“Gone to Gowings” was an expression many grew up with. Taken from an old ad, the phrase continued well after, and everyone knew where it meant in Sydney. Now it’s back in the name of the revitalised restaurant in the QT Hotel, opened in 2012 at the site of the historic department store.

Well-credentialed, hard-working chef Sean Connolly is at the helm, with extensive experience running restaurants in hotels from Star City’s Astral and Bell’s at Kilcare, while still responsible for Esther at the QT in Auckland and Sean’s Kitchen in Sky City Adelaide. He impressed the QT owners with Esther, named for his grandmother. Sean has been cooking since he was 15 and never forgets his Yorkshire roots.

Smartly-clad waiters exude a friendly confidence and enthusiastically advise their personal favourite menu items. An Italian influence is evident in their stylish grey pants with braces, the chefs in the open kitchen wearing aprons in the same fabrics. In the restaurant, the new fit out features clothed tables, fabulous lanterns overhead, and modern art. But the background music is all-Australian.

Australia also dominates the produce on a menu which is the same for lunch and dinner. There’s plenty of theatre with bespoke wooden trolleys ferrying pasture and grain-fed beef and bistecca from the grill and wood-fired oven, served on the bone, table-side.

From the snack selection, there’s many which appeal, like a flamboyant Caesar salad. Fremantle octopus, carpaccio, capers and chilli, is a work of art, the octopus compressed and steamed until tender, then chilled and thinly sliced. It arrives covering a round plate and dotted with soused onion rings, subtle (not salty) capers, mild chilli rings and extra virgin olive oil, with a balancing citrus lift. The cooking shows confidence and a mastery of technique.

A crisp batter encases cauliflower florets, served with pickled, just-tender zucchini and baby squash, which – along with a lovely hit of mint from a bright green mint and basil oil – help cut through the richness.

Of the four pastas, the most expensive is perfectly al dente linguine spiked with generous chunks of Mooloolaba spanner crab, with a hint of chilli and lemon. It’s finished in a rich crab shell reduction sauce. A warm plate would have enhanced the enjoyment of this dish, something fortunately served under an amazing subtle toothfish acqua pazza with mussels, olives and tomato. The dish is simple yet features a complex depth of flavour in the broth, the fish shining and cooked separately in classic ‘crazy water’ (salted soda water) to maintain its purity and sweetness. Sides include green beans with a tonnato dressing and crisp duck fat potatoes.

The extensive wine list by QT Wine Director Chris Morrison and Sommelier Samantha Belt is a tribute to Australian winemakers past, present and new, in line with the heritage of the 100-year-old building.

Desserts include Zuppa Inglese ‘English Trifle’ of mascarpone and lemon curd perfectly crowned with raspberries, and there is an appealing cheese trolley. These are as generous as the whole menu and experience.  I’ll be “going back to Gowings”.

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