LOT.1, Wynyard

We’ve walked past LOT.1 many times since it opened up – with its dramatic, backlit wooden decor visible from the street through their large windows and we’ve been pretty keen to try it out. So when we saw a deal for it pop up on Ouffer, we jumped on it – and we were very impressed by our experience there.

Inside, the fitout is very stylish, with art deco touches (we especially liked the golden bar carts carrying all the glassware) and banquette seating down length of the space. The service is quite attentive, which is expected with the premium price point of their menu. Fortunately for us, the Ouffer voucher entitled us to choose any 5 dishes from their menu (excluding a couple of their pricier options) and even threw in a cocktail each for us. I went for the Clover Club cocktail which was a refreshing blend of lemon and raspberry on a gin base, while the boy went for the stronger 50-50 Sazerac cocktail which mixed in rye, cognac, absinthe and Angostura bitters, which he loved.

Clover Club and 50-50 Sazerac, $18 each

The menu at LOT.1 is designed to share and is grouped in sections corresponding to the size of the share plate. With 5 dishes to play with, we went for 2 of the smaller share plates, 2 from the medium plates (mostly pastas) and one from the substantial plates section and found that was definitely enough food for us. First up were the perfectly Seared Scallops with an addictive oyster puree, paired with some chunks of tart grapefruit and a few tendrils of native ice plant (quite a chewy green – similar texture to an aloe vera leaf). There were also a couple of shards of crispy fish skin, which were great for the crunch factor.

Scallops, $34

Next, we had the Vitello Tonnato with Raw Yellow Fin Tuna, which featured slivers of fresh tuna sashimi and slices of chilled, sliced veal, flavoured with a creamy mayonnaise and horseradish, with plump capers thrown in for some zing.

Vitello Tonnato, $36

From the pastas on the menu, we enjoyed the Taglierini with Slow Cooked Duck which was tender and the jus coating the pasta was quite flavoursome, combining to create quite a hearty dish. The other pasta we got was the more luxe Squid Ink Gnochetti with Moreton Bay Bug and Bottarga cured fish roe. It might look a bit intimidating with the black squid ink in the pillowy gnochetti but thankfully we didn’t end up with black teeth from eating it as the squid ink had been cooked into the gnochetti rather than just coating it like in some other restaurants. The Moreton Bay Bug was juicy and quite a generous serving considering the portion of pasta it accompanied.

Taglierini with Slow Cooked Duck, $34

Squid Ink Gnochetti with Moreton Bay Bug and Bottarga, $44

Our final dish was the Black Angus Tenderloin, which featured a couple of medallions of tender meat rolled in a thin dusting of leek ash and served with a dollop of chestnut mushroom sauce and a sprinkling of fresh hazelnuts. It was a nice way to end the meal with something more substantial and well-executed.

Black Angus Tenderloin (200g), $65

All in all, we really enjoyed our dinner at LOT.1 – the decor is chic and classy, the food is beautifully presented and the flavours are all spot on, with gourmet ingredients which fit the fine dining audience that they are targeting.  The usual price point of this restaurant makes it a special occasion kind of place, but if you’re lucky enough to scoop up a voucher to try it like we did, then it is definitely value for money.

LOT.1 Sydney
18/20 York Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: (02) 9279 3555