THE TERNARY RESTAURANT

My husband and I dined at The Ternary last night. Food: For entrees we chose the salt + pepper calamari with soya + chilli and the grilled king prawns with chimichurri. We requested the calamari to be made gluten free, and it was cooked to perfection, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a delightful sweet and saltiness from the dipping sauce. The serving was quite generous. The prawns were impressive, grilled with an aromatic char and complemented by the chimichurri sauce and sweet corn. I chose the 2022 Alkoomi Grazing Collection Riesling from Frankland River, WA to start my evening and it was a refreshing wine to also complement the entrees. They offer an Asian kitchen menu and grill kitchen menu, but we both decided to go with their grill menu. For mains my husband chose the 300g scotch fillet, 150-day grain-fed black angus served with potatoes, spinach, and choice of sauce. Cooked to a flawless medium-rare, my husband enjoyed his steak with his choice of the rich mushroom sauce. I had the 500g balmain bugs, served with garlic, parsley, and lemon butter, accompanied by potatoes and spinach. The balmain bugs were succulent and the sweet flesh complemented the dipping sauce. We also had the chips + truffle aioli. I requested this to be made gluten free. The truffle aioli was divine! I requested from our personal server to surprise me with a matching wine for my bugs. I was recommended the 2022 Shaw + Smith Sauvignon Blanc from Adelaide Hills, SA. This was a delightfully crisp and fresh wine that complemented my main dish. At this point, we were quite full! We decided to share the apple creme brulee with cinnamon icecream for dessert. I requested this to be made gluten free. This light dessert was the perfect conclusion to our meal. The luscious creme brulee was infused with apple flavours and the aromatic cinnamon ice cream elevated this dish. I couldn't resist trying one of their curated classic cocktails to match my dessert, the hot buttered rum. This warm cocktail was a blend of Captain Morgan spiced rum, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and all spice. This transported me straight to Europe during winter and the flavour was reminiscent of mulled wine. It was a warm and comforting drink to end the night. Service: Our amazing server was Ella. Her service was attentive, friendly, and professional. She checked up on us throughout the evening, but she was never intrusive. Ella kindly offered to take a photo of us which was very thoughtful. The bar staff, wait staff, and chefs were friendly and didn't mind me taking a few pictures and videos of the two open kitchens and bar area. Atmosphere: We arrived at 6pm and were initially a bit confused with the restaurant layout as the waiting area for dining was located past the bar with casual seating. We enjoyed the social and relaxed vibe of the restaurant and appreciated the trendy EDM playing during our entrees and mains, as this was during happy hour. Around 7pm the music changed to soft lounge music. We had a window seat and enjoyed been able to see the lights of Cockle Bay wharf and the dazzling views of the city skyline. The high ceilings, mood lighting, and open kitchens created an ambience of casual elegance. Overall, The Ternary was a memorable dining experience. We dined with the Accor Plus discount, however the quality and quantity of the dishes were well worth the original price. Combined with attentive service and a relaxed atmosphere, The Ternary is undoubtedly a great place to dine in Darling Harbour.

Great range and choices for breakfast for a Novotel, noticed it had a good Gluten free section as well compared to other Novotels. Breakfast included barista coffee which complements the offering.