With a breathtaking, natural architectural aesthetic, the monolithic Barangaroo House has added a calming cache to the foreshore of Sydney’s newest dining precinct. Greenery hangs from the dark timber balconies that look like giant fruit bowls bristling with energy.

The three-level offering from top chef Matt Moran and Solotel can house 850 punters, catching up over a cocktail on ground level, snacking and swigging at Smoke on the roof, or pulling a bib on for a genuine meal at Bea. Smart and sophisticated without the stuffiness, Bea is a fine example of contemporary – in design, wine and cuisine – with a multi-faceted offering that allows you to choose the evening you want to have. O

Once you’ve met your aperitif criteria in the bar, park your bum at Bea. With gun chef Cory Campbell on the pans it’s well worth strapping yourself in for a clever expression of Australia’s unique bounty of ingredients.

Start with the rich, meat butter of bone marrow lightly smoked, accompanied by a refreshing mix of beetroot, quandong and curd. Order what is perhaps the best marron dish down under – a light emulsion and gratin that delivers a savoury-sweet edge to the marron’s shimmering flesh. Then apple and anchovy make great bedfellows for the autumnal audaciousness of wild barramundi, but if you have a group of four put your name on one of the sweet, glazed whole roast ducks.

Must-eat dish: Marron gratin, spiced bush tomato butter