Last year, we brought you the news that the beloved rooftop café atop Sydney’s MCA transformed into a bold fine-diner called Canvas. Spearheaded by hospitality professionals The Big Group, Canvas’ concept is new to Sydney: instead of a fixed kitchen team and head chef, there will be seasonal residencies featuring fresh talent. Josh Raine, the former executive chef of Sydney’s now-closed icon Tetsuya’s, was the opening gun. (Raine has since gone on to open the excellent Surry Hills wine bar, 40Res.)
Now, Scottish-born James Scott has taken over the reins from Raine, bringing a wealth of experience: he trained under British chef Michael Caines at the two-Michelin-star Gidleigh Park before moving to Sydney in 2013. He then worked with Martin Benn at the award-winning Sepia, before rising to head chef at waterfront LuMi Dining. Phew – talk about a strong CV.
Scott says: “I’m incredibly excited to take the reins at Canvas. The space, the views, the philosophy – everything about this restaurant invites creativity and storytelling. My new menu reflects where I’ve come from, where I am now, and the inspiration provided by this extraordinary location.”
So, what’s on the menu? Highlights include cappelletti (a type of hat-shaped pasta) filled with sea-sweet crab meat and paired with a light, creamy sauce flavoured with lemon myrtle, basil and pops of ruby-coloured finger lime. Wagyu tartare comes with zippy pickled shallots, fried saltbush, a rich confit egg yolk and a Sydney Opera House–shaped Jerusalem artichoke crisp in celebration of Sydney’s favourite house.
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For mains, our pick is the “Lambington” – a riff on the classic Wellington and made with haggis in a nod to Scott’s heritage. Desserts include a desert-lime parfait with meringue and coconut sorbet; a Bakewell tart with Davidson plum and crème fraîche; and a tarte Tatin with Granny Smith apples, native thyme and vanilla gelato.
Canvas’ chef concept isn’t the only thing we’re fans of. The sun-drenched restaurant offers a two-course menu for $95 per person and a three-course option for $120. While it’s not cheap, compared with its neighbours who share similar “wow” views (looking at you, Quay), it’s solid value in our books – a slice of luxury at a more accessible price point.
Oh, and one more thing: Canvas is lunch-only (the space morphs into an event venue at night) – so if you’ve got a birthday, date with your nan or an anniversary coming up, book in for the day.
Find out more here.
Address: 140 George Street Level 4 The Rocks NSW 2000
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