Hotel dining can be more hit and miss than Luke Amstrong’s attempts to keep his reputation intact. Invoking memories of meals which could make a dinner of Whiskas infinitely more appealing or room service bills which leave you feeling like someone has touched you inappropriately.

So when QT Sydney launches its new restaurant you’ll swoon – given it’s a hotel with intelligent lifts, video walls and service staff who look like they’re clubbing or about to hit the Broadway stage.

The Gowings Bar & Grill menu is a monster wandering from crustaceans, entrée salads, starters, main salads, rotisserie birds, grills and ‘others’ then onto sweets, little sweets and cheeses.

You’ll start salivating as soon as the banquet unfolds; golden hot spanner crab croquettes sitting on an aioli pool of palm hearts, steak tartare arrives with its own pot of chips which is a good defence against marauding forks targeting pickled black shimeji mushrooms, beet leaves from its eggy pasture. Two cute quails are roasted perfectly, lounging in sauce with a stuffing that’s better than Christmas. The Beef Bourguignon steeped in red wine is a classic, both luscious and filling. Look out for Gowing’s signature paper bag filled with a medley of mushrooms. And who can say no to flash fried crunchy onion rings?

Play celebrity eye spy with the ceiling plates and thanks to the food directorship of Robert Marchetti of Icebergs fame, revel in a damn fine meal.

Gowings Bar & Grill
QT Sydney, Market Street, Sydney 2000
Open Breakfast 6.30am – 10.30am, Lunch from 12 noon, Dinner from 6pm