The Palomar Paddington — A Wood‑Fired Love Letter to the Mediterranean

Paddington has plenty of restaurants with hype, but The Palomar earns its reputation — and its One Hat — with fire, flair, and a menu that feels alive. It also carries the pedigree of its London sibling, which has long held a Michelin Bib Gourmand, and you can feel that lineage in the precision and confidence of every dish.

We were lucky enough to sit right at the bar, front‑row to the wood‑fire theatre. Flames rising, chefs moving with quiet choreography, plates landing with purpose — it’s the kind of vantage point that turns dinner into a show. You taste the food differently when you’ve watched it kissed by the grill seconds before it hits your plate.

Cozy interior of the Sydney restaurant with warm lighting and wooden tables

🍽️ What We Ordered & How It Stacked Up

Pioik Nigella Seed Flatbread, Whipped Tahini

Warm, blistered, fragrant. The kind of bread that makes you pause mid‑conversation. The whipped tahini is silky and addictive

House Pickles & Ferments, Toum

Bright, crunchy, and palate‑sharpening. The toum brings that perfect garlicky punch.

Westholme Wagyu Tongue, Date Glaze

A standout. Tender, smoky wagyu tongue balanced with a glossy, caramel‑sweet date glaze.

Note: not my picture ( I was sure I took one - my gallery says otherwise)

Cucumbers, Green Tahini, Crispy Chilli

Cool, fresh, then a hit of crispy chilli that wakes everything up. Simple on paper, layered on the palate.

Vanella Stracciatella, Pickled Zucchini, Grape, Urfa

Creamy, tangy, sweet, spiced — a beautifully composed plate with real lift from the grapes and Urfa pepper.

Wood‑Fired Carrots, Cashew Tarator, Golden Raisins

Smoky, soft, deeply caramelised carrots with richness from the tarator and sweetness from the raisins. Comforting and clever.

600g Coppertree Farm Ribeye, Burnt Chilli Salsa

The showstopper. Perfectly rested, flame‑kissed ribeye with a burnt chilli salsa that cuts through the fat with heat and brightness. A dish that makes you grateful for fire.

My Dessert - Cardamom Ice Cream, Chocolate, Honeycomb, Plum

Fragrant, textural, and beautifully balanced. The cardamom sings.

His Dessert- Yoghurt Ice Cream, Blackberry, Brown Butter Cake

Creamy, tangy, warm, fruity — a dessert that feels both nostalgic and modern.

Hubby's Take

If The Palomar is a restaurant built on fire, flavour, and flair, then sitting at the bar is the best way to experience it. Watching the chefs work the wood fire up close gave the whole night an energy that made every dish feel intentional. From the flatbread to the ribeye, the meal moved with rhythm — light, bright starters, smoky vegetables, and a steak that stole the show.

Pioik Nigella Seed Flatbread, Whipped Tahini

Light, warm, and surprisingly delicious. Even for someone who doesn’t usually gravitate toward tahini, this one was incredibly smooth and well balanced.

House Pickles & Ferments, Toum

Clean, simple flavours with great texture. A refreshing little plate that worked nicely alongside the richer dishes.

Westholme Wagyu Tongue, Date Glaze

One of the favourites of the night. Tender, beautifully flavoured, and paired with a date glaze that was so good we wished the serving was bigger.

Cucumbers, Green Tahini, Crispy Chilli

Refreshing and cleansing as you ate. Light, bright, and a great contrast to the heavier plates.

Vanella Stracciatella, Pickled Zucchini, Grape, Urfa

A clever mix of flavours that came together beautifully. Unexpected but genuinely delicious.

Wood‑Fired Carrots, Cashew Tarator, Golden Raisins

Tasty, but didn’t stand out compared to some of the stronger dishes of the night. Solid, but not a highlight.

600g Coppertree Farm Ribeye, Burnt Chilli Salsa

The standout. Cooked perfectly, tender, full of flavour, and easily the dish that stole the night. A proper showstopper.

Yoghurt Ice Cream, Blackberry, Brown Butter Cake

Light, nostalgic, and very enjoyable. The yoghurt ice cream added a tangy twist that worked well with the warm, buttery cake.

A meal full of highlights, but the ribeye alone would bring him back. Watching the wood fire in action from the bar made the whole experience even better — the kind of dinner that sticks with you.

My take

This restaurant is right up my alley. From the moment we sat at the bar — flames roaring, chefs moving with intention — I knew this was going to be my kind of meal. And it absolutely was. Every single dish had a wow factor. Not one miss. Not one moment where I thought, “Hmm, that could’ve been better.”

House Pickles & Ferments, Toum

Very tasty, crisp, and bursting with flavour. A bright, punchy opener that set the tone for the whole meal.

Westholme Wagyu Tongue, Date Glaze

So well cooked — soft, tender, with that gorgeous charcoal edge. The date glaze wrapped everything together with sweetness and depth. A beautifully executed dish

Cucumbers, Green Tahini, Crispy Chilli

A highlight. Truly. I don’t know how they packed so much flavour into something so simple. Layered, refreshing, and unbelievably moreish.

Vanella Stracciatella, Pickled Zucchini, Grape, Urfa

Oh how I love cheese — and this dish reminded me why. The flavours were so well thought out, each element bringing something different. Sweetness, tang, creaminess, spice. It all came together beautifully.

600g Coppertree Farm Ribeye, Burnt Chilli Salsa

Perfectly cooked. Juicy, tender, full of flavour. Honestly, they should have scored higher in the “best steaks” rankings — this one deserves a spot at the top.

Dessert

Cardamom Ice Cream, Chocolate, Honeycomb, Plum

My dessert was delectable. The cardamom ice cream tasted like an elevated Violet Crumble — nostalgic, fragrant, crunchy, and just so satisfying. A perfect finish.

Special Mention:

The best mocktails I have had to date. I wish Paloma would do a masterclass to teach me how to recreate these!! Absolute winners!

Scores

Category	Me	Hubby
Ambiance	9/10	8.5/10
Staff	9/10	9/10
Food	9.5/10	9/10
Final Rating (not an average)	9.5/10	9/10

The Palomar Paddington delivers a meal that’s vibrant, generous, and full of personality. The One Hat is well earned, and the London lineage shows — but this is unmistakably a Sydney restaurant, grounded in local produce, wood‑fire cooking, and that signature Mitch Orr energy.

Sitting at the bar made the experience even better. If you can snag those seats, do it. Watching the flames work their magic adds a whole new dimension to the meal.

Final Thoughts

Walking out of The Palomar, we both had that rare, satisfied silence — the kind that only happens after a meal that genuinely hits every note. This one is a definite worth it. In fact, it’s easily one of my favourites to date.

The One Hat? Absolutely earned.   And honestly… I’d even go as far as saying I’d give it two. The fire, the flavour, the energy, the bar‑side theatre — it all comes together in a way that feels special, intentional, and deeply memorable.

The Palomar isn’t just a good meal. It’s a meal that stays with you.