HICKSONS - WALSH BAY, SYDNEY CBD

Hickson's
Pier 7, 17 Hickson Rd
Walsh Bay, Sydney CBD

Hickson's only opened in October 2013.

It has brilliant views of Walsh Bay and also of the harbour bridge in the distance.

Hickson's is a bar and a restaurant. It's in an ideal location for a drink and a nibble. It's also very close to the 900 seat Sydney Theatre - in fact it's right across the road from it - and they cater for people having an early dinner and getting to the show on time.

Hickson's is the brainchild of Nathan Kam and Zenta Staley. Both come from a strong hospitality background and with chef Ian Prendergast they have put together an innovative menu matched with an imaginative wine list with plenty of options from around the world.

Our first dish was the baby beetroot that came with buckwheat, a generous spreading of organic sheep yoghurt and red chard.

Mlady loves fresh beetroot so we were very keen to see what this dish was like. The beetroot was beautifully soft and tender and the sheep yoghurt and chard went perfectly.

This was such a simple dish that was so effective.

We then moved on to another beautifully presented and plated dish. This was a work of art and almost a pity to eat!

It was buffalo mozzarella, basil, confit tomato and aged balsamic which came served on crusty sourdough.

It was a variation on bruscetta and the truss tomatoes were a nice playful touch.

Our next dish was in keeping with our waterfront setting.

Perfectly seared scallops resting on a bed of slivered green Batlow apple and shiso (a type of Asian mint) arrived on a square of black slate.

This was a refreshingly light dish. The Batlow apples added great flavours to the scallops and combined so well.

The salmon was Mlady's choice of favourite dish of the night. The salmon was poached, pan seared then baked to create a lovely texture while keeping all the flavours in.

The salmon was served on a bed of spinach and garnished with radish slices, baby coriander and small dollops of gazpacho.

It was lovely and the crackling-crisp salmon skin was to die for.

Seafood in a seaside setting is always such a perfect match.

So in keeping with the lovely seafood available at Hickson's our next course was mulloway which was served with eschalot, creamy mashed potato, super crisp speck and a lovely basil emulsion.

This was a great dish with a beautiful mix of textures and flavours.

Our final main course was probably my favourite for the night. The lightly cooked quail was again picturesquely presented on a bed of spiced pumpkin and garnished with deep fried quail eggs and sprigs of spring onion.

The quail was so nicely cooked and the deep fried quail eggs were perfect and still had their runny yolks! This was a blend of subtle flavours that was delicious.

It was time for dessert - and there were several interesting options available.

We were keen to try the chocolate and roast coconut brownie with mango - it just sounded like a great combination.

It tasted great. We both love chocolate and coconut together and this blended them so well. The freshness of the mango went well with this tropical sweet dish as did the dollop of double cream on top!

Hickson's is simply a lovely place. It has magical views in a beautiful setting combined with friendly efficient service and great food and wine. Hickson's ticks all the boxes and is a place well worth visiting.

Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Hickson's. Special thanks to Nathan Kam and Zenta Staley for inviting us. Thanks also to Ian Prendergast and his kitchen for the great food and to Ben for looking after us so well on our visit.

Nathan Kam and Zenta Staley