Lot 1
18-20 York St
Sydney CBD
Lot 1, located on York Street in the CBD is everything you could ever want for an evening out, and on approach its easy to see why it comes so highly regarded. The venue’s decor is impressive and the wooden panelling with purple and blue lights are featured across all 3 sections of Lot 1. There is something here for everyone whether it be a coffee or cocktail in the Espresso Bar, top shelf whiskey in the bar downstairs or enjoying the sharing plate culture in the restaurant.
Upon arrival we were shown to our table by the window, and ordered a cocktail each. The Viscount ordered the Fog Cutter, it was a smooth concoction of gin, dark rum, and cognac with a zesty twist. It was very easy to drink and was delicious. The Viscountess ordered the East 8 Hold Up which included Belvedere Vodka, Aperol, pineapple and lime. Despite being on the ‘Served on the Rocks’ section of the menu, this was surprisingly fresh, zesty and easy to drink. A great drink to have on it’s own or as an aperitif to start a meal.
After the impressive cocktails and a nice chat with our waitress about the venue we were eager to start and were more than happy to leave it unto the chef to choose our dishes. First up was the Vitello Tonnato. This dish was truly mind-blowing, the tuna was so fresh and tender and just melted in your mouth. Accompanied with two types of capers and horse radish cream with a lovely lemon zest, this was a perfect way to start our menu.
There was definitely a pattern forming here as the next dish, Scallops Carpaccio, exceeded the first dish. The star on the plate was the different textures, we used the crunchy tapioca crisp as a bit of a chip with the smooth ceviche scallops on top and were perfect with the acidic Lady Finger Lime which popped in your mouth.
Next up was the Snapper Fillet with Jerusalem Artichoke Creme and White Funghi, This dish was 10 out of 10, with such a unique combination of flavours and texture. The snapper was perfectly cooked, soft and juicy with crispy. There were two different types of white funghi on this dish, a dried shard of smaller, mushroom looking ones and a softer, more spongy type that literally melted away in the mouth. The artichoke creme was sublime with smoky flavours to really compliment this dish.
At this point in the meal the Viscount and Viscountess were feeling extremely happy and satisfied with the dishes we had been served. Then the show stopper landed in front of us - the duck breast with persimmon, witlolf and coffee, which was truly spectacular, words cant do this dish justice. The duck was confit in coffee which, the waitress explained to us, reacts with the protein in the duck to break down all the fat and leave the meat juicy, tender and packed some serious flavour. Served with charred witlof and topped with compressed persimmon, home made duck prosciutto, and a 65 degree egg yolk which acted as a dipping sauce for the other elements on the plate. There dish was full of so many impressive elements which all worked so well together. We would highly recommend this dish as a must-try!
To finish our meal, we were served dessert - Biscotti e Latte. It compromised of the perfect blending of a biscuit base, chocolate mousse cake, house made Dulce De Leche and biscuit infused gelato. This was quite a rich dessert but paired with the chocolate crunch and delicious gelato, it was perfect to share between two. As with all of the dishes we had on our menu, there were extra thoughtful elements to this dish with the chocolate and salted caramel shards to add a beautiful crunch. It was absolutely beautiful and the perfect way to end the meal.
We genuinely can not wait to go back and would like to thank the team at Lot 1 for having us as their guests for dinner.