Take the stress out of mum's day with these elegant set menus
Sunday, May 14, 2023: Mother's Day. The one day of the year that mums are supposed to be recognised for all their hard work. Is one day really enough? Probably not, but we'll save that gripe for another time.
Most of us know that going to lunch with the family can be a stressful affair, particularly if you've forgotten to make a reservation, dad's freaking out at the price of wine these days and mum's insisting no one make a fuss.
Which is why it's so handy that a bunch of Sydney's top restaurants have taken the guesswork out of the day by offering extra-special tasting menus – so all you have to do is show up and avoid talking about politics while they take care of the rest.
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Want fun, flavour and a good time this Mother’s Day? Then the high-octane Chin Chin is a solid choice. The chef’s banquet features prawn spring rolls with lettuce, mint and chilli sauce; moo ping pork skewers with pickled cucumber and shallots; and duck drunken noodles with green peppercorn and Thai basil. And if you’re really hungry, go for the epic feast menu, which includes Chin Chin’s hottest dishes.
How much: $110 per adult
If you want the best for your mum, which, obviously, you do, there's no denying the quality of the Porteño Group's venues, and lunch at Bar Louise is sure to be a goodie. The Spanish-style tapas bar is dishing up a set menu that features a couple of the most beloved dishes, and some yummy surprises as well.
How much: $90 per adult
A delicious brunch served up with some of Sydney's best views at a surprisingly affordable price tag... On Mother's Day you can get a selection of share dishes and dessert (with a complimentary glass of prosecco on arrival) for just $70 a head at Opera Bar. Seatings are available anytime between 10am and noon.
How much: $70 per adult, $20 per child (aged under 12)
It doesn’t get much better than dining at Ormeggio at The Spit overlooking the glittering harbour. Forget the dishes at home, and instead experience the taste of Italy and the sea with head chef Alessandro Pavoni’s four-course set menu.
How much: $219 per adult and child over $12, $89 per child
Gowings are firing up the grill especially for their Mother's Day lunch. It's a melange of gorgeous Mediterranean flavours and quality grilled meat, so expect a rib-eye steak on the bone plus other Italian delights like seafood antipasto, and snapper acqua pazza (poached fish in a super flavourful brine with mussels, basil and cherry tomatoes).
How much: $130 per person
Drinking Spritzes with ocean views and Sydney’s most beautiful people at neighbouring tables will never go out of style. Add on perfect Italian fare and you've got yourself a great long feast. A Mother's Day brunch menu kicks off at 10am, and you can get a more substantial feed from the set menu for lunch from 12.30pm and dinner from 6.30pm.
How much: $240 per adult
Sunny, lush and elegant is the mood at Rafi this Mother's Day. Their four-course seasonal menu really explores all that Rafi has to offer, including Rafi's signature: South Coast tuna with a fragrant tomato and chilli oil. There will be a photobooth specially set up for the affair with free professional photography. Say cheese.
How much: $150 per person; $40 per child
It’s a universal truth that all mums love high tea. This Mother’s Day, treat mum to a special version at Novotel Sydney Parramatta. Think: sparkling on arrival, traditional scones with cream and jam, beetroot and goat's cheese arancini, plus finger sandwiches including smoked salmon, and lemon myrtle cream cheese. The kids will be stoked with their bites, including fairy bread, cheeseburger spring rolls and mini cupcakes. Yum.
How much: $68 per adult, $29 per child (aged 12 and under)
If you want to spoil Mum, head to this glitzy Woolloomooloo institution on Sunday. You don’t need to order a set menu; instead, choose whatever you feel like from Otto’s crowd-pleasing menu. Plus, all mums will receive a bottle of Otto’s extra virgin olive oil to take home.
How much: À la carte dining
Find a lavish a la carte menu fit for a queen at Woolloomooloo’s favourite pub and brasserie, the Old Fitz. On their special Mother's day menu expect a blend of Old Fitz favourites and new French dishes. Tuck into a vibrant beetroot and buffalo mozzarella salad; duck liver pate; and a real treat: the Old Fitz Sunday roast that is specially prepared during the colder months.
How much: Dishes ranging from $6-$33; kids menu available
Share-style and succinct, the food at Beau has been designed to be eaten with a drink in hand. The Mother's Day menu features roasted halloumi; rigatoni alla vodka; and a dreamy pavlova topped with passionfruit, chocolate sorbet and hazelnut. They've also partnered with luxe florist My Violet so you can have a wonderful bouquet of flowers waiting on the table for when mum arrives, and all bookings include a gift from Go-To skincare.
How much: $150 per adult; $40 per child
Bondi's sprawling waterside venue is putting on a Mother's Day menu that screams beachside feast. Get ready to loosen your belt after perusing ten courses including a sumptuous seafood platter; spinach, ricotta and pumpkin raviolo; Margra lamb cutlets; and a passionfruit tart topped with torched meringue, and honey ice cream.
How much: $149 per person
Give your mum an unforgettable day with ridic views of the Sydney Opera House and a six-course lunch menu created by executive chef Tom Gorringe. Start with a glass of Champagne on arrival and go from there.
How much: $290 per adult; $70 per child (aged under 13)
If your mum's a foodie, she'll love this leisurely Sunday spread. Start with a complimentary prosecco on arrival, and the beer bread house-baked sourdough with "odd cultured" butter, and follow with delish bites like pickled mussels in XO sauce and chicken served up with all the goodies, like flatbread, pickles and garlic sauce.
How much: $75 per person; $30 per child
Take your special lady to Greenfield Station Bistro in Bankstown and experience a Victorian-era train station eatery. Dine in vintage railway carriages surrounded by charming memorabilia. The all-you-can-eat buffet is a step above your RSL go-to, with delicious antipasto, proteins, fresh veggies and a chocolate fountain for dessert.
