Restaurant review: Spice up your senses at Sixpenny

And what better excuse than my birthday to inspire dinner at one of my wish list restaurants: Sixpenny.

Nestled into an unassuming street in the Sydney suburb of Stanmore, it’s no wonder people rave about this place. With minimal signage, it’s a local’s secret.

The hardworking chefs have a patch in the Southern Highlands where they grow the seasonal produce that ends up on your plate. They also have a vege patch out the back of the restaurant where they grow most of their herbs (not unlike other Sydney locals, The Grounds of Alexandria and Three Blue Ducks).

The restaurant itself is decked out in minimal, Scandinavian furnishings. On an Autumnal Tuesday evening, the place is full.

My visit is a whirlwind of new tastes for me. The wine pairings take drops from all over the world, and aren’t just limited to wine. The 2011 Fukuchiyo Shuzō ‘Nabeshima’ Sake is my first foray into this alcoholic delight and I like it.

And don’t get me started on the food. Each dish is cooked by a different chef and Mr LML and I feel very spoilt when they individually approach the table to explain their creations.

At $135 for 7 courses (or $210 with matching wines) it’s a venue fit for splurging – which is exactly what birthdays are for.

My favourites include:

• House-made salt and vinegar chips with herbed yoghurt – very simple, but the flavours remind me of growing up on Smith’s chips; a memory that I don’t exactly dislike.

• Roasted heirloom carrot with mascarpone, toasted cheese curd and bitter leaves – vegetarian dishes don’t often blow me away, but this is a definite stand-out.

• Gently seared bass groper with nettles and rye butter – the freshness of the dish and gentle combination of flavours make this one a winner.

• Pumpkin cooked in mead with a white rice ice cream – we have five desserts (yes, you heard me right – five!) and as less of a sweet tooth, I enjoy the savoury flavours of the pumpkin in this dessert.

Cucumber salad with finger limes

Roasted heirloom carrot with bitter leaves; mini English muffin with prosciutto

Crab, silky macadamia and camomile

The attentive staff get top marks for overhearing it’s my birthday and throw in a surprise birthday cake. By this stage however, my pants are beginning to split at the seams and I have to call it a day.

Sixpenny has officially wowed me with its paddock-to-plate philosophy, attentive staff and the incredibly well-paired wines. Now, just to find an excuse to go back…