Established in 1997 by Tony Papas and Robert Smallbone, The Boathouse has become known around the fine dining traps for its extensive oyster selection and snapper pie. With dazzling new restaurants aplenty, it’s easy to overlook the veterans, but one seldom forgets The Boathouse for a number of reasons.

With floor-to-ceiling windows aplenty, view’s the word. Perched on Blackwattle Bay, diners are offered panoramic views across the Anzac Bridge and the Sydney Fish Market from within a simple and perfectly understated room. Then there’s the fact that the restaurant is an oyster fiend’s best friend, offering over a dozen different varieties. Indulge in the freshly shucked delicacies of an evening or join private oyster classes and tasting seminars during the day.

The considered a la carte menu affords diners options too. Spanner crab, Cowra lamb rump, roast Cone Bay barramundi and the infamous snapper pie with truffle oil are bound to arouse your taste buds with delicate flavours and interesting textures. For dessert, the banana soufflé with milk chocolate and peanut ice cream or dark chocolate pudding with toasted barley ice cream and prune are the tickets.

A legendary seafood-centric menu delivered via a slick, unobtrusive service team in a practically faultless dining room is what makes The Boathouse an enduring gem on Sydney’s turbulent restaurant scene.