Have you ever 'had it all' in a restaurant?
 

I have never known such a combination would happen, but some people believe it has been achieved:

• Acclaim in respected awards
• Breathtaking location / view
• Flawless service
• Excellent and extensive wine list
• Challenging, inventive, creative food that tastes amazing
• Is good value

?

Sydney is lucky to have some restaurants that have potential to do it all.
I'd like to hear of your own finds around the world, either your local city or memorable places from your travels.
Hopefully you can add a link.

Do you know of restaurants that tick all of the criteria? Failing that, ones which tick (at least) the amazing food and value 'boxes'?:

Here are a couple on my list.
1. Quay [review 1] [review 2]
2. Berowra Waters Inn [review 1] [review 2]

I thought you'd ask if anyone ever ordered "one of each" at the restaurant...

the thought of that came across my mind, but no I never done it.

--Russ ;)

PS. I'm taking the family to Lalezar in Montclair, NJ tomorrow for my birthday... I hope it "has it all"

I've not found a 'has it all' buffet yet. ;)

You have missed the most Important aspect of any Restaurant Meal:

The Perfect Table Partner

The rest is just secondary.

oh God! I hate buffets with a passion and avoid them at all costs.

the problem is I have very little self control and end up staying at the buffet for hours until I literally sample all the food they got... then I whobble out the place and hurt for hours... never again!

--Russ

Quay

Lunch on a weekday. Place was half empty. Gorgeous views no doubt. Service mediocre, and food is just fine. Perhaps will be very different on a busy night, but cannot believe this is restaurant of the year!

Not recommended for lunch.:td:

Thanks for this tip, aurigakb. I was thinking it would make a decent place for lunch for the greedy ;) FTers with multiple CMB fares still to be routed via my hometown.

There are plenty of places to have lunch, so I'm going to think carefully about whether it's worth the hassle to go to Quay for dinner - when Berowra Waters Inn is a more peaceful drive home (and parking experience) than from the Quay.

Same here, never again....at least until the next time I go to Vegas...next week <cough>.

And no I've never been to a place that had it all either.

The restaurant James in Philadelphia provided me with the perfect dining experience back in late May. Food was exquisite, service was the best I'd ever encountered, and considering the quality the price was perfect.

Simply perfection.

These two points aren't always an issue. Obviously, in Britain the second point is particularly important as traditionally made food that tastes amazing is so hard to come by, but I see it as an over-rated quality.
When there are so many established techniques, foods and flavours out there I haven't yet tried, the urge to go for innovation seems a bit pointless to me. (you should try the smoked takuan slices I was eating yesterday...)

And an extensive wine list appears to me to be another Western conceit. When you're in a country that doesn't produce great wines, the stuff is going to be expensive. If I'm expecting good value, I'd also expect the restaurateurs to concentrate instead on providing well judged beverage options that will complement the food, and that doesn't always have to be wine.

Australia inherited Britain's gastronomy whilst at its lowest point. After persevering with it for far too long, the shackles were loosened and Australians finally embraced the challenges and opportunities of their geography. It took a while to figure out, and there have been some ugly culinary failures, but eventually the enthusiasm for Pacific rim fusion cooking seems to have paid off. I've no doubt that Sydney is a wonderful place for inventive and creative food. And as a part Brit, I'm delighted and feel that many of the vile eating habits of the English are responsible for the current Australian backlash. As Sydney has access to some fantastic home grown wines also, I'm not surprised to see that you're patting yourselves on the backs over your recent graduation from meat pie and lager.:)

When so few people have had a good paella, or have enjoyed the finest products from the Murcian Huerta in a to-die-for potaje I find it extraordinary that so many folks are leap-frogging all these rare and remarkable delights in dogged pursuit of El Bulli style innovation.

So yes, as far as I'm concerned, I have had it all.

Here's a classic example - Ukai Toriyama with menus from £20 (4,000yen)

hear hear... ^

Thanks! :p I really should find the corresponding thread for each city for each trip I take but this is a shorthand step before that. ;)

Hard to say flawless: one can always find something.

I'd say that of my top experiences in 50 years of dining
a couple have been on your fair island:

Grange, Cheong Liew's place in the Hilton Adelaide, the
first time I was there;

Tetsuya's, in some other city; but this was flawed - as
with many of my near-perfect meals, there was the
issue of a stale oyster (replacement free of course, but
the bad taste lingers in one's mouth).

In the USA, TFL was of course remarkable; the only
flaw was the nearly $500pp tab (we had some nice wines).

These places had pleasant, sometimes innovative settings;
I've never had anything close to a great meal at a "view"
restaurant.

LOL,

That's "exactly" what I was thinking.

Sort of what one might do when they are RFB4 at a casino.

I've had a few late night room service experiences that have come close to ordering every appetizer on the room service menu. But, only at casino hotels.....

Dinner with someone who has it all...