The Push143 George St
The Rocks, SydneyThe Push is old world which isn't a surprise as it's in the historic Rocks District and in a building that's been around forever.
They've kept to the theme as well - we loved the marble tables and brass high shelves that were around this small intimate bar.
From our booth we could look up and see through the middle of a staircase that stretched towards the upper floors that have accommodation. The decor of The Push matched the dark timber banisters of the stairs - and in fact everything else. The period was certainly maintained.
There's a front area that has a number of high tables. The side/rear area has lower dining tables/booths along one wall and the main bar area along the other wall.
We were quite hungry so we decided to start with a serving of sliders. They have three different choices and you get three in a serving. We decided to have one of each to sample the full range.The crispy seitan slider - the one vegetarian option - had a bite to it and was very tasty. For me, the pulled lamb slider was my favourite with plenty of tender lamb. Finally, the pork rib was almost as good as the lamb. They were decent sized sliders too, so quite filling.
For our next entree we again went with an old favourite - calamari.They were shown in the menu as crumbed calamari strips with sichuan and kaffir lime and soy dipping sauce.
Presentation was nice as it came in a cute silver bucket with the sauce as a side and it was an interesting combination with the soy dipping sauce.
Bars mean drinks and we weren't going to miss out on trying a few. Mlady had a Pushover - a signature cocktail of The Push. This was made from Zubrowka vodka, Chambourd, muddled raspberries and a hint of lime. It was ideal for those seeking a sweetish cocktail. I had a Captains Remedy, not surprisingly a rum based tipple as I'm a rum drinker. It was made from Captain Morgans rum mixed with Disaronno, lemon juice and bitters and served on crushed ice. They tell you the longer you leave it the better it gets - but sadly I didn't leave it that long and it still tasted great.
I love a good pie - especially shepherds pie - and this was great.
It was slow cooked lamb shoulder with crushed peas in a hot baking dish and topped with sebago mash.
It had a vibrant green side of watercress salad.
This was a nicely presented dish that tasted just as good as it looked.
It was slow cooked lamb shoulder with crushed peas in a hot baking dish and topped with sebago mash.
It had a vibrant green side of watercress salad.
This was a nicely presented dish that tasted just as good as it looked.
Mlady is a fish and chips fan and it's not unusual for her to head this way on a menu. Here she chose the barramundi which arrived nicely presented in a mini deep fryer basket.
The herb battered barramundi was nicely cooked and rested on top of a generous pile of very tasty hand cut chips.
This was served with house made tartare and a separate plate of mushy peas,
Mlady's verdict - she thoroughly enjoyed it.
As a side we had a generous serving of seasonal vegetables which came with a scattering of crisped prosciutto and a slightly creamy eschalot dressing.
The crowning glory of our tasty meal was the desserts. I had the jaffle, made from bread and butter pudding with dark chocolate custard and salted caramel.
This was simply amazing. Having grown up on jaffles, I'd never had one for dessert before. Presentation was simple but appealing and it was a dessert I'd eagerly have again.
Mlady went for an Aussie take on the classic ice cream dish.The dish was a ball of macadamia ice cream coated in crumbed ANZAC, resting on a pool of rum butter sauce.
This dessert was reminiscent of fried ice cream and she said it was simply delish and a must have.
Whatever you do, save room for dessert here!
Sir and Mlady dined as guests of The Push. Special thanks to Millie for looking after us so well on our visit. Thanks also to Kimberley Stewart of Agency G for arranging our visit.
