Jason King
AmyHuangGPO Cheese and Wine Room
June 20th 2009 00:18
I had the pleasure of attending a birthday party (Happy Birthday Jess) last night for sixteen people at the insanely awesome GPO Cheese and Wine Room. I am actually jelaous I did not have my own birthday there as it was just such a brilliant idea. But there is next year to visit what has been dubbed "The Temple of Cheese".
The GPO Cheese Room is the largest cheese room in the southern hemisphere. It provides a showcase for Australia's finest cheeses, as well as a comprehensive selection of imported cheeses and delicatessen items. The temperature is maintained at 14ºC and at 95% humidity.
GPO Cheese offers a wide variety of cheeses from six categories allowing you to choose from cheeses produced from Italy, Spanish, France, Holland, U.K and a large variety from our local Australian producers.
Based purely around trying nice wines and cheeses it is basically a vineyard minus the vines and crappy wine. It hosts well over 250 wines to choose from and over 100 cheeses. The reds we drank were sensational and mildly affordable. I drank an Inigo Shiraz (05) from Clare Valley in SA that I purchased for $34- but then this was one of the cheaper bottles. I also drank the Gemtree Shiraz from McLaren Vale (unsure of the year) but it was divine - this was $40- for the bottle. The prices went all the way up to a whopping $696- for a 375ml bottle of a spiffy dessert wine. You could basically select wines from any region in the world and a waitress would present it within five minutes - I have no idea how they kept track of it all.
Steve (work colleague and good friend) and I shared two plates of food and one extra cheese I had to have. It was an Italian cheese that was semi hard and made with truffles throughout and to be honest I think I may have dreamt about it last night. It was SO good. The plates we shared were a Charcuterie Plate that had some of the nicest cured meats on it I have ever experienced and the "Winter" Cheese plate for two. Get your tastebuds around this:
Bangalow Pork Salami (from Sydney)
Bresaola of Organic Angus Beef (from Sydney)
Sliced Smoked Duck Breast (from Sydney)
Pork and Pistachio Terrine (from Victoria) DELISH!!!!!!!!
Our "Winter" cheese plate consisted of:
A goat cheese that was very smokey and hard but had an enjoyable aftertaste
It also had a sensational Cow cheese that was half way to camembert
And a divine delicious sensational Blue cheese that was like a combo of goat and camembert.
(Apologies I could not locate the names on the web - they still have the autumn menu online)
The cheeses were so nice I think eating them with the crackers was a big no no - it was like drinking single malt whiskey with coca cola. Sacrilege.
As for the rest of this subterranean space deep below Sydney’s original General Post Office – which, if you haven’t been paying attention, was completely remodelled to include a Westin Hotel, several restaurants, food outlets, bars and boutiques some years ago? One end is packed with all the goodies that go with those cheeses (and that of course includes racks of over 250 different wines) while the other has been transformed into a moody bistro-style space, complete with pictures, mirrors and avant-garde light fittings.
The venue is a one-table-wide tunnel, along one side, newly discovered during the most recent renovations, although dug over a century ago. Once the connecting passage to the Tank Stream, it now has just seven tables for two and the best ambience ever in which to sample the tapas–style dishes, cheeses and matching wines. That European-cellar feel immensely enhanced the experience for me. Unfortunately due to our size of group we got to sit just outside the door in the bar and food court area and next time I am thinking of a romantic night for two inside the intimate and historic venue.
The Cheese & Wine Room is an intimate part of the food and wine-focussed downstairs of the GPO building, and the portion sizes on this menu are designed for sharing, with prices to match.
For about $35- a head I would recommend trying the cheese "flights" - these are a journey through three sensational cheeses and three delicious wines that have been expertly matched and selected from the sommelier and fromager. It is a mini degustation cheese and wine style - brilliant!!!
If you want to impress someone for a night out in Sydney then this is the place to take them. If you want to have a true experience there then it will not be cheap - I think I spent $80 for myself last night but if I had more I would have tried more cheeses and the wines - Oh My God - they are all to die for. To me - if I was to get married I would propose here - I would have anniverseries here and I would keep this as my special place of divine food
GPO Cheese & Wine Room is open for dining from 12 noon to 10pm, Monday to Friday. To make a reservation, or for further enquiries, phone 02 9229 7701
GPO CHEESE & WINE ROOM
at No. 1 Martin Place
www.gposydney.com/
I would rate this a 10 out of 10 venue!
