There’s something almost cinematic about pre-theatre dining when it’s done properly. The hard out, the curtain creeping closer, the kitchen quietly executing under deadline. And there’s no one in Sydney doing it with more flair right now than Kimpton Margot Sydney, whose heritage Art Deco ground floor has officially put on its Sunday best for Disney’s The Lion King.
Slide into the five-star surrounds and choose your own adventure: two courses (entree and main) for $65pp, or go the full three with dessert added for $75pp. It’s a steal for the postcode, and the menu itself is a love letter to the musical – the kind of thoughtful, pun-laden naming that makes you smile before the food even arrives – and when it does it’s a roaring good time (see, we can do puns too!)
Lion King puns, plus amazing cuisine and service is the gift that keeps on giving at Luke’s Kitchen at the Kimpton Margot.
Highlights? Where to start. The Problem-Free Polenta & Gruyère Cheese Tart is a slow, savoury swoon; the Gruyère deep and nutty, the polenta giving it that golden, creamy bite, all lifted by the bright snap of verjuice and finished with earthy mushrooms and fresh basil.
A little nod to Hakuna Matata, a lot of please don’t take my plate away yet. The King(fish) Sashimi with sesame, yuzu and pickled daikon cut into perfect cubes, is the elegant, clean palate-cleanser of the lineup.
Then it’s decision time at the mains. “Be Prepared for Pasta” rich pumpkin ravioli with cavolo nero, Roquefort and honey, is genuinely the kind of dish you order with no intention of sharing, no matter what you said in the cab on the way over. The sauce is to die for: that sweet, salty, sticky alchemy of Roquefort melting into honey, cut through with the slight bitterness of cavolo nero so it never tips into too-rich territory.
Or, for something a little more Circle of Life, the pan-fried mulloway with greens and herbs is exceptional. Firm, fresh, and cooked with the kind of precision you don’t usually associate with a pre-theatre deadline. Just-set in the middle, a crisp skin, the fish doing all the talking and the greens and baby carrots respectfully stepping aside to let it.
For the finale, there are two excellent ways to go. The “Standing Ovation” is a warm chocolate tart with double cream is exactly the curtain call you want. Or if you’re after something lighter and a touch more grown-up, the balsamic berry sorbet is a punchy, palate-cleansing finish, the sort of dessert that doesn’t slow you down for Act One.
The cocktail list keeps the theme rolling. The Hakuna Martini ($24) is a tropical riot of vodka, vanilla liqueur, passionfruit, cranberry and lime the drink equivalent of warthog energy – it’s perky and sweet. And the Sunset Over The Savanna ($24) is more brooding: sloe gin laced with lychee, pomegranate, strawberry and citrus. Order one of each, you must.
After dinner, it’s a leisurely stroll to the Capitol Theatre close enough that heels are still a viable life choice, to take in one of the most beloved musicals ever. And if you really want to do it properly, the overnight package at Kimpton Margot Sydney wraps the whole experience up with a show ticket and breakfast, so you can collapse into a heritage-glamour bed five minutes after the curtain call.
What we’re Addicted to: The Roquefort-and-honey sauce that’s going to live rent-free in our heads for weeks. Mulloway cooked to actual perfection on a pre-theatre clock. The cheeky menu naming. The fact that you can roll from your entree to your seat at the Capitol without breaking a sweat. And of course, that bed waiting upstairs.
What we need to be more Addicted to: Honestly absolutely nothing. It was perfect.
The detail: Pre-theatre menu available 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday. Book 90 minutes before your show.
Luke’s Kitchen at Kimpton Margot Sydney,
339 Pitt Street, Sydney CBD.