Bennelong's New Era: Meet the Chef Who's Led Sydney's Most Iconic Restaurant for 11 Years

Rob Cockerill has taken the helm at Bennelong — the celebrated fine-dining room nestled inside the sails of the Sydney Opera House — after more than a decade in its kitchen.

Cockerill spent over 20 years working alongside renowned chef Peter Gilmore and 11 years at Bennelong itself, even helping to design the kitchen. Gilmore has since moved to Tasmania. His first menu signals a chef who understands that a fresh chapter doesn't require tearing up the story.

The essentials remain intact: outstanding Australian produce, handled with precision to create genuinely delicious plates.

The dining room is among Sydney's finest — dramatic concrete beams supporting the Opera House sails, warm glass-bulb lighting, Harbour Bridge views and a genuinely welcoming atmosphere.

The evening begins with a Bennelong Negroni and elegant canapés: a delicate pea-and-caviar tart, bresaola with radicchio and panisse, and Sydney rock oysters with lemon-pepper granita.

Entrées include a refined mud-crab dumpling with brown butter and flowering kale, North Queensland coral trout with braised leek and bergamot, and a salad of persimmon, golden beetroot, goat's feta and hazelnuts.

Mains let the produce take centre stage: Aquna Murray cod, Gundagai lamb with pickled artichoke, a chestnut-and-ricotta raviolo — and the pure-bred black Angus with kombu, horseradish and maitake mushrooms.

For dessert, a pistachio choux with greengage plum sherbet, or a sour-cherry, dark-chocolate and almond creation shaped like a glossy cherry.

What stands out most is what hasn't changed. Cockerill's task is to evolve Bennelong without losing its soul — and on this first tasting, he's off to an excellent start.

It's a special-occasion splurge, but there's an insider tip: the 'Bennelong In 45 Minutes' experience costs $50 per person and includes three bar snacks and a signature cocktail with harbour views from the Bennelong Bar — perfect before or after a show at the Opera House.

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