality and seasonal produce in devising his menu. Besides Aria, Moran owns a portfolio of esteemed restaurants like Barangaroo House, Chiswick and North Bondi Fish; all holding a consistent theme of high class and fresh character.
New executive chef, Joel Bickford, joined Sydney’s Aria early last year and has expressed adoration for ‘nature in its original form.’ His connection to nature came from his upbringing in the Blue Mountains, a part of Australia that is renowned for the remarkable flora. Bickford’s earthy palette of native and eccentric ingredients have shaped the quintessential menu at Aria to be one of its kind.
At Aria the plating is at master chef degree; it’s a form of art. The creation of food and the gorgeous garnishing of organised elements is simple yet decadent. Every entré, main and dessert have been carefully constructed and designed to enlighten guests through expressing a theme of Australia’s best seasonal produce.
Sydney’s Summer tasting menu, in particular, is phenomenal in combining distinct flavours; the dessert includes a fusion of chocolate and charcoal. Another fine example from the Summer tasting menu is the fusion of duck, cauliflower, red wine and salted grape. At the Brisbane restaurant, the executive chef, Ben Russel, has formed an attractive tasting menu using fresh and vibrant ingredients like seafood and citrus fruits. One tasting dish that stands out is the tuna, honey bug, wasabi and black radish.
The wine list is constantly changing to fit seasonal availability, however, consistently meets a world-class standard. Many of their wines in Brisbane’s restaurant have won prestigious awards such as 2018 National Good Food Guide Wine List of the Year and most recently the Courier Mail Wine List of the Year for Queensland. The wines on offer are from within the country as well as sourced from all beautiful parts of the world.
Aria offers an events space for private dining, corporate events and weddings. The Wharf Room in Sydney’s Aria boasts breathtaking views of Sydney Harbour and Circular Quay, where guests can appreciate a private dining experience, cocktail party or other types of events with exclusive access to an outdoor terrace to bring the experience to exceptionally high standards.
The Wharf Room has a native design; the room is muted tones of reds and browns which connects with Aria’s style of nature and purity. Brisbane’s unique private room is the River Room. With a similar look and feel to Sydney’s Wharf Room, groups of guests can relish river views, also overlooking the Story Bridge, in the comfort of their private event.
You can Savour the taste of Australia at Aria Restaurant for lunch or dinner, seven days a week.
1 Macquarie st, Sydney NSW 2000
+61 2 9240 2255 | ariasydney@solotel.com.au
EAGLE STREET PIER, 1 EAGLE ST, BRISBANE CITY QLD 4000
+61 7 3233 2555 | ariabrisbane@solotel.com.au
By Claudia Siron