The Rocks and Circular Quay Restaurants, Sydney

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La Renaissance is a heavenly bakery/cafe that is nestled in the Rocks. It specializes in French desserts and pastry. The display case is full of tantalizing pastry, cakes and desserts in a rainbow of colors, shapes and sizes. Some of the pastry was so artfully decorated it seemed a sin to eat them and not frame them. They also make the most incredible Macarons that rival those found in Paris. They come in assorted flavors; my favorites are the salted caramel and the Rose. They're sild individually and can be boxed up for take home or as gifts.

The shop itself is quite small with a simple counter and large display case. In the back is a nice courtyard with tables to sit and enjoy your treats. Chris and I enjoyed many a dessert while relaxing in this lovely little courtyard.

If you are a lover of sweet treats and desserts this is the place to forget the calorie count and indulge in something sinful yet heavenly.

Favorite Dish: I am an admitted Crème Brulee addict. Several times during our trips we have come here and I indulged in their excellent Crème Brulee. It is served in a small round Ramekin with the perfect amount of carmelized sugar on top. The custard was perfectly cooked and creamy smooth. Chris has enjoyed the Meringue and The Raspberry Sponge Cake.

The macarons are incredible and we often stop here for some to take home or to nibble during our day. The Salted caramela nd rose are my favorites.

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The Heritage Belgian Bier Cafe is one of my favorite places in the Rocks to grab a meal. I love the atmosphere, the food and the wonderful selection of Belgian Beer.

The restaurant is a large space with high ceilings that give it an airy feel even when the place is jam packed for the dinner rush. Several dining areas with booths and tables are spread throughout so you don't feal as if you a crammed together with other diners. The bar area is always a lively spot with plenty of bar stools to accomodate thirsty patrons.

The menu has a wonderful selection of food especially Mussels prepared in several ways. Of course I love my mussels and always order them when I'm here; they are so delicious. My Husband is a fan of their Kangaroo loin which I will pass on since I love those furry creatures. The South Australian Squid is a favorite appetizer of ours; crispy with a lime aioli dipping sauce.

If you are a Belgian Beer lover as I am; you will love this place. They have an incredible selection and I can always find some of my favorites: Leffe Blonde, Stella Artois, La Guillotine, Chimay, Orval and Titje. Pair one of these with their mussels and perfection is assured.

Our last visit to the Bier Cafe was for lunch. We decided to take advantage of their lunch specials that came with a pitcher of Stella Artois for each entree. I ordered the Mussels a l'Escargot; which are my favorite. The mussels are served on the half shell; grilled with butter and garlic. The sauce is so incredible that I always dip my frites into it. My husband chose his favorite: Chargrilled Kangaroo Loin. We started with an appetizer of their crispy South Australian Squid which is incredibly good and cooked to perfection.

The food here is always delicious and the service is always very friendly. I always look forward to enjoying a meal here either with my hubby or with some of our Sydney friends. It's always a great time.

**Booking are a good idea especially for dinner; this is a popular spot.**

Favorite Dish: Mussels a l'Escargot are my all time favorite here. The mussels themselves are so sweet. The butter and garlic sauce is divine especially when dipping some bread or a frite. I often have to fight off my husband from eating all the sauce from my mussels.

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After reading a review of this restaurant; my husband and I decided to check it out for ourselves. After a walk in the Rocks we wandered over to the restaurant to take a look at the posted menu. Both of us liked what we saw; especially their pasta night on Wednesdays for $28 per person. We decided to come back on Wednesday for a nice dinner.

We arrived about a half hour after dinner service began and inquired about a table. Despite our lack of reservation the hostess found us a lovely table for two on their outdoor patio with wonderful harbour views. It too me some time to decide on an entree; everything sounded so delicious. As I mulled over my choices we decided on a bottle of Tasmanian Sauvignon Blanc for the table. As one of the waiters arrived with our wine ; I was ready to order. I chose the gnocchi in a brown butter sage sauce with pignoli nuts..Yum! Hubby chose the gnocchi as well but with a mushroom sauce.

Our waitress brought over warm bread and butter for us to snack on while we waited for our entrees. The bread was warm and fresh; the butter was sweet and creamy melting on the bread (God I love bread). I was very happy with our wine selection; it was crisp and delicious.
As we sat at the table we watched the sun set in the sky with some incredible colors and the moon rise white and gloqing over the harbour. Wow...the view was spectacular and definitely set the romantic tone.

I was so busy enjoying the view that I barely noticed the arrival of our pasta. From the first bite I was in love with my meal. The gnocchi were so fresh and tender; perfect little pillows in a delicous sauce. I'm rather picky when it comes to my pasta; gnocchi in particular and these were divine. The sauce was perfect; smooth, creamy and seasoned just right. The added crunch and nuttiness of the pignoli finished off the dish spendidly. Hubby loved his gnocchi as well; fully enjoying the mushrooms (a favorite of his).

After such an incredible meal; there was no room for dessert sadly. We left fully satisfied and happy with the food, service and overall ambience of the restaurant.

