Kimpton Margot has only been open since Feburary, yet is already making its name known with one of the most beautiful foyers in all of Sydney. On top of its gorgeous art deco design, a myriad of bars and restaurants offer up hotel hospitality that’s truly second to none. We had the opportunity to experience said hospitality this week with a delicious four-course extravaganza by Four Pillars Gin at the hotel’s own Luke’s Kitchen.
Pairing Four Pillars Gin cocktails with a curated menu designed by Chef Luke Magnan himself, it was an evening of decadence and deliciousness rolled into one. And when the night begins with a flowing gin tower, you know you’re in for a special treat!
We were seated up at a stunning black marble table, with name plaques and Bloody Shiraz Gin Gimlets to welcome us in sophisticated style. I was simply in awe of the interior design upon arrival. It’s quite a historic foundation with a contemporary twist, combining dim mood lighting and sleek furniture with red marble pillars and enough nooks and crannies to make the large, open space feel contrastingly quaint and cosy.
The menu itself was enough to write home about. Each gin and dish pairing was carefully curated to complement the flavours of each, and I think Four Pillars and Luke did a magnificent job on this. The dishes incorporated gin in creative and innovative ways, definitely making it a menu to remember. Our first course was Petuna Ocean Trout Gravlax, consisting of beetroot and rare dry gin salt cure, as well as fennel, crispy onions and lemon dressing. The Big Dill was its counterpart drinks pairing, also featuring rare dry gin. It was topped with rhubarb creaming soda for a rich finishing touch.
Our second course was Barbecued Grilled King Prawns, offering a gin botanical curry powder, compressed pineapple and cauliflower. I particularly loved the sweetness of the pineapple coming through. To pair was the Oki Doki Hinoki with a distinct Japanese flair. This cocktail featured fresh yuzu gin, toji daiginjo, yuzu and hinoki. The star of the show was our main: Dry Aged Roast Duck Breast. It was soft, tender and simply divine, offering a gin glaze with pickled orange, grilled asparagus, dates and parsnip puree. The citrus of the orange really fed into the citrus of the paired cocktail called Democracy Manifest. With Olive Leaf Gin, duck fat, whole orange and a spiced pickled onion, the complexities of this concoction created a very unique taste.
Finishing with one of the yummiest coconut rice pudding I’ve ever had the pleasure of trying, everything was exceptional from the flavours, to the space and the overall mood of the evening. Honourable mention goes to the final cocktail called Tan Lines, to pair with our dessert. Inspired by the beautiful Bondi Beach, it was designed to taste the way sunscreen smells, which sounds weird but made total sense once I tried it. It has a kind of refreshing lightness to it, with a coconut sweetness coming through. Definitely my favourite cocktail of the night.
Be sure to pay Kimpton Margot a visit sometime if you’re feeling boujee city vibes or are simply looking to try somewhere new. And if you don’t know of them already, you can find out more about Four Pillars Gin here.
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