Civic Hotel, cnr Goulburn and Pitt streets, Sydney City
Civic Dining
Address: Civic Hotel, cnr Goulburn and Pitt streets, Sydney City
Website: www.civichotel.com.au
High-point: Chocolate baklava
Low-point: Unconvincing service, unisex bathrooms
Peter Conistis is a chef renowned throughout Sydney. He has steadily built up a reputation for creating traditional Greek cuisine with understated flair, harnessing some of the best produce and re-inventing the Mediterranean wheel.
His latest venture, Civic Dining, is the subject of my critique and on a sticky Thursday evening, I arrive with my equally famished cohort who had similarly high expectations.
While waiting for our starters, we take the time to absorb the surroundings and digest a makeover that’s captured an earthy, undemanding feel.
The room has been transformed with a pared back, minimalist design reflective of the kitchen’s traditional, rustic approach to cooking.
Dark wooden panels feature heavily against the restorative ivory hues of the corrugated iron roof, but it’s a portrait of Paul Capsis, of Rocky Horror Picture Show fame, that emerges as the real focal point.
Another striking aspect of the surrounds is the views which, dependent upon where the diner is seated, are in stark contrast.
My dining companion gazes out over tree-tops and a CBD hotel while I’m reminded of the commercialisation that’s transpired over time, with harsh neon signs illuminating from the complex opposite.
History aside, our entrees have arrived.
As the signature dish, the moussaka of eggplant, scallops and taramasalata is well-deserving of its much-lauded title, and is washed down well with the suggested Tasmanian pinot noir.
The submerged scallops are fresh, plump and seemingly dissolve between my teeth, more than sufficiently offsetting the bitterness of the eggplant.
With a glass of Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc firmly planted in hand, I ask my cohort what their first impressions are of the tuna kibbeh nayeh, of which I’m instructed to sample.
The tuna has been moulded into a faultless circle and is served with horseradish tzatziki and nigella flatbread.
For mains, we’re banking on the caramelised king prawns with pumpkin orzo, Kalamata olives, roast chilli and mint, and twice cooked sumac crusted Thirlmere chicken, with berber style lentil tagine and coriander yoghurt sauce to match the class of their predecessors, plus a bowl of Greek fries on the side.
The prawns are aplenty and delicious.
The chicken skin is crisp and traditionally seasoned with sumac. The lentils it rests upon are a welcome addition to the standard cous cous, and emerge as the star of the dish.
With just enough space reserved for dessert, the chocolate baklava is without question the highlight of all three courses – this intriguing twist on the original is music to our collective palettes.
The Mastic pannacotta, with strawberries in Muscat jelly and biscuit also hits the spot, although it possesses less of the pizzazz of the baklava; the jelly is bitter on top of a thick pannacotta poured into a cup-size glass.
The accompanying wafer, however, is another sweet highlight and the buttery flavour a treat for the senses.
We’re the last to leave, but not before we fittingly round off the evening with a glass of New Zealand’s Marlborough region sauvignon blanc.
Overall, a very enjoyable dining experience – the Civic has the potential to develop into a formidable find among Sydney’s already saturated second-tier scene.
