This is a big commitment—amuse bouche, eight tasting plates then finished with tea, coffee and petits fours. But if you can spare the time (lunch was four hours) and the expense, it is well worth it. I can’t think of a better spot to while away an afternoon (or evening), overlooking Sydney Harbour, eating absolutely superb food.

The only downside is having to book well in advance. We booked five months in advance and still couldn’t get dinner booking, hence the long lunch instead. Thankfully, the tasting menu is the same for lunch and dinner. Here’s what we had:

Amuse bouche is the chef’s selection of a bite-size hors d’oeuvre—just a little something to whet the appetite. Ours was oyster cream, sustainable caviar and micro herbs.

Sashimi Hiramasa kingfish, pickled kohlrabi, octopus, nastursiums, white dashi jelly. This was a showstopper, not only beautifully presented (everything is at Quay), but with so many wonderful flavours.

Baby white heirloom cucumber gently braised in oyster and wakame juices, shaved black lipped abalone, oyster cream. I’d never eaten abalone before so wasn’t quite sure what to expect but the subtle seafood flavour with the crunch of cucumber was delicious.

Native freshwater marron, rose salt, organic pink turnips, jamon de bellota cream, oloroso caramel, green almonds, society garlic flowers. Yet another perfectly balanced dish with amazing flavours. I loved the crisp vegetables contrasted with the soft marron. Everything on the plate combined flawlessly.

Butter poached coturnix quail breast, pumpernickel, morel and ethical foie gras pudding, walnuts, quinoa, truffle custard, milk skin. I’m becoming a huge fan of quail and this one was tender and juicy. The dish was spectacular—so tasty—with the nuts and mushroom, like the essence of winter on the plate.

Slow braised Berkshire pig jowl, maltose crackling, prunes, cauliflower cream, perfumed with prune kernel oil. The pork was mouth-wateringly soft and savoury, beautifully complemented by the sweetness of the maltose crackling and prunes.

Glenloth squab breast, roasted cherries, banyuls, almond cream, bitter chocolate black pudding crumbs, tonka, beetroot chard. Yum, so rich and delicious! The squab was amazing! Words fail me it was so good—beyond description.

White nectarine snow egg. Pure perfection. Nectarines have such a lovely delicate flavour and the snow egg with its different components—ice cream, granita and nectarine fool—was too good to be true. Not too sweet and a great palate cleanser.

Preserved wild cherries, coconut cream, chuao chocolate crumble, cherry juice and chocolate sorbet. I’m not a massive cherry fan so I really thought this second dessert would be too much for me but I found it more chocolatey than fruity.

I particularly enjoy Peter Gilmore’s food philosophy “food inspired by nature”. Each dish is a work of art, not just in how it’s presented but how it tastes as well. There’s something to be said for using the best and freshest produce in innovative ways. We left thinking, yet again, that we simply have to come back.

Located at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay, the restaurant offers views that simply cannot be beaten…big tick for location. We booked four months in advance (just after the awards were announced) and had uninhibited views of the Opera House on one side and the Harbour Bridge on the other, which are both magnificent all lit up at night.

Quay offers either a four-course table d’hôte or eight-course degustation menu. Jim and I opted for the four-course dinner, which had several appetising choices for each course. We also requested that the sommelier choose a glass of wine to accompany each of our courses. Definitely not the most cost effective way to order wine, but totally worth it for what sipping the right wine adds to the overall dining experience.

I chose food that was, for me, quintessential winter fare:

• Salad of pink turnips and breakfast radishes, pickled beetroot, goats curd, blood sorrel, olive, pine resin, balsamico
  Wine: 2009 Foster e Rocco Sangiovese
• Butter poached partridge breast, chestnuts, truffle, bitter chocolate black pudding, milk skin, walnuts
  Wine: 2007 Principia Pinot Noir
• Poached milk fed Riverina veal, young spinach, kabu turnips, Tasmanian wasabi, morels
  Wine: 2007 Domaine Saint-François-Xavier G.S.M.
• Eight texture chocolate cake featuring Amedei Chocolate
  Wine: Mas Amiel ‘Prestige’ 15 Ans D’Age Maury

This meal was nothing short of amazing! Every mouthful better than the last and the sommelier’s selections were perfect.

For me, the stand-out course was the partridge. I’m not afraid to eat game meat but I’d never tried partridge before and this was definitely the place to do so. The breasts were perfectly pink and melted in my mouth. And the subtle gamey flavour of the bird was beautifully complemented by the chestnut puree—is there anything that captures the spirit of winter more than chestnuts?—which was rich, nutty and creamy. Mmmmm, heaven on a plate!

We loved eating at Quay so much that we hope to make it an annual affair…and definitely an affair to remember.