Nikki To
Our restaurant critics’ picks of the latest and best eats around the country right now: Waterman’s Lobster Co, Sydney.
Lobster rolls have been making waves on our shores for some time now, winning loyal followings at the likes of Supernormal in Melbourne and Sydney’s Coogee Pavilion.
Waterman’s Lobster Co, the sunny new Potts Point venture from Love, Tilly Devine proprietor Matt Swieboda and partners Nathanial Hatwell (an alumnus of Love, Tilly) and Tristan Blair, is the latest to jump on the bandwagon. The team offers two versions, each made with Atlantic lobster (they say it makes for juicier meat) on soft, white unsweetened rolls: a buttery Connecticut-inspired number (pictured), and a mayonnaise-rich Maine-style roll with little chunks of celery for crunch.
Non-lobster enthusiasts are accommodated, too, via a vegetarian option made with egg, nori and konbu mayonnaise, iceberg lettuce and crisp shallots, and a gutsy smoked-eel number with pastrami and horseradish.
Entrées such as a bright kingfish tartare with seaweed and radish, and brown butter-fried school prawns with bay leaves and lime aïoli add to the fun.
As do the drinks. Bar manager Alex Carter (formerly of Rockpool Bar & Grill and Bentley) has put together a list of fresh “East Coast American” cocktails (read: Pernod with pineapple and sparkling wine; mint-infused Canadian whiskey with sugar, citric, and fresh mint topped with soda). The grape game, courtesy of Swieboda, is naturally excellent. There’s interesting natural-leaning options by the glass and carafe, including a house pinot gris and grenache on tap, and a solid offering of chardonnay – the wine the Waterman’s team believe is the lobster roll’s finest match (“basically, it’s a marriage of butter”, the menu states).
And what the laneway space lacks in ocean views, it gains in breeziness with its pale-blue hues and timber and open-air charm.
Waterman’s Lobster Co, shop 5, 29 Orwell St, Potts Point, NSW, (02) 9380 2558. Open Monday to Saturday noon – 10pm, Sunday 10am-6pm.
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