2018 Restaurant Of The Year: Lot. One

Nicki Alchin
3rd Jan 2019

Choosing our top restaurant for the year is a carefully considered choice. When eating we enjoy and encourage everything from fancy schmancy to street food and everything in between. As long as it is delicious. In declaring the best of the best in Sydney this year, we've chosen an unpretentious yet elegant establishment with consistently attentive service, great cocktails and lovely wine list, and exceptional food - exquisitely executed contemporary takes on classic cuisine with little quirks of creativity while retaining the prime place of the produce. Pretty but without ego.

Drumroll... here we go with a rundown from our last revisit for the year at our incredibly consistent winner Lot. One Potts Point.

As some of you may know, Lot. One had a fantastic run when it started originally in the Sydney CBD before moving to its current location of 22 Rockwall Cescent, Potts Point - where diners have a variety of spaces that can accommodate equally well quiet romantic dinners or birthdays and corporate shindigs such as Christmas parties and EOFY celebrations. There's a curtain that can cordon off one section into a private room if you've got the numbers. The Lot. One restaurant interior is modern funky minimalism, being a relaxed space to enjoy its modern Australian, produce starring menu.

At the CBD premises, it was well-known that many a restaurant savvy folk enjoyed tasty cocktails and feeds. Well, the good times are continuing to roll on under the new management at the casually elegant Potts Point space. Quite honestly, why shouldn't they when the talented chef, Xenia Jade and warm host, Michael Bradley, are not onlyb two passionate former employees at the CBD location but two of the Potts Point owners.

Xenia has a chef background of note as she was previously with Jonahs Palm Beach, the stylish Fig Tree resort in Byron and Sake (Rockpool Dining Group) in the city. Patrons can create new memories at Potts Point as Xenia and Michael along with the talented bar-tender Edwin Brown are successfully keeping up the vibe and name Lot. One was known for in the CBD.

What with Edwin mixing and shaking serious drinks perfectly matched to the well considered and executed food combinations coming out of Xenia's female driven kitchen and Michael offering knowledgeable food and beverage pairings alongside his considerate wait team, Lot. One Potts Point totally hits the mark in providing a top notch relaxed yet stylish dining experience.

Guests can delight in the creative original cocktail list as well as the carefully selected extensive international wine list that boasts not only pages of excellent bottled wines, but 16 wines by the glass in four categories including a choice of two bubbles by the glass - a Villa Jolanda Prosecco Brut DOCG and a Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Essentiel Cuvée Réservée. We were ecstatic to see the impressive choice of bubbles, as we here at Sydney Scoop believe there is no better way to toast the start of a wonderful night than with a glass of superior sparkling.

Our new summer menu tasting began with a glass of Piper paired with a starter of heavenly oysters au naturel. On exclamation of how good the oysters were, Xx advised that he personally sources the oysters on a frequent basis from a variety of farmers to ensure a consistent wow taste sensation for diners.

Lot. One is a popular choice for us. On this latest visit the Merimbula rock oysters had a perfect creaminess to saltiness ratio that brought back memories of a similar oyster ecstasy when tasting on the doorstep of the leases. While the Lot. One source of the oysters may change with the seasons, you can rest assured the team are doing their best to have the best available on their menu. Another highlight of this starter was the presentation; the shells sat majestically on a bed of slate-grey coloured rock salt. An impressively stylish touch.

From there NickGirlStar and our fabulous Sydney Scoop editor switched to a smooth sexy little number, the French Marrenon ‘Petula’ Syrah Grenache Rosé AOC from Luberon, Rhone. We were advised quite rightly that it would be a well deserving match for our shared choice of sublimely delicate tasty barramundi carpaccio served with an amazingly refreshing and scrumptious bunch of finely diced accoutrements of honeydew melon, olives, jalapeño, and coriander, and continue on with the intriguing and addictive stuffed whole squid.

This was followed by huge platters of tender beef then (where did we fit it) of an extremely divine half duck (deboned, roasted and glazed) served with baked red grapes, macadamia, and snow pea tendrils. Pretty. With each bite of these amazing dishes, NickiGirlStar's murmurs of sheer gastronomic pleasure could be heard, or our editor's nods of agreement and approval be seen. The presentation of big generous festive mains was colourful and enticing as well as being soooooo very tasty. It

Of course queen of desserts NickigirlStar saw to it that the evening ended on a coffee and sweets note. Other dessert lovers will also be happy to note that Danielle has devised four desserts in homage to popular chocolate bars. Diners' tastebuds will be able to recall the flavours of either a Ferreo Rocher, a Bounty, a Snickers or even a Turkish Delight.

Head on over to Lot. One Potts Point to check out our 2018 Restaurant Of The Year and savour their summer menu. Like Sydney Scoop, you will be glad that you did.

www.lot1pottspoint.com.au