Luke's Kitchen, Kimpton Margot Sydney

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First brunch course: Peking duck tortellini and edamame in a Peking duck broth.

Luke’s Kitchen is a much more elegant restaurant than its name might suggest. In fact, it is rather opulent, with spacious tables, linen napkins, luxurious décor, mood lighting and gorgeous art deco fittings. Located on the ground floor of the Kimpton Margot Hotel, it boasts fine food from one of Sydney’s most esteemed chefs, along with a superb list of boutique and imported wines. If you’re dressed to impress, you certainly won’t look out of place here with a glass of Veuve Clicquot or some caviar on your plate.

Luke Mangan has hotel dining down to a fine art, from his gig at the exemplary Glass Brasserie in the Sydney Hilton, to P & O cruise ships, the Eastern Oriental Express and even the Mater Private Hospital in Brisbane. At the helm of his new venture in Kimpton’s first Australian hotel, he demonstrates a similar level of commitment to quality seasonal produce and technique.

The restaurant occupies a section of the hotel’s glamorous lobby, in a beautifully repurposed heritage-listed 1939 building. Its old-world ambience evolves as the day unfolds, through delicious à la carte breakfasts and weekend brunches to weekday power lunches and elegant evening dining. Mangan draws on his French culinary training and Asian influences to produce a modern Australian menu designed for all-day dining.

Luke's Kitchen, an elegant space in the Art Deco-style Kimpton Margot Sydney. — Luke’s Kitchen, an elegant space in the Art Deco-style Kimpton Margot Sydney. (Photo supplied by the hotel.)

During our recent stay at the Kimpton Margot Hotel, which we wrote about in a separate post, we enjoyed the Bottomless Brunch that Luke’s Kitchen offers on Saturdays from 11am to 2.30pm. At $95 a head, it’s a five-course menu with bottomless pours of sparkling wine and Rosé (For an extra $30, you can replace the wine with free-flowing cocktails, or for an extra $90 you can have free-flowing Taittinger Champagne. For an extra $50, you can add caviar with a Vodka shot.) It’s worth pointing out that there is no time limit on the brunch; you can spend as long as you like eating and drinking until 2:30pm and we found that so refreshing after being unceremoniously told to leave way too many restaurants lately after 2 hours or less. The staff were attentive and generous with frequent pours.

Mangan previously had a restaurant in Waterloo which was also called Luke’s Kitchen. While it was a much more casual affair than this one in the Kimpton, he has taken the blueprint from that venture and given it a more polished look. The vibes here are very much grand hotel vibes.

Luke Mangan, one of Sydney's most esteemed chefs, at the helm. — Luke Mangan, one of Sydney’s most esteemed chefs, at the helm.

The only nod to breakfast in the Bottomless Brunch menu is an organic poached egg served with soft polenta and chimichurri. It’s the third dish served, coming between exquisite dishes of Tempura Coral Trout with kimchi, and Braised Pork Belly with green papaya salad and carrot puree.

Perhaps the highlight of the five courses for me was the first dish, Peking duck tortellini and edamame bobbing about in a Peking duck broth. Served in a dainty cup, it was packed with umami flavours. And, just to prove that even fancy restaurants need a good editor to check their menus, the duck was listed twice as “Pecking” duck. (Or perhaps that was deliberate – as it certainly made us feel peckish for more.)

The restaurant occupies a section of the hotel lobby, in a heritage-listed 1939 building. (Photo — The restaurant occupies a section of the hotel lobby in a heritage-listed 1939 building. (Photo supplied by the hotel.)

The dishes were quite small and nicely spaced out, finishing with Coconut Rice Pudding served with mango, blackberries, custard and roasted coconut. Yum!

In other special offers, Luke’s Kitchen offers a Power Lunch from 12 noon to 2.30pm Wednesday to Friday, costing from $35 a head with a glass of wine (two- and three-course options also available).

The à la carte menu is more extensive with snacks, small plates, large plates and plates designed to share. Among the desserts on offer is Mangan’s famous Liquorice Parfait, which he popularized way back (although you would have been unlikely to see it with a finger lime garnish back then).

Fourth course: Braised Pork Belly with green papaya salad and carrot puree. — Fourth brunch course: Braised Pork Belly with green papaya salad and carrot puree.

For an indulgent wine experience, the restaurant offers Cellar By Luke, where you can dine in a private space surrounded by walls of fine wine, while you enjoy a degustation menu with special wine pairings.

Before or after dining in Luke’s Kitchen, nestle into one of the plush velvet lounges at The Wilmot Bar and enjoy a cocktail or other tipple. I promise you’ll feel as though you’ve stepped right into the set of The Great Gatsby.