It’s lovely to find a restaurant that is joyful. Soluna in North Sydney has such a positive vibe to it – from the moment manager Jonathan Bayed greets you at the door like an old friend, right through to executive chef Rhys Connell, who is such a personable, engaging person, you can’t help feeling connected to the food he creates.
Rhys has been at Soluna, located under the new Aqua apartments on Walker Street which are still filling up, since it opened in July last year. What he offers if now attracting people from ‘over the Harbour Bridge,’ he says, and it is easy to understand why. The large, attractive space is like an extension of a home dining room, with the menu aiming to reflect ‘Australia’s brighter-style days’ with an atmosphere ‘as sunny as possible,’ Rhys says. “The food reflects things that grow in the sun.”
Given Rhys’ background in seafood restaurants, there is literally an ocean of underwater offerings on the menu. One of the reasons is because people don’t cook a lot of seafood at home, Rhys explains. And what absolute delights you will sample. The menu is designed as a ‘build your own meal.’ For the ‘light and raw’ option, I absolutely loved the kingfish, lightly dressed with yuzu kosho, a tangy Japanese spicey sauce with tones of citrus, on a bed of burnt avocado. It was a great way to wake up my palate. Another ‘light’ favourite is the delectable yellowfin tuna, elegantly positioned on burrata and delicately flavoured with dried tomato.
I was pleased to sample a favourite of mine, Mafaldine pasta with veal ragu. It was deliciously rich and cooked just right. Every dish on the menu has a unique flavour, with so many different sauces and spices to excite your palate. The dishes are beautifully presented; who knew a simple Spring salad with golden beets, pomegranate and purple lettuce could burst with so much colour!
The clientele is extremely diverse, with Rhys wanting everyone to feel welcome – with several families the night we visited sitting comfortably next to Gen Zs taking snaps of their gorgeous-looking dishes for socials, and retirees enjoying the ‘classic’ wine list. All pastries, breads and pasta are made inhouse, and there are many dishes which can be shared, with a roast chicken Waldorf and a whole flounder with kombu butter just two examples.
Owners Etymon Projects have hit the mark with Soluna, offering an affordable, eclectic dining experience which will leave you wanting to come back to sample the whole menu!
Soluna
168 Walker St
North Sydney
soluna.sydney/Phone 9044 6868
