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Nel restaurant is tucked away in the basement of an unassuming building on Wentworth Avenue in Surry Hills, not the most likely of places for a fine dining restaurant. But don’t let the location fool you.
This is seriously good food. Nelly Robinson will change the way you think about British food.
It’s a degustation only menu, which means you can settle in and enjoy the ride without agonising over what to choose. Dietary requirements are catered for as long as you let them know in advance.
At $110 for 9 courses, it’s great value.
The food is creative and fun and presented beautifully. Reading the menu, you form an idea in your mind of what each dish will look like. It’s never even close. There is a back story to every dish and if you’re lucky Nel himself will bring your food to the table and explain it to you.
Take charcoal pork for example, which pays homage to the first dinner Nel’s now wife cooked for him. Apparently her barbecuing skills leave something to be desired. Can you spot the pork ?
Despite appearances, the pork was succulent and tender.
Pea and ham is a tribute to Nel’s grandad as he used to always serve pea and ham soup when Nel came to visit. I’m pretty sure that grandad’s version looked and tasted nothing like this. It’s vibrant and full of punchy flavour.
Similarly, Lanchashire hotpot is nothing like what you’ve been served in an English pub.
Fish out of water is the only one we came even close to guessing. The fish is cooked perfectly and the “water” elevates the dish from good to great.
At the end of the 9 courses, we find we’ve still got room for dessert (just) and leave the restaurant comfortably full, vowing to come back.
75 Wentworth Avenue
Sydney, NSW, 2000
