Elevated above the modern Hilton Hotel lobby is a glasshouse of gastronomic delights. The talents of chef Luke Mangan and New York designer Tony Chi combine to create Glass Brasserie, a modern Australian restaurant with dramatic 13-metre floor to ceiling glass walls that capture a view of the Queen Victoria Building.
It is Friday night and the restaurant is packed to capacity with city professionals having tapas with their cocktails and slicing into their hearty steaks from the grill and more substantial mains that can be shared. The menu caters to a wide range of tastes from tapas share plates ($7 to $22), entrees ($24 to $36), regular mains ($29 to $42) and mains to be shared ($95 to $120).
We decide to splurge on the pan fried goose foie gras, scallop, quince, hazelnuts and spiced bread, beautifully paired with caramelised quince and crunchy hazelnuts. Two slivers of toasted gingerbread are the perfect canvas for this velvety sweet delight.
The double baked gruyere souffle, roasted pear, witlof, walnut and beetroot salad is a perfect winter entree, with its creamy warm centre and golden brown crust. A side salad of beetroot and musclun mix provides a nice contrast.
As we wait for our mains, we gaze around the elegant dining room with a dramatic wall of wine and open kitchen at one end, plating desserts and cheese platters at another. The soft glow from the modern chandeliers above cast a gentle warmth on the glass facade.
An interesting main that stands out is the pheasant breast with mint farce, cromesquis of leg, celeriac puree, witlof, white asparagus, sprout leaves and date sauce, served on a round wooden board, the trendy presentation mode these days. At Glass Brasserie, it is served two ways – one stuffed with soft herbs and roasted and the other, minced and deep fried, all pulled together with a creamy garlic puree. We like the caramelised witlof and deep fried brussel sprouts, which give the dish a bitter-sweet edge.
There are two fish dishes and we opt for the steamed jewfish with scampi-stuffed zucchini flowers, garlic puree and mushrooms. The sauteed oyster mushrooms with mushroom cream give a nice touch but the flavour of the fish is a little muddy.
After seeing the bombe alaska challenge of MasterChef, we decide to take a trip down memory lane and order the coconut rhubarb and lime bombe Alaska and it turns out to be a great choice. The rhubarb sauce provide a great counterpoint to the rich and creamy coconut ice cream, given an aromatic twist with a few slivers of thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves.
The churros, orange marmalade and chocolate sauce is a little disappointing, lacking the characteristic crunch of the popular Spanish speciality but the selection of chocolate, marmalade and vanilla cream is a nice variation on a theme.
If desserts aren’t your perfect end to a meal, there’s a wonderful array of French, Italian, American and Australian cheeses, assembled into a cheese plate right before your eyes.
So, dear readers, do you have a favourite restaurant in a hotel?
Glass Brasserie
Level 2, Hilton Hotel Sydney
488 George street,
Sydney, New South Wales
Tel: +612 9265 6040
OMG Everything looked amazing especially that cheese souffle
You dine so well and the food looks divine.
I’ve always enjoyed my meals at Glass and it looks like the plating has changed slightly to go with the trends!
Delicious choices and very nice looking place. I’d love to have some of that goose foie gras!
Wow! We’ve been meaning to go to Glass. We’ll be booking a table now after seeing all those amazing dishes.
Mmm, if only someone could Fed-Ex me that cheese souffle. If only! 😉
Stumbled upon your blog when I was googling bout Cameron Highlands. Love your photos and was totally hooked. Will definitely continue to support ur blog 😉
I’ve been meaning to come here, but I always managed to get sidetracked. The food looks truly lovely though.
The food looks delicious, a bit expensive, but again it’s in a hotel…so I guess it does make a difference…;).
Hi C & MSP! I start to think…. I really want your life!
You’ve been doing such a great restaurant review and I wish I’m eating all these delicious meals. 😉
Hi Maris, the cheese souffle was a nice dish in this current weather!
Hi Ching, I can assure you we don’t do this all the time!
Hi Lorraine, the menu is pretty extensive, it’s like reading a book with all the elaborate descriptions!
Hi Manu, that fois gras was pretty rich but delicious!
Hi Raff, they get pretty busy so booking is probably a great idea.
Hi Carolyn, I’m sure you can also whip up a pretty awesome souffle!
Hi YT, thanks for your kind words and you can also subcribe to our blog and get new posts in your email.
Hi Dumpling Girl, now I know you kinda get sidetracked around Crows Nest and the city
Hi Cooking gallery, agree the food is a little pricey and perhaps the name Luke Mangan has a premium on it too.
Hi Nami, I know you have also been having great meals too because of your beautiful recipes!
Glass is one of my favourite Sydney restaurants and I’ve recommended it to a lot of my friends. I haven’t had a single dish that you had though so I’d better make my way back there soon. The foie gras looks amazing!
oohh souffle/…. im trying to find a nice place to bring my bf, hes never had a souffle before..
Can you recommend me a place?
the best meal ive had at a hotel would be jbp .. omg celeraic soup… i tried to make an imitation last saturday.. will post about it soon..
x