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Pancake at the Rocks is located in the hear of Rock Precinct. Perfect choice for an afternoon tea after taking a walk around the rocks, circular quay and Sydney Central Business District. This is widely recommended as must try restaurant in Sydney

Their pancakes are awesome! It was a variety of different toppings and fillings. From vanilla, chocolates, strawberry to unknown flavor - to banana and apple and so many fruit flavouring - to ice cream toppings. There were several name of pancakes which I never heard of. They put plenty of different toppings which I believe they are know for. But these pancakes are absolutely fantastic.

They also serve famous tender beef steaks, also guaranteed one of the best steaks in the area.

But that afternoon, we have to fall in line and wait for our turn for there were plenty of customers. I don't know if they accept reservations but the place was I think small enough to accommodate such number of customers. We waited I think almost half an hour or more until we finally got a seat. That's how busy the restaurant is.

Favorite Dish: Several options of delicious pancakes. It was perfectly baked and guaranteed "delicioso"! Choose either strawberry filled or chocolate chestnuts toppings which are one of the best sellers.

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Get a feel for part of Sydney's history in The Rocks, where the first white settlement was. The Gumnut Tea Garden is in one of the small historic convict-built sandstone cottages with cosy rooms and a very nice outdoor courtyard. Once you're inside or in the garden you feel as though you're in a little village in the countryside, not in the centre of a bustling city.

It's a great place for breakfast. Coffee is good, service can be excellent or non-existant!

Open from 8am to 5pm Saturday through Tuesday, until 9pm Wednesday to Friday. Live jazz Friday evening & Sunday afternoon.

Favorite Dish: They do a particularly good breakfast of scrambled eggs with smoked salmon.

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The Vintage Cafe on The Rocks is a cute little place tucked away in one of the narrow old alleyways in The Rocks. Open for breakfast and light lunches, from 8.30am to about 3pm.

You're in the oldest part of the city, away from the traffic in a real oasis of relaxation.

Favorite Dish: They prepare a superb scrambled eggs with smoked salmon breakfast. The coffee is also excellent, so it's a great way to ease yourself into the day!

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Italian Village is a restaurant I would have usually walked right by. Liz had read a review of the restaurant and liked the look of a particular item on the menu. We decide to go on a Wednesday night which was their Pasta Special Night. For $28 a person you can select a pasta dish from their pasta menu; what a bargain. We didn't have a reservation but they were able to seat us at a nice outdoor table for two with incredible views of the bridge and Opera House.

We were handed the menu and wine list to look over. We decide to order a Bottle of Tasmanian Sauvignon Blanc to accompany our meal. Liz decided to try the gnocchi with brown butter sauce, sage and pignoli nuts. I decided on the gnocchi with mushrooms.

The head water brought our wine and some water to the table. The wine was excellent; nice and crisp. The waitress brought fresh warm bread with herbed butter to the table. The butter was incredible on the fresh warm bread. Shortly after our pasta arrived to the table. Wow! It was incredibly good and fresh. Liz was in heaven with her pasta and declared it the best gnocchi dish she had had in Sydney.

We had an excellent time here enjoying our meal, drinking wine and watching the sunset over the harbor. The views here are spectacular and perfect for a romantic dinner. I was happy that we came here and enjoyed such a wonderful meal in a beautiful setting.

Favorite Dish: The gnocchi with mushrooms was excellent. The pasta was very fresh and the sauce was very creamy. The gnocchi were light; not heavy and perfectly cooked. The mushrooms were flavorful and delicious. The bread was very good, warm, crunchy yet soft. The herb butter was perfect to melt on the bread.

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Wow! This place was incredible; one of my favorites in Sydney. Liz found this place on line before we came to Sydney. She read that the owners of our favorite patisserie La Renaissance had opened a restaurant. The restaurant is located in the Rocks on George Street. There is an outdoor patio to enjoy drinks and food as well as a large dining room inside.

The food here is French Bistro style. The menu has a long list of appetizers, salads, beef, fish, chicken, lamb and pork. There are also daily specials written on a blackboard in the main dining room. It is very hard to choose an entree since everything looks incredible.

We didn't make a reservation but it was no problem for the hostess to get us a nice table for two. Our waitress handed us menus and we ordered some drinks. I had a beer and Liz ordered a Bellini. Fresh bread with olive oil was brought to the table and we placed our order. Liz chose the beef tenderloin in a peppercorn sauce and I ordered the comfit of lamb with pomme frites. The service was attentive yet not overbearing and our food came to the table quickly and very hot. From the first bite it was "WOW". The lamb was excellent and seasoned perfectly. The pomme frites were crispy with a nice touch of sea salt. Liz loved her tenderloin. It was a nice pink medium just the way she likes it and the sauce was very nice (I dipped several of my frites in the sauce).

The meal was very filling and unfortunately there was no room for dessert; we instead decided for take some of their delicious macaroons home with us. We picked some strawberry, Jasmine and Rose macaroons.

This was an incredible meal with terrific service. I will definitely return here again for a meal.