Sydneysiders, I know what’s on your mind when you book into The Gidley’s moody bar area. You want that superlative signature burger. You know, the one with such a strong cult following that the popular steakhouse sells around 500 of them each week.
That winning combination hasn’t changed over the years. A classic bun with two premium beef patties, cheddar and a pickle with optional bacon and egg. Unquestionably, it’s one of the best restaurant burgers in Sydney.
Problem is, sometimes it’s fairly hard to get into The Gidley. The opulent steakhouse from Liquid & Larder is still one of the most popular restaurants in the CBD.
But now, you can actually get The Gidley burger at the hospitality group’s excellent and highly underrated bar-turned-restaurant The Rover.
The Rover is located pretty much opposite Pellegrino 2000, which has recently made waves for being the only Sydney restaurant Taylor Swift has dined at on her current Eras tour.
And it’s easily one of my favourite restaurants in Sydney. While Liquid & Larger are known for their meat-centric venues like The Gidley, Alfie’s and Bistecca, The Rover focuses on seafood and reminds me more of somewhere like Maison Premiere in Brooklyn. You’ve still got world-class cocktails and a nice, tight wine list, but the seafood bistro-style dishes here are consistently delicious.
Aside from introducing The Gidley burger as a way to sandwich a few more meat dishes onto the menu, The Rover has introduced a permanent happy hour (4 PM – 6 PM) and has gone through a little redesign. On my last visit, the downstairs bar was kept casual while the upstairs dining room was more like a typical restaurant. Now it functions as one united whole, with the same food and drink menus available on both levels.
I’m glad the eel pate with horseradish jelly and glazed crumpets is staying on The Rover’s new menu, as well as the signature Fisherman’s Pie with smoked trout and potato gratin. But now there are other dishes like cured sardines with tapenade and bread, market fish fillet with rainbow chard and clams, and pork neck with apple and salsa verde.
75 Campbell St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
(02) 9000 7544
liquidandlarder.com.au
