Chef Nathan Sasi (ex Rockpool) has designed a sharing menu that takes our palette on a global journey with spices from Spain, Middle East and Africa, while still maintaining his focus on the freshest seasonal local produce. Everything is designed to be shared, and each section of the menu is stylishly categorized with Peruse, Bite & Devour and Savor.
Peruse consists of dishes you can graze with flat bread and a glass of wine while you wait for the rest of your friends to arrive. We selected (clockwise from top) Manchego w Membrillo, sliced Iberico jamon (cut to order), baba ghanoush and house made sheep’s milk labneh – beautifully prepared and full of flavour.
Tasting Dishes
Oysters (3)
The flesh of the kingfish thinly sliced, the flavours delicate with Spanish influences, prepared “En escabech” (marinated with a citrus vinaigrette) and served with a fennel and soft herb salad.
Hiramasa Kingfish "En Escabech", Fennel Salad
From Spain we transcend into Arabia, with grilled king prawns marinated in chermoula. I’ve always known chermoula to be a Moroccan spice, but Sasi has given it a ras el hanout style, which in Arabic means “head of the shop” or the best spices one can offer. Infused with paprika, cumin and coriander it really transcends your taste buds into the spice markets. The watercress against traditional tabbouleh gave it a modern twist. It was delightful!
Chermoula King Prawns w watercress tabbouleh
This was my favorite intermission of the night - that day’s addition to the menu: Artichoke soup with scallops and white truffle oil, warm, creamy and just perfect for the cold winter air.
Artichoke Soup
For the main event, we shared the daily special of lamb kofta to continue our Arabic journey. Kofta is somewhat like a cigar shaped meatloaf, moulded around sprigs of rosemary. It is served with pickled vegetables, mint and onion salad and yogurt dipping sauce.
Lamb Kofta
Who could forget dessert? Aptly named as “savor”.
The olive oil and pistachio cake with yogurt sorbet and sumac (another Arabic spice) strawberries was not overly rich and a wonderful way to end things with a sweet note. The sumac strawberries were very popular with the girls!
Olive oil and Pistachio Cake
But the Sesame seed and orange blossom cohibas with rioja poached cherries is a clear stand out from the rest. The tactile “cohiba shell” encased a silky orange blossom filling is more enjoyable eaten by hand, alongside the cherries with the satisfying “pop” as the stem is pulled off.
"Cohibas"
And just when we thought we were well and truly fulfilled, Manager Mikee Collins sends out some irrestible Moroccan doughnuts with spiced custard…
Moroccan Doughnuts...with a Turkish MochaTurkish Mocha
That was language of spice class 101. I’ll be back to take more lessons.
Jone’s Bay Wharf
Shop 120
26-32 Pirrama Rd
Pyrmont 2009 NSW
Phone: (02) 9518 4884
Sorry dont agree at all..but each to the own
I think the food is fantastic and the service is great. Thanks Guys xxxx
Agree completely. One of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. Would recommend it to everyone.
Alira is a special experience at unbeatable prices. I would have expected to have paid a whole lot more for the quality and quantity of food we received.
This place is definitely worth a try.
alira is nothing special, the food is very bad.
I had a fantastic experience at Alira on Saturday night. Of course the view is lovely and the ambience was great. The service was just wonderful and the food was absolutely delicious. We asked our waitress, Carla, to make the tasting choices and to guide us on the mains. Again the dessert choices were made by Carla. The food was so tastly, some delicate, some hearty and all cooked to perfection. Highly recommend.
Celebrated a girlfriend’s birthday at your place and thoroughly enjoyed the visit to Sydney and your restaurant. Took happy snaps of your staff and HAVE to have the recipes for a couple of your dishes! Soooooooooooo good.
We need a restaurant like yours in Orange!
Regards Cath
Was taken there by a very attractive lady who was clearly trying to impress me, and it worked! Well done Marion who took care of our every need, and the food was great also
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