Catalina's

Catalina's Restaurant in Rose Bay is one of Sydney's best fine dining establishments. Having first visited when my mum gave us a voucher as an engagement present, we received a $100 birthday voucher for a midweek meal in April, so we decided to go again during the school holidays.

Rather than take photos of our food, Gill managed to find pics on the internet of our awesome meal.

Sydney rock oysters with lime, chilli and tobiko (Gill)

Pan-fried king prawns with chilli, garlic and herb butter (me)

As mains, we both opted for the toothfish - described as follows by the Sydney Morning Herald:

.... and here is what 'the wagyu of the sea' looks like, served with tomato consommé, horseradish tortellini and baby basil:

The best fish we've ever eaten! We had a 2012 Ross Hill 'Pinnacle' series Chardonnay. We've visited the Ross Hill winery in Orange a few years ago, and rated them our favourite winery in Orange at the time. It was an awesome choice for this dish.

... and a mini-friand to follow the cheese platter:

After our 2.5 hour lunch, we went to the nearby Sailors' Club for a glass of wine as the sun set.

We walked to Paddington, paying a visit to the English pub, The Lord Dudley, where I made the mistake of ordering their English-style tap 'bitter'..... they don't clean the pipes too often, and it probably wasn't a great choice after a 30 degree day.

We finished with a walk to Darlinghurst via the Grand National Pub in Surry Hills, for a drink at Love Tilly Divine - a great little wine bar tucked away in one of the back alleys.

* * * * *

I've finally graduated from the University of New England with my Diploma in Education (in absentia), qualifying me to teach in NSW and be accredited; having not done a PGCE (the UK equivalent) and with my English employment-based qualification not being recognised here, I was required to do it. After a four year endurance test, it's over at last!