BTWN has opened at the W Sydney, bringing a gastronomic joyride to the streets of Darling Harbour. The diner takes its name from its dynamic location between two sections of the Western Distributor. A coveted window seat here doesn’t look out to sparkling waters or glittering city lights, but three lanes of expressway traffic, whizzing past at full speed.

It’s the kind of scenery that hotels usually save for their cheapest of rooms, but at W Sydney, they’ve cleverly made it a feature of the restaurant. Forget people watching, it’s far more enjoyable to sit back and judge their driving, especially when you don’t have to share the road with them.

UK interior designer Bowler James Brindley is behind the restaurant’s flashy, urban fit-out, which takes its cues from the concrete jungle outside. Cement columns emblazoned with street art by Sydney-based artist Sophi Odling make BTWN feel like the plushest of inner city carparks, complete with illuminated ribbon lighting made to look like headlights in a long exposure photograph.

There’s plenty of action on the plate as well. Sitting in the driver’s seat is head chef Chris Dodd, an alumnus of Aria restaurant and The Blue Door in Sydney. Along with mains and desserts, the menu includes a cold/raw bar, snacks, appetisers and sides – all designed for sharing. “It gives you a chance to try a lot of different things on the menu, so you get more variety,” Dodd says.

He describes the menu as modern Australian – a crossroad of many culinary influences. “We’re in the middle of Haymarket so that’s essentially Chinatown, and if you go 15 minutes west you hit Greek and Middle Eastern communities. We’re pulling influences from all around us and connecting them together.”

One of the most popular dishes on the menu is the Paroo kangaroo cheeseburger. A crispy hashbrown forms the base, and it is topped with a steak tartare packed with pickles and onion in a tangy burger sauce. It’s bang-on Big Mac. Dodd had to eat a lot of cheeseburgers to get the flavours just right. “Inspiration was definitely McDonalds for that one,” he says. “It’s a good way for people to be introduced to something like kangaroo because it’s quite gamy and people can find it a little challenging,” he says.

Another favourite is the wagyu beef tongue. Finely shaved and ruffled slices are threaded onto a skewer, surrounded by splashes of spicy Korean gochujang and a fresh green harissa sauce. “Anyone can cook a fillet or a sirloin; we try and test ourselves and cook with secondary cuts, which is much more sustainable.”

Aussie producers are front and centre on the menu, including Aquna Murray cod from Griffith, mushrooms from Mussett Holdings in Colo Vale, and cavolo nero from the Southern Highland’s Moonacres Farm. “We try to use as much local artisan produce as possible, trying to find the best that’s out there, and the producers that honour their craft from start to finish.”

Things kick into high gear on the dessert menu, with a pressed ricotta with mango and yoghurt sorbet. Part dessert, part cheese platter, fresh milky fromage is unwrapped from its muslin cloth and served with fruit compote and house made lavosh crackers, hitting both sweet and savoury notes. Take a moment to slow down and savour it, before hitting the highway home.

BTWN
31 Wheat Rd, Sydney
Mon 6:30 am–10:30 am
Tue 6:30am – 10:30am & 6pm – 10pm
Wed – Fri 6:30am – 10:30am, 12pm – 2:30pm & 6pm – 10pm
Sat 6:30am – 11:30am, 12:30pm – 3pm &  6pm – 10pm
Sun 6:30am – 11:30am & 6pm – 10pm
btwnsydney.com.au