Dining Out – The Canopy – Sydney – Australia

The Canopy
157 Liverpool St
Sydney
NSW
2000

Finding somewhere good to eat in a city you are not familiar with can be a little bit of a challenge but on my first day in Sydney I was fortunate to call in on one of the cities best restaurants for a superb meal and wonderful slice of Australian hospitality at The Canopy at Hyde.

I was staying at the Wyndham Apartments on Wentworth Avenue so The Canopy restaurant was a short five minute walk from my accommodation. The Hyde Park Inn is right next door to the restaurant and a number of other hotels including The Song Hotel, Oaks Hyde Park Plaza, Sheraton on the Park, Travelodge and Swissotel are all located within a few minutes walk of this superb modern Australian restaurant.

Situated opposite Hyde Park across the road from the Museum Railway Station on the Circle Line makes the Canopy restaurant easily accessible at all times of the day with on street metered car parking also available at the weekend and outside of business hours.

 

On the evening that I dined at The Canopy I was greeted warmly by the staff and they continued to be attentive during our meal but were never intrusive. There is both an indoor and outdoor seating area so the restaurant can easily accommodate small or large groups.During the evening a large group of customers arrived and were seated inside but the staff continued to come outside to our table to check whether we needed anything.

The inside of the restaurant is decorated with simple tree-pattern windows giving the appearance of a forest hence the restaurant name, The Canopy. The floor to ceiling glass walls along the front enables a great deal of light into the restaurant and provides fine views across to leafy green Hyde Park and the imposing ANZAC Memorial.

 

During business hours The Canopy sets up a very popular coffee cart which is frequented by both tourists and office workers alike and is a great place for grabbing a quick coffee and a light snack.

The Meal:

There was a comprehensive choice of six starters including Garlic Panini, Toasted Sourdough, Bruschetta, Mushroom and Truffle Arancini, Canopy Fried Chicken but my wife and I decided to share a Trio of dips and bread as we did not want to fill up too much before the main course.

Trio of dips and bread (V)

Hummus, Tzatziki, Olive Tapenade Served with Assorted Breads and Grissini.  $13

The hummus paste was made of chickpea and was very tasty. Chickpea is a legume so it tasted a little bit like peanuts or sesame seeds. The vegetable oil within the paste added to the taste and smell giving the texture a smooth consistency almost like unfrozen ice cream.

Tzatziki  is made of salted strained yogurt made either from sheep or goat`s milk or diluted yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt and olive oil. It was beautiful spread on the bread or light dip sticks.

We both love olives so the olive tapanade or puree was appreciated by both of us. A wonderful start to the meal.

Atlantic Salmon Fillet (GF)

Served with Ratatouille, Asparagus, Olives, Basil and Balsamic Reduction    $34

My wife chose the Salmon fillet sitting across a classic mix of ratatouille with a couple of pieces of asparagus and decorative basil simmered down to decorate the plate and add a sharp taste of vinegar. An impressive looking dish which my wife said tasted as good as it looked.

Exotic Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto (GF) (V)

Topped with Crumbled Fetta and Truffle Oil   $22

I love Risotto so a risotto style dish with exotic mushrooms ticked all the boxes. The risotto was covered in sliced and quartered Feta cheese. Feta is a pickled curd cheese that has a salty and tangy taste.The cheese complemented the creamy consistency of the rice perfectly. Two wonderfully presented dishes which tasted as they should – beautiful.

After Dinner Drinks/ Dessert menu:

Despite the tempting desserts on offer we decided to pass on the dessert as we were both very happy with our meals and could not eat another morsel. The Dessert menu had a choice of six classic dishes including two of my favourites – Tiramisu and Molten Chocolate Fondant at very reasonable prices. Perhaps another time?

The Wine:

Wine: Tin Shed, Melting Pot Shiraz 2013, Barossa Valley,South Australia Glass: $10 Bottle: $45

The 2013 Melting Pot Shiraz is made from grapes sourced from the Eden and Barossa Valleys. The wine had a rich deep colour of bright purple or crimson. It also had a beautiful perfume reminding me of chocolate and forest fruits.

Apparently 2013 was a great year for the Barossa wines and we had no reason to argue with that assessment. The 2013 Shiraz was a satisfying accompaniment to a wonderful evening of food and drink in agreeable surroundings.

The Canopy at Hyde, 

157 Liverpool Street,

Sydney,

New South Wales,

Australia.

Value for money: Excellent

Food: Exceptional – beautifully presented and a treat for all of the senses.

Service: The waiting staff were attentive, helpful and smart but never obtrusive.

Grading: 10/10

Total Cost: $114 (£70.19p) 21/02/17

The Canopy at Hyde, 157 Liverpool Street,Sydney,New South Wales,Australia.

Tel: 02 9264 3007

Website: www.thecanopy.com.au/

Facebook: The Canopy at Hyde

Instagram: thecanopyrestaurant

Getting to The Canopy is easy :

By Train –  Museum Station – Use Liverpool Street Exit

By Car –   On-street metered  Car Parking on Weekends and outside of Business Hours.

Parking 

Wilson Parking – 175 Liverpool street, enter via Nithsdale street (50 metres from The Canopy)

$9 parking available after 5pm weekdays and all weekend

Secure Parking – corner of Goulburn & Elizabeth Streets (200 metres from The Canopy)

By Bus – Bus Stops right out front  on Liverpool street

OPENING TIMES