Review Paperbark - Sydney

I’m lactose intolerant and don’t love meat, so this place was so perfect for me! I enjoyed every bite. The staff were wonderful and took the time to explain where everything was from. I love how all of the elements on the plate were local and made with such love. Delicious!! And you know what else... it was quite affordable too! Thank you for this memorable experience. I can’t wait to introduce Paperbark to everyone I know ❤️🌱

Divine plant-based cuisine incorporating so many native ingredients - exquisite flavours! I requested no apple on a few dishes due to fructose and to my surprise they substituted ingredients at no extra charge! An opulent dining experience with wonderful service.

Seasonal feasting with family and friends can seem complicated to arrange when you have to accommodate a range of different dietary choices. Paperbark Restaurant can bust out an 8-course Degustation ($95/head) with Matching Wines ($65/head) that will please vegan and vegetarian eaters, with enough texture and flavour to make it interesting eating for meat-eating folk as well. Taking over the former digs of Allegra Dining, Paperbark is owned by Grace Watson and Joe Pagliaro, who own Verd, with head chef Taylor Cullen in the kitchen. The pair also have a new vegan sandwich bar in Kent Street called Joe’s Sandwich Bar, that uses the same Iggy’s sourdough you’ll be eating here against grassy green Alto Olive Oil. It's presented with a 2018 Valentine Riesling ($15/glass) from the Yarra Valley that’s a bit more interesting than the usual lime and acid bath. With the malevolent red sun still glaring in through the Phillip Street windows, Paperbark’s darkened dining room, hung with tinder-dry leaves, takes on a slightly ominous feel, in light of half the country being ablaze. We’re quickly distracted from the imminent threat of fire with something wet and green – wasabi spiked cucumber sorbet with oyster leaf coverlets. Little summer soups, based on Spanish ajo blanco, team crushed almonds with frozen grapes and chilli sourdough croutons, topped off with dabs of infused olive oil. The star of this rush of snacks are the eye-catching organic mushrooms, skewered onto twigs and charred over paperbark. They arrive at the table with a rich macadamia cream that’ll work if you’re the kind of person who prefers butter to oil with your Iggy’s bread, assuming you haven't already gobbled it. Against the 2019 Hedonist Sangiovese Rose ($14/glass) from the McLaren Vale, we dive into bowls of buckwheat confit with leek, saltbush and lemon. Bright green peas that break the up the salty intensity of this savoury porridge that sits very nicely against the crisp salmon pink wine that wafts summer berries. Lime green bullhorn peppers are blistered and dragged through punchy harissa with a crunchy, puffed rice topper – it’s simple but effective. Hidden under a round, pistachio tuile, charred squash doesn’t quite cut the mustard, even against olives and capers, though the dish is still a good example of how this kitchen builds flavour. We take it with a chilled 2018 Balmy Nights Syrah Pinot Meunier ($16/glass) a natural wine from the Hunter Valley, plucked from a short, eighteen bottle list notable because everything on it is vegan and free from nasties. It’s better matched to our eggplant pumped up with nori and natto, a Japanese fermented soybean concoction normally eaten over rice, gentled by apple. By the time we hit the spuds, I’m feeling quite satisfied, and I have to confess, I haven’t even thought to miss either meat or dairy. Against icy glasses of vermouth, garnished with blood orange, we get a clever black sapote palate cleanser. The chocolate pudding fruit is garnished with caramelised banana and coconut for a satisfying all-of-mouth smoky affair. In the dessert proper, juicy, apple match sticks are teamed with celeriac and fennel ice cream. The combined effect somehow manages to create a dulce de leche edge without any dairy. While don't see myself converting any time soon, this meal has done more to sway me to the vegan diet than any vegan I’ve ever met.

Proficient Service from beginning to end. Staff where absolutely amazing and very kind and well knowledged with every course served. The food was extremely delicious and each course just got better and better. I am confident in saying that this is by far the best ever vegan restaurant that I have ever been to and rate it the best. Highly recommend all to try this place you will not be disappointed.

We had no dietary requirements, except my vegetarian friend doesn’t eat mushrooms. They brought us a main course with mushrooms as the hero (full of enoki), which wasn’t good regardless (I love mushrooms!) It was a watery soup with enoki and a few lovely, crunchy artichokes. Ironically, my main was the star dish, called ‘paperbark mushrooms’ - skewered, with fingerlime on top. I would love to eat this again, and wish I could make mushrooms like this at home. The veggie tart was strangely simple, and its walnut base was very hard to cut through (but nuts are always good). Glorified guac and saltbush chips in the third pic was overwhelmingly smoked. At $55 per person for three courses, we were disappointed (especially when we were brought an incorrect bill). I admire vegetarian restaurants and we need more of them. See my Instagram @sydneyflavours for more.

Great decor, staff are friendly and welcoming. All items prepared with local ingredients (which is excellent). The 8 course menu was fabulously presented and explained by knowledgeable staff. Had an amazing experience, would love to go there again.

Last night was sensational, the most incredible chef I’ve met, the quality of food is beyond belief, fresh, in season and will have taste buds dancing for joy, we enjoyed every single bit. The dessert was highlight, it rounds the whole dinner up, so light and refreshing. We love the atmosphere so much, like being submerged in a native jungle, minimalistic decoration like recycled bottles with gum leaves, the perfect amount of space that you get separated with adjacent tables, chilled and relaxed. Definitely worth more than the price you pay, highly recommend!

What a delightful place to dine! So happy there's a chic, yet far from pretentious plant-based restaurant in Sydney. It was actually some of the most delicious plant-based food I've ever had (I am vegan so I've eaten in many plant-based restaurants). Myself and a group of friends had Sunday lunch yesterday and ordered one of everything on the lunch menu. The presentation was beautiful, the sizes were good and the value was excellent. The pumpkin and sage dish and the mushroom and tofu dish were unbelievably delicious. The peanut butter and cacao icecream dessert was so worth ordering too. The service was warm and friendly, it never felt like it was interrupting our conversation - as can often happen! Will be back for the dinner menu very soon. Highly recommend for anyone obsessed with plant-based and for anyone who wants to delight their non-plant-based friends.