A tree-change from the country to the city is a rare occurrence, but Biota alumnus Joel Bickford has managed the move from Bowral to one of the top gigs under the coathanger at Pier One’s The Gantry with style. Perhaps a change really is as good as a holiday.

Architectural firm Bates Smart delivered a sophisticated, yet comfortable atmosphere with weathered timber flooring, brass fixtures and dark wooden furniture in a recent refurb. The handsome room offers views of alfresco diners enjoying the waves that slap up against the pier, while the backlit marble-clad bar inside is a destination in and of itself.

Bickford’s food has re-invigorated the space. He has the lightness and respect for nature of Biota, though only in glimpses. Mostly his food is richer, deeper and reliant on a classical backbone. It’s a menu of ingredients, not dishes, that reads like a haiku. So the raw scallop, daikon, urchin, potato, veal turns out to be pieces of this and that, impeccable produce with dollops and dots and sprigs of organic mater piled in the prettiest plate in town. It’s fussy food, but the eating makes up for it. It’s not possible to eat here without reaching for your camera, either to shoot the plate or the view.

Bickford is a progressive chef elevating hotel dining to the space it plays on the international stage, a movement we are yet to see truly manifest in Sydney. Check in and check out his unique brand of fine dining.

Must eat dish: Lemon, mangosteen, liquorice and juniper dessert
Instagram: @thegantrysydney