wildfire

Wildfire Restaurant & Bar, Circular Quay, Sydney

By Michael de Percy   

22 June 2009: Whenever I travel to Sydney I usually end up falling into a restaurant tired, exhausted and hungry. Leaving things to the last minute is a key 'skill' of mine, but occasionally, the approach has its merits.

Last Thursday, after a successful presentation of my research at the 4th Annual Broadband Australia Forum, the approach worked.

It is hard to be in the Sydney CBD and not be drawn to the harbour. Last week, seeing the laser light show on the sails of the Opera House was an experience not to be missed. However, after watching the show for a while in the Canberra-esque weather, it was time to find somewhere warm with food. This is when the adventure began.

We had thoughts of catching a cab to Chinatown, where the food rarely disappoints. But, true to my style, the thought of another half hour was too much to bear. We were resigned to another night of an uninspiring dining experience because of poor planning on my part.

But that is not how it turned out.

We stumbled into Wildfire on the ground floor of the Overseas Passenger Terminal building, thinking we had fallen into another mutton-done-up-as-lamb affair. We were wrong.

Wildfire is a Spanish-style restaurant. We had the 'wood fired churrasco', which includes a 'selection of six tapas to complement the variety of fire-roasted meats, poultry, homemade sausages and seafood'. It's basically a barbecue.

Spanish restaurants are not well known for their selection of vegetables. But with a line up of all kinds of meats cooked over seasoned ironbark, who cares?

The worst thing about the restaurant is that the food just kept on coming. And the waiters gleefully delivered the food, taking pleasure in their role as the warders of the glutton-fest. It is hard to stop when the waiter says "Another prawn? No? What, are you scared?" and gives you another anyway.

The service was impeccable. I love good service but it is so rare these days it is a shock when you are treated properly. Especially when the place is completely full!

We walked in without a booking and we were not disappointed. When I told a colleague we had eaten there, he was shocked. Apparently you should book as the place is always packed to the rafters. My colleague has not even managed to secure a booking yet. We were lucky.

So the off-the-cuff approach worked for once. Regrettably, the well-thought-out plan to see the Firewater event worked, but the show was a disappointment. As one onlooker said after the show: "So the ship comes out of the water, catches on fire, and then sinks. And that's it?" Yep. That was it. But it is worth a look, especially if you manage to get a table at Wildfire!