Executive Chef, Billy Hannigan, has created his version of the Beef Wellington. Think beautifully seared wagyu grain fed beef tenderloin wrapped in golden sour cream pastry and filled with deeply savory mushroom duxelles. Alongside three side dishes will perfectly complement your meal, Including creamed potato, butter lettuce and roasted bone marrow and anchovy
This dish is $75 per person and it is a true showstopper for an elegant Saturday meal.
To book your Saturday dining experience at The Charles, please follow the link below or call our reservations team on 9145 8066.
Please note, the Beef Wellington takes 45 minutes to prepare. Enjoy a glass of wine, or some entrees to start while we prepare it for you – it is worth the wait!
Beef Wellington is available on Saturday from 12pm, in the Brasserie. We require 48 hours’ pre-order for this dish. If a pre-order is not submitted, we will do our best to accommodate requests but cannot guarantee availability.
On Tuesday, 7th Nov, join us at The Charles for an unforgettable Melbourne Cup experience
Whether you’re looking for a cozy spot at the Bar area, or dining at the Brasserie, or wish to hire the mezzanine exclusively for your group, we have a range of spaces to accommodate you.
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The Charles Brasserie
Cheer on your favourite steed as they gallop towards victory with TVs placed throughout the venue, ensuring you won’t miss a moment of the horse racