Prime

Grill Room at GPO

By Franz Scheurer

Deep in the bowels of the historic Sydney GPO building you will find Prime. An interesting mix of utilitarian industrialism with exposed air-conditioning ducts and walls of convict sandstone boulders, superb classic glassware meets cutting edge designer steak knifes and old-fashioned wooden pepper mills. A good selection of light entrées leave enough room for the blokey red-meat-heavy main course fare, with a very extensive wine list full of blokey full bodied reds to match. This is a carnivores’ refuge and the food is excellent, well-presented and reasonable value for money. Light levels are low, chairs are comfortable and, due to the fact that there is very marginal mobile phone service, you can be assured of an uninterrupted meal. The “Braised Beef Cheeks with Bone Marrow, Shallots, Lardons and Potato Purée” turned out to be the outstanding main course, only overshadowed by the desserts. The “Bitter Valrhona Chocolate Tart with a Vanilla and Orange Ice Cream” a bitter-sweet rhapsody, the “Apple Pie with Calvados Sabayon and a Green Apple Sorbet” inventive and a great combination of hot and cold, creamy and crunchy. The “Steamed Orange Brioche with Caramelised Pear and Vanilla Ice Cream” superbly presented and living up to its good looks. There is a good selection of wines by the glass and any wine list that offers Wendouree Muscat of Alexandria as one of the dessert wines has my full attention. Service, however, is disinterested, slow and inattentive. Although the restaurant was almost empty we waited for 45 minutes for our main courses to arrive. For a CBD lunch spot this is simply too slow.

Score: 5/10

For more information or bookings:

Prime Grill Room at GPO

No 1 Martin Place

Sydney NSW 2000

Tel.: 02 9229 7777