13/04/2026
There's a very specific kind of Sydney restaurant that's been around long enough to no longer have to prove anything. Ester is that restaurant, except it still does. Every time.
Mat Lindsay opened what is arguably Sydney’s most Sydney restaurant in 2013 with a woodfired oven, lots of ideas, and an almost aggressive lack of fuss. Gourmet Traveller Chef of the Year in 2018. Tatler Asia-Pacific Top 100 in 2026. A decade-plus of loyal regulars, off-duty chefs eating at the bar, and probably the restaurant with the highest foodie hit rate I’ve ever experienced. It’s outlasted bullsh*t trends, entire culinary eras, and entire restaurant empires that have opened and closed in the time Ester’s been around. It helps that Ester doesn’t follow these trends - or anyone else for that matter - allowing it to develop its very own sense of identity. Having said that, I would certainly like it to be the poster child for ‘Modern Australian’, if we could ever designate an elusive archetype.
This visit - my first in a year - continues to make the case that Ester is one of the GOATs. There wasn’t a single dish I didn’t like and everything was ✅level or above. If I had to be picky, it’s that the food here is quite rich - also part of its style - and you will definitely feel the sluggishness set in by the halfway mark. I think it is possible that an excellent restaurant isn’t necessarily one that you can visit every other day. But when you do…oh my gosh.
So yes, perhaps the returns diminish quickly, but those first few bites of, say, the retired dairy cow? Or any other dish on the menu? Far out, these are the bites that continue to convince me that going out to eat is worth it. What more could you want?
Thirteen years in and still singular. Still inimitable.
Fermented potato bread, kefir, trout roe ✅✅
Scallop, uni & lardo toast ✅
Beetroot tarte tartin, bagna carda ✅
Duck dumplings, smoky broth, yoghurt ✅
Twice cooked eggplant, smoked chestnut shrooms, bunny nut ✅
Native jerk pork neck, jimmy nardello pepper, hot mustard ✅
Dry-aged ex-dairy cow on the bone sirloin, smoked whey ✅✅
Visited March 15 2026. 7+ visits. $140pp