How much: $85 per adult, $40 per child (under 13), free for children under 3
This Italian-Asian diner is opening specially on Sunday for a delicious Mother's Day lunch. The menu packs a punch with its Italian influence featuring curls of giglio pasta and spanner crab; cottoletta fish; and fried scalops, while you can get your Asian fix with the char siu pork cutlet; and shisho sesame straciatella cheese.
How much: $149 per adult; $70 per child (under 12)
Luna Lu are pulling out all the stops with a curated four-course menu of modern Asian dishes, and a glass of sparkling. Hop on board the train to flavour town with sambal salmon, black pepper sauce Wagyu, kung pao cauliflower and salt and pepper squid. Did we mention you'll be enjoying your meal alongside some pretty spesh views of Sydney Harbour?
How much: $140 per person
Called BTWN – a play on the word “between” – W Hotel’s flagship restaurant is found on level three of the hotel, and overlooks Darling Harbour. Head chef Chris Dodd (ex Aria, the Blue Door) is leading the charge, with his four-course Mother's Day menu showcasing locally sourced and seasonal produce. Expect a wattleseed tart, a saucy burrata, harissa basted chicken with kipfler potatoes, and quince sorbet to polish it all off.
How much: $169 per adult; $65 per child (under 12)
For a Mother's Day your mama won't forget, just walking into Woodcut is an experience in itself. The glamourous venue has devised a Mother's Day menu with a nod to a "New York-style Sunday brunch". Think Moreton Bay bugs, hot crumpets with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce, chorizo, and vanilla sugar crumpets amongst other delish dishes. There'll also be roving Champagne trolleys with a whole range of bubbles and special mixers to choose from.
How much: $99 per person
Looking for an excuse to dress up this Mother's Day? It's the regular for every second table at Tanuki to wear pumps. It’s all part of the fun. The Japanese set menu includes spicy crispy tuna rice bites, scallop and prawn toast, kingfish sashimi and a glass of bubbles on arrival.
How much: $110 per adult; $50 per child (under 12)
This isn't just any high tea, it's a high high tea on the 32nd floor of the Intercontinental Hotel, giving you sprawling views of Sydney's skyline. Think: gourmet sandwiches, and delicate pastries will be all stacked up for your dining pleasure this Mother's Day.
How much: $160 per person
Treat mum to a seafood lunch or dinner (bookings essential) with a side of beachfront views. Their four-course mneu features a selection of sashimi, grilled barramundi, swimmer crab linguine and, for dessert, apple tarte tartin.
How much: $89 per adult; $30 per child (under 13)
There are various ways to spoil mum at the Four Seasons Hotel this Mother's Day. There's a Champagne three-course menu at Mode Kitchen & Bar, where all mums will also receive a Camilla coin purse valued at $79.
How much: From $150 per person, option to add drinks
Or you can enjoy a special afternoon tea served in their usually private Lounge 32 (which is on both Saturday and Sunday). The afternoon tea will feature hand-crafted delicacies, house-made scones, as well as savoury treats (an egg and white truffle sandwich, smoked salmon brioche, and lobster roll). Pair with tea and coffees or add free-flowing Champagne.
How much: $110 per adult ($150 to include Champagne); children's high tea for $59
Celebrate mum at Rekodo Restaurant & Vinyl Bar in Barangaroo House with delicious plates and vinyl DJ sets. From a Spritz on arrival to an omakase-style menu featuring lots of fresh seafood and a feel-good vibe, there’s a lot to like here.
How much: $130 per adult, $25 per child
Expect Seoul food with a side of funk at Funda, a modern Korean restaurant in Sydney's CBD. The seven-course menu includes yummy starters like beef tartare, kingfish and crispy Korean potato pancakes before you get to choose your main (we're going for the gochujang chicken) and dessert.
How much: $69 per adult
How can you surprise the mum who already has everything? Bring her to a luxe Mediterranean Mother's Day feast by boat. After a grand wharf-access entry, St Siandra is offering a multi-course menu, complete with a sparkling tipple to start.
How much: $169 per person; $65 per child
If you love your mum to the moon and back, a meal at the heights of the Sydney Tower (formerly Centrepoint Tower) might be the closest you can get to showing it. The revolving fine-dining restaurant affords you 360 degree views of Sydney, from the Blue Mountains to the sea and their Mother's Day menu spares no expenses with salmon tartare, succulent pork belly and dark chocolate tart.
How much: $179 per adult; $60 per child (aged under 13)
Experience spice and all things nice this Mother’s Day at chic Turkish restaurant Maydanoz. If you don’t have time to buy a gift, you can choose to add on a copy of chef Somer Sivrioglu’s cookbook, Anatolia: Adventures in Turkish Eating when you make a booking, and it will be there wrapped waiting on the table for you. Highlights on the menu include lentil kofte, barbecue Tilba haloumi, and for something sweet, a pistachio and rose kunefe, a traditional Turkish cheese pastry dessert.
How much: $118 per adult, $48 per child
Floor-to-ceiling windows will give mum an incredible view of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge while she digs in to your choice of their three set menus. There is such a wide range of eats that you'll have trouble choosing. Feel like crispy baby potatoes and chimichurri flank steak? Or perhaps some house-made burrata and wood-roasted chicken?
How much: $88, $105 or $120 per person
Take your animal-loving mother for a wander around a zoo in the morning, past the lions and tigers and bears (oh my!) and stroll to a fine-dining restaurant with stellar views afterwards. Me-Gal's Mother's Day menu picks and chooses some of the establishment's most popular dishes for a three-course lunch. Even the kiddos will get a slice of luxury with the fancy children's menu.
How much: From $160 per adult; $60 per child (under 12)
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