Anason – Restaurant Review

Anason was the first permanent restaurant to launch in Sydney’s Barangaroo in 2016 and everything around it has changed since it opened its doors – an enormous construction site has turned into one of the city’s most happening food and drinks precincts.

But little has changed inside the restaurant itself, where chef Somer Sivrioglu – of Balmain's Efendy – serves up eyebrow-raising modern Ottoman fare. What’s modern Ottoman, you ask? Well, there are no pides or kebabs here, for starters.

Instead, the menu is dotted with fresh renditions of Middle Eastern classics. Take, for instance, the cold mezze of labne – or 48-hour strained yoghurt – which gets a distinct spike from roasted chilies. Or the cured salmon pastrami, which takes a good 55 hours to make.

Anason's hot-mezze section is just as enticing, featuring the likes of beef tongue with picked carrots and camel sausage with curly sweet peppers. But it is the main courses that are the real drawcard here. Choose from hearty beef meatballs or lamb fillet, slow cooked relentlessly for hours for that super-tender texture.

The wine list is just as bold – with drops ranging from Gallipoli Peninsula rosés to deep, hearty Spanish reds. Enjoy it all in the dining room proper, or on a table out the front – the perfect spot for people watching and soaking up Barangaroo's lively scene.

SEE ALSO: 10 of the Best Places for Tapas in Sydney