Forty One Restaurant

Ph: 9221 2500; Level 42, Chifley Tower, 2 Chifley Sq, SYDNEY 2000 www.forty-one.com.au

French, $$$
Open Lunch Tue-Fri noon-2.30pm Dinner Mon-Sat from 6pm, Closed Between Xmas & new year; Licensed; AE DC MC V
Chef Dietmar Sawyere & Rainer Korobacz (29-11-08) Owner Dietmar Sawyere (29-11-08)

Mietta's Review
Overlooking everything that matters in terms of Sydney real estate, Forty One has dazzling views, but more important than that is the food, service, setting and wine list. All are as good as they should be. This is special occasion dining at its best which transports the lucky diner into a world of power and importance beyond the reach of mere mortals.

Other published opinions

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2009 Score: 16/20, Two Hats "Dietmar Sawyere has taken diners to dizzying heights for a long time, and we don't just mean the location. A quaint oriental garden designed by Japanese landscaper Ken Lamb leads into a 42nd-floor room decorated with myrtlewood panelling and deep blue Thai silk"

Gourmet Traveller 2009 Australian Restaurant Guide Score: * "There is an old adage that attaches to restaurants that revolve, float or reside atop buildings: such spectacular sites are not matched by their food. For many years chef Dietmar Sawyere has defied this"

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2008 Score: 16/20, Two Hats "After nearly 15 years in this elegant fine diner with all the trimmings, Dietmar Sawyere is back on top, literally. He still gives contemporary Asian nudges to his refined French style, but his ambitious, detailed menu soars with nuance and precision in a virtuoso performance liberally scattered with gastronomic heavy hitters"

Gourmet Traveller 2008 Australian Restaurant Guide "Sydney, being a tart of a town, shifts its affections with alarming regularity. Time was when getting a table at Forty One was a bit of a battle"

Sydney Eats 2008 "A la carte has been swept aside at these opulent penthouse rooms presided over by chef Dietmar Sawyere in favour of the flavour du jour, the two-, three-, four- and five-course set menu"

Sydney Morning Herald Simon Thomsen, 4-9-2007 Score: 16/20 "Dietmar Sawyere is back in fine fettle with polished fine French fare in a spectacular setting."

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2007 Score: 15/20, One Hat "Sophisticated fine dining is alive and well thanks to Dietmar Sawyere's refined watchtower, which pleases tourists, business suits, families and lovers alike. Whiz up in the lift, enter through the Japanese-style garden and be smitten by the stunning view over eastern Sydney, uninterrupted by the elegant room."

Gourmet Traveller 2007 Restaurant Guide Score: * "Forty One is actually on the 42nd floor. Surprise! But the name still gives you the gist of the thing: you're a long way up, and you can see a long way out. The vibe, from the office lobby you cross to enter to the slightly robotic, blazer-clad staifto the crowd and the (skyscraper) prices, is thoroughly corporate."

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2006 score 15/20, 1 Hat "Having your ears pop as you're whisked up 42 floors creates a degree of expectation. The views east from the city are certainly eye-popping too. This plush room and all its elegant accoutrements - from the Christofle cutlery to Riedel glasses and Alessi pepper grinders are up to the task, even if the service can range from deferential to occasionally forgetful."

Gourmet Traveller 2006 Australian Restaurant Guide ** "One of Sydney's longer-standing fine diners, Forty One offers plush five-star surrounds, spectacular city and harbour views, polished service and excellent tableware, plus food to match. The a la carte lunch menu is good value given the setting"

Sydney Eats 2006 "For many, this place is the big night out. Dietmar Sawyere's food is splendidly crafted even if he has, perhaps, fallen a little behind in the grooviness stakes."

SMH Good Food Guide 2005 One Hat Good Wine List "A vertiginous lift ride whisks you up 42 stories (don't ask) to this fine dining eyrie in the clouds. Elegant Wedgwood plates, Riedel stemware and linen napery set the tone for a meal where details make a difference. ... For some diners this highly refined style of cooking might seem dull, yet for many others it's those wellhoned details that make it soar."

Gourmet Traveller Australian Restaurant Guide 2005 ** Good Vegetarian Options "One of Sydney's few fine-dining stayers, Forty One, which has been around for more than 11 years now, still manages to feel contemporary. High points are faultless views, sleek service and a menu with French, Italian and some Asian notes that makes the most of great produce."

Sydney Eats 2005 "From the Japanese garden at the entrance to the woodpanelled dining room with its panoramic views, this is literally one of Sydney's peak dining experiences."

SMH,good living, 6/4/04,Adam McCulloch,'The bar is more vestibule to the dining area,filled with comfy leather couches and granite coffee tables...The drinks menu is massive,with wines the speciality'

SMH GFG 2004, Score 17/20, 2 Hats-Kitchen alchemy, Good wine list, And-sophisticated dining in a penthouse with a view,'Ogle the view eastwards as you devour tiny, pretty, heavily worked things on big plates...The quality is certainly there, but diners used to the best in Sydney may find the menu too safe.With all the free extras, however, it's unlikely anyone will ever leave hungry.'

Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide Australia 2004, Excellent wine list, 2 Red Stars,'an exciting restaurant...an atmosphere of elegant sophistication...European flavours persist'

SydneyMorning Herald, Good Eating, Eat Out, Matthew Evans, 2/7/02, Score 17/20. "With a bit of a refit and Dietmar Sawyere back at his flagship Rest. full-time. Forty One is once again on fire."

SMH, Good Living, 12/8/03, Kate Duthie,'Living the high life with a glass of fine fizz and food to match.'