It’s while sitting on the outdoor terrace at Banksii, sipping on a rose vermouth aperitif and snacking on crispy school prawns that I once again question why it took so long for a dining destination like Barangaroo to arrive.

Yes, we’ve had waterfront dining in Sydney by way of Circular Quay and Darling Harbour for some time. But I’m not talking sub-par, astronomically overpriced dining targeted at tourists (excuse the generalisation), I’m talking the world-class dining the city deserves to be known for.

When husband and wife team Hamish Ingham and Rebecca Lines opened Banksii last year, six years after they opened Bar H in Surry Hills, they brought an interesting concept to the streets of Barangaroo. Their promise of a ‘vermouth bar and bistro’ set expectations high, and with more than 30 vermouths by the glass and a menu focused around botanicals, Banksii is bang on the money.

But this isn’t a menu of obscure ingredients designed to be flashy. The dishes are clever, peppered with interesting yet relevant natives where necessary, and are at heart, completely wholesome and delicious. Begin with a fresh green tangle of broad bean, young pea and leaves with a smear of aged goat’s cheese, then add in a globe of creamy burrata drizzled with parsley oil and served with wedges of deep-red tomato for good measure.

A gnocchi and mushroom dish champions native saltbush, while a perfectly cooked risotto – creamy with exactly the right bite – reveals blue swimmer crab and roast fennel, and wins dish of the day at our table. The half roast chicken is succulent with a crisp skin, served up in a pool of that moreish Italian sweet-sour sauce, agrodolce (tip: order fries on the side to mop it all up), and a fresh, shredded salad on top.

Friendly, unrushed service, a relaxed, well-designed space with views of the harbour and a punchy menu that pairs equally well with on-trend vermouth, a glass of Murray’s Whale Ale from Port Stephens (on tap), or a crisp Clare Valley Wines by KT ‘Bianca’ vermentino, Banksii is the whole waterfront dining package and then some.

Must eat dish: Blue swimmer crab risotto, roasted fennel, fresh herbs, pecorino
Instagram: @banksiisydney