Aria Sydney is back with a vengeance; debuts new spring menu with chef Thomas Gorringe

Now that Sydney’s most reliable restaurants are starting to open back to up to fully vaxxed patrons, we’re beginning to see some of the city’s finest establishments reveal new seasonal menus across the board. One of the best we’ve seen so far has been the new spring menu at Matt Moran’s long-standing Aria, with exec. chef Thomas Gorringe continuing the restaurant’s solid legacy of supporting Australian producers and suppliers.

Given we’re big fans of what Gorringe was bringing to the table at Pier One’s The Gantry, we’re excited to see how his first new menu at Aria works in the legendary space.

“I’m honoured to be joining the Aria team and debuting our new spring menu,” says Thomas. “We are privileged to be working with some of Australia’s greatest producers and suppliers, and this menu is a celebration of that. Matt and I share a passion for the land and our endemic ingredients and I think that is definitely something you can taste on the plate – from beautiful Aussie mangoes and mulberries to coral trout, Murray cod, and kangaroo, it’s a taste of the land.”

While no single restaurant should ever be congratulated for celebrating local produce (it should be standard in the industry by now), Gorringe has put together something very exciting for Aria’s return to operation. New highlights include white asparagus with jersey milk, sorrel & buckwheat; glazed maremma duck, salsify, nectarines & chicory; steamed Murray cod, charred eggplant, baby corn & anchovy; torched bonito with Tasmanian wasabi, green strawberries & kombu; Moreton bay bug with tamarind xo, macadamia & sugar loaf cabbage; lightly cured paroo kangaroo, beetroot, mulberries & juniper; and mango, elderflower, white chocolate & coconut for dessert.

Of course, one of the best things about the new menu is that Aria still has its award-winning wine list to offer alongside all that food. The list, one of the most widely acclaimed in the country, showcases smaller Australian winemakers and focuses on drops that envoke a sense of place and are well-connected to the unique terroirs found throughout the country.

Check out some other spots you should be booking now that restaurants are opening back up here.

ariasydney.com.au

Image by Steven Woodburn.

Chris Singh

Chris Singh is an Editor-At-Large at the AU review, loves writing about travel and hospitality, and is partial to a perfectly textured octopus. You can reach him on Instagram: @chrisdsingh.