Cheese Flight
The GPO Cheese Room is the largest cheese room in the southern hemisphere. It provides a showcase for Australia's finest cheeses, as well as a comprehensive selection of imported cheeses and delicatessen items. The temperature is maintained at 14ºC and at 95% humidity.
GPO Cheese offers a wide variety of cheeses from six categories allowing you to choose from cheeses produced from Italy, Spanish, France, Holland, U.K and a large variety from our local Australian producers.
GPO Cheese and Wine Room
Based purely around trying nice wines and cheeses it is basically a vineyard minus the vines and crappy wine. It hosts well over 250 wines to choose from and over 100 cheeses. The reds we drank were sensational and mildly affordable. I drank an Inigo Shiraz (05) from Clare Valley in SA that I purchased for $34- but then this was one of the cheaper bottles. I also drank the Gemtree Shiraz from McLaren Vale (unsure of the year) but it was divine - this was $40- for the bottle. The prices went all the way up to a whopping $696- for a 375ml bottle of a spiffy dessert wine. You could basically select wines from any region in the world and a waitress would present it within five minutes - I have no idea how they kept track of it all.
Steve (work colleague and good friend) and I shared two plates of food and one extra cheese I had to have. It was an Italian cheese that was semi hard and made with truffles throughout and to be honest I think I may have dreamt about it last night. It was SO good. The plates we shared were a Charcuterie Plate that had some of the nicest cured meats on it I have ever experienced and the "Winter" Cheese plate for two. Get your tastebuds around this:
Bangalow Pork Salami (from Sydney)
Bresaola of Organic Angus Beef (from Sydney)
Sliced Smoked Duck Breast (from Sydney)
Pork and Pistachio Terrine (from Victoria) DELISH!!!!!!!!
Our "Winter" cheese plate consisted of:
A goat cheese that was very smokey and hard but had an enjoyable aftertaste
It also had a sensational Cow cheese that was half way to camembert
And a divine delicious sensational Blue cheese that was like a combo of goat and camembert.
(Apologies I could not locate the names on the web - they still have the autumn menu online)
The cheeses were so nice I think eating them with the crackers was a big no no - it was like drinking single malt whiskey with coca cola. Sacrilege.
As for the rest of this subterranean space deep below Sydney’s original General Post Office – which, if you haven’t been paying attention, was completely remodelled to include a Westin Hotel, several restaurants, food outlets, bars and boutiques some years ago? One end is packed with all the goodies that go with those cheeses (and that of course includes racks of over 250 different wines) while the other has been transformed into a moody bistro-style space, complete with pictures, mirrors and avant-garde light fittings.
The venue is a one-table-wide tunnel, along one side, newly discovered during the most recent renovations, although dug over a century ago. Once the connecting passage to the Tank Stream, it now has just seven tables for two and the best ambience ever in which to sample the tapas–style dishes, cheeses and matching wines. That European-cellar feel immensely enhanced the experience for me. Unfortunately due to our size of group we got to sit just outside the door in the bar and food court area and next time I am thinking of a romantic night for two inside the intimate and historic venue.
The Cheese & Wine Room is an intimate part of the food and wine-focussed downstairs of the GPO building, and the portion sizes on this menu are designed for sharing, with prices to match.
Cheese Plate
For about $35- a head I would recommend trying the cheese "flights" - these are a journey through three sensational cheeses and three delicious wines that have been expertly matched and selected from the sommelier and fromager. It is a mini degustation cheese and wine style - brilliant!!!
If you want to impress someone for a night out in Sydney then this is the place to take them. If you want to have a true experience there then it will not be cheap - I think I spent $80 for myself last night but if I had more I would have tried more cheeses and the wines - Oh My God - they are all to die for. To me - if I was to get married I would propose here - I would have anniverseries here and I would keep this as my special place of divine food
GPO Cheese & Wine Room is open for dining from 12 noon to 10pm, Monday to Friday. To make a reservation, or for further enquiries, phone 02 9229 7701
GPO CHEESE & WINE ROOM
at No. 1 Martin Place
www.gposydney.com/
I would rate this a 10 out of 10 venue!
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Comment by Lara M
Love Speaks
Food Slate
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Comment by Lara M
Love Speaks
Food Slate
From (the little of) what I know, I think you're a fab catch
All the best with it...!
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
The hunt is on -