Bennelong

Peter Gilmore may have left the building, but who better to continue the Bennelong legacy than the chef who’s been by his side since day one? Since 2015, Rob Cockerill has lived and breathed the place, from the days when Gilmore first fixed those soaring meringue sails into place on the signature pavlova and the three-course menu would set you back $125.

That prix-fixe may have crept up to $240 a head, but the pav is still a fixture, as well as more Gilmore classics. What began as a dish of yabbies with buckwheat pikelets on the bar menu is now an entree of sliced marron dotted with cultured cream, flowers and finger lime, the pikelets on the side. Roasted Wollemi duck breast is still dry-aged in house, cut by the acid tang of pickled blackberries.

But Cockerill is slowly evolving things, stuffing chestnut and ricotta into plus-sized raviolo, and he cites a refined quail schnitzel as an early signature. It’s probably the most put-together work-in-progress in town, aided by keen waitstaff and a wine list that does it all, then still lists a couple of options for under $20 a glass. All eyes on what’s next.

Good to know: Heritage sourdough with cultured butter, a leaf salad and potatoes with cultured cream are included in the set menu.

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Last visited: August 2026