The excuse was a birthday dinner and the destination was somewhere worthy of a fine celebration. We dined on the same week Pier Restaurant at Rose Bay announced that it would hand back its SMH Good Food Guide 3 hat status as the times were changing. This meant that Bilson’s was the only 3 hatter standing tall, and yet to be eaten between. Not for long.

Bilson’s is actually a part of the Radisson Hotel just to the side of the check in desk in the lobby. Pushing aside the heavy glass door, you notice the walls adorned with many awards just like a very well qualified dentist. The rectangular dining room itself possesses a feeling of restraint: expansive square tables, white tablecloths (of course) and artworks dotted along the walls. It was clear that without a harbour view or funky fit-out that it’s all about the food. We buckled up opting for the ‘Fine Bouche’ degustation offering 8 course with Amuse Bouche, Pre-dessert, Petit fours, Tea / Coffee at $165 pp. Ticking the box for matching wines (+$95 pp) continued the splurge without even picking up a fork. At least the Entertainment Book discount applies here if you have one.

Amuse Bouche

The amuse was a vichyssoise cold soup made out of potatoes and topped with a crunchy lotus root chip which lifted the otherwise plain starter.

Freshwater Crayfish Remoulade with Caviar Dressing and Citrus Meringue

The next course was kind of forgettable as well probably because everything tasted a bit too delicate and polite. Noted a bit of shell within the crayfish flesh but I decided to let that one slide in the interests of being discreet. Shelling crustaceans is hard work after all.

Tartar of Black Angus and Cuttlefish, Ink Mayonnaise and Mustard Ice Cream

A steak tartar is not a course you’d normally associate early into service. I’ve only had tartar once before and the immediate difference with this one is that its less meaty and has more gherkin filler (perhaps to keep it lighter). Flavour wise, I thought the steak and mustard pairing is a good concept. Within the mustard ice cream, there were unidentifiable crunchy bits within almost like ice crystals which distracted from the smooth cream.

Roasted Scallops, Petit Salé of Puy Lentils and Foie Gras Vinaigrette

As a massive scallop addict, the excitement could not be contained when this little number was presented. Digging in, the scallop was disappointingly soft lacking the seared crispness that pan frying gives. As the hero of this dish, the secondary elements of lentils were never going to save the dish if the main act didn’t perform.

Hiramasa Kingfish with Braised Octopus, Cauliflower and Black Olives

My fellow dining partner put it bluntly and said the capsicum and olives gave it a pizza topping like taste discounting the feel of the dish. The fish itself was a tad underwhelming without the crispy skin layer, however the moist flesh was forgiving.

Roasted Partridge with Borscht Braised Red Cabbage, Glazed Carrots and Rocket Pesto

I was surprised that the journey so far has been a bit ho-hum, nothing bad but nothing spectacular either. At this stage, both of us were looking for the turning point, and it starts from here. The partridge was cooked perfectly, juicy, full of robust flavours and devoid of any gamey meat taste. The braised beetroot was the perfect complement, though I might be just saying that as a fan of the old red root vegie.

Angus Beef Tenderloin ‘Façon Niçoise’

This was my favourite savoury dish of the night but what a shame it had come at the end of the service! As a steak man I had a warm and fuzzy feeling with this one. The aromas immediately wafted into my nose telling me to dig in. And so I did, with pleasure: Great punchy flavours with sweet caramelised onion, briny anchovy and succulent tenderloin was almost bliss but the serving size and proportion was spot on to keep it in check with reality.

Petit Sucre

Most palate cleansers I’ve sampled to date have been some form of a granita or sorbet served in a shot glass. Almost feels like an afterthought at times. So it was very pleasing to see some thought put into an overlooked course. The ‘Petit Sucre’ course comprised of a lovely basil ice cream which was well balanced in aromatics and sweetness without being too heavy. A crumble base added a bit of bite but the real surprise was the shavings of carrot. Whilst it might sound agricultural to rave on about carrot, its inclusion provided a pleasing slippery yet crunchy texture making this little dish a winner.

‘Eve’s Platter’

The first dessert of two was the oddly titled ‘Eve’s Platter’ drawing inspiration from the story of Adam & Eve and the Forbidden Fruit tree. Well if eating the Forbidden Fruit was far more seductive to Eve than living a perfect life in harmony with God, then this dessert is the version for mere mortals. The multiple elements of apple, Calvados ice cream and caramel mascarpone combined with perfect harmony making this dessert a real highlight.

Autour Du Chocolat

With Eve’s Platter being all things Apple, then the final dessert of Autour Du Chocolat is all things Chocolate. And without factorising the term ‘Chocolate’, on a single plate there was Chocolate jelly, chocolate ice cream, chocolate sauce, white chocolate cream, chocolate brittle, chocolate biscuit crumble and a chocolate mousse-like cake (with a superb wafer-like base).  Sounds like a heavyweight on paper, but quite the opposite in real life: delicate, picture pretty and tasting every bit as good as it looks.

Petit Fours

Stomachs content, the light petit fours of financiers and chewy macaroons over coffee was probably just what the restraint doctor ordered to finish off the evening. The overall experience was enjoyable as it should be: service was friendly with patrons and waiters explaining each dish in a meticulous fashion, especially the matching wines. I’m always interested to learn more about the thought processes behind wine selection, sometimes more so than the wine itself.

There’s alot of recent talk about the value of the SMH hat system adds and I have no doubt it can inflate diners expectations unduly, especially Bilson’s or any other hatted institution. The first few courses comprising mainly of seafood weren’t bad, just not particularly memorable. But deep down you expect it to be all knock outs. A strong finish compensated things quickly and that to me can really make or break the experience at this level. So all in all, it was great to leave on a high, wherever your expectation platform was set to begin with.

Verdict

Food = 15.5/20
Service = 8.5/10
Ambience = 8.5/10
Value = 7.5/10

Overall = 40/50

Bilson’s Restaurant
27 O’Connell St
Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 8214 0496