Doltone House Hyde Park, Sydney CBD

Even though Doltone House is conveniently located next to Hyde Park in the middle of the Sydney CBD, it was no easy feat (for me at least) to get there. Gaining entry into Doltone House was somewhat like finding Wonderland:

• First I was stymied yet again by GoogleMaps, which for some unknown reason had directed me the other side of the block on Castlereagh Street,
• Whilst walking around the block to the correct side (on Elizabeth Street), I walked past the bride & groom escaping for pre-wedding photos in Hyde Park,
• Eventually faced an inconspicuous black door that was locked from the outside, only to be let in by one of the photographers who was coincidentally just coming out of the building,
• Met the father of the bride in the lift on the way up to the ballrooms where the wedding ceremony and reception would be held,
• Only to be gobsmacked impressed by the opulent, dark decor of the venue with a massive crystal chandelier hanging off the ceiling and down the grand stairwell

Main Ballroom

Bar

Aisle for Wedding Ceremony
(loved the floral arrangements and the archway)

Alas, this is yet another indoor venue with insufficient seating so majority of the wedding guests end up standing and of course, there are the odd couple that hog a seat and play on their smart phones whilst the elderly, parents with young kids, and even the odd pregnant lady are left in the lurch. However, all this is shortly forgotten once the ceremony begins and the groom's family threaten to take over the floor (much to the amusement of everyone) by taking non-stop photos practically in the faces of the bridal party, even after the bride has walked down the aisle to the groom, all other seated guests have sat down, and the celebrant has started their speech...

Whilst waiting for the main reception, we were treated to macarons, (unexpectedly) savoury choux pastries, and a few other miscellaneous canapes:

Canapes

As I was sitting next to a friend on a pregnancy diet (i.e. no raw meat, dairy, seafood...), I ended up being able to take pictures of an additional set of dishes so please excuse the excessive food porn pictures.

Herb Rolled Lamb Back Strap with Persian Feta, Pea,
Mint and Fresh Pomegranate

Salad of Alaskan Crab, Green Papaya, Crisp Shallot,
Asian Herbs, Betal Leaf and Nam Jim Dressing

Penne Pasta with Vegetarian Bolognese Sauce

I was originally served the lamb, which was cooked evenly medium rare - a little too under-cooked for my liking so I swapped it for the Alaskan crab salad. The salad was cool and refreshing, well balanced with the sweet and sour dressing that had an unexpected chilli kick. Based on feedback from the table, my swap was a good choice as it was the better of the two options. Unfortunately, the pregnancy diet led to the same penne pasta from the kids menu - this did not bode well for my friend but fortunately luck was on her side.

Salmon with Braised Baby Fennel, Crisp Eschalot
and Chive Salad, Apple Balsamic

Beef Rib Eye with Potato Gratin, Roasted Mushroom,
Turnip and Red Sorrel

Beef Brisket with Roast/Steamed Vegetables

This time round, the pregnancy diet deviated from the kids menu of chicken schnitzel and chips and my friend was served with a large portion of braised beef brisket and mixed vegetables. I was personally served the salmon fillet, which was cooked perfectly even throughout - it must have either been steamed at low temperature or cooked by sous vide to achieve this... but to make a large enough batch for a wedding function!? *mind blown* The light salad of herbs and apple balsamic was a great accompaniment to highlight the freshness of the salmon. The beef rib eye looked mouth-watering but alas was cooked to medium-well done and apparently lacked seasoning.

Apple Crumble Parfait - Granny Smith Apple Parfait,
Butter Crumble, Dark Chocolate, Glazed with
Apple-Green White Chocolate Mirror on Shortcrust Pastry

Salted Caramel Popcorn Log served on Riz Soufflé,
Salted Caramel Mousse, Callebaut Caramel Milk
Chocolate Glaze and Caramelised Popcorn

Some Form of Berry Dessert...

I always imagined parfaits to be either a layered dessert, or somewhat similar to airy ice cream, but the Apple Crumble Parfait turned out to be a sweet gelatinous mousse sphere with an apple fruit core. Unfortunately, the parfait, as with the salted caramel popcorn log, was placed on a rock-solid biscuit base that I found difficult to break apart with the provided spoon (okay, I ended up stabbing it, at great risk to the plate). The waiter guessed that the last dessert was meant to be some form of strawberry, chocolate cake but it was more of a mousse with no cake.

Table Setting

Overall, the execution and presentation of the food was great but gradually lost its appeal when you actually ate it. This was a pity, given the interior decor practically screamed class and the service was impeccable. *sigh* Guess you can't have it all.


Food: ✰✰✰
Service: ✰✰✰✰
Atmosphere: ✰✰✰✰
Overall: ✰✰✰ 1/2
Summary: Convenient wedding venue filled with old-world luxury