Sydney Common

Unlike New York or London, Sydney’s dining scene has never revolved around hotels. But Sydney Common – the headlining restaurant inside Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park – aims to change that by championing five-star hotel dining in Australia, by way of a talented head chef in Jamie Robertson, and a kitchen focused on woodfired cooking and waste reduction.

The menu moves from snacks to the seafood bar, with past highlights including a quartered crumpet topped with a delicate mound of spanner crab. Then it’s onto the grill, which imparts Aussie steak and seafood with the flavours of fast-burning Blue Mountains ironbark. When Broadsheet visited, we also tried a smoked pumpkin agnolotti pasta with sage, red leicester and lardo that almost stole the show.

Grand, curved twin stairways lead to the restaurant and adjoining bar, which both offer views of the park through floor-to-ceiling windows. And between the food, drinks and luxurious fit-out, Sydney Common fits in well with some of the city’s favourite venues. But there’s something about ascending that elegant staircase that makes a visit to Sydney Common feel like an occasion, which is exactly the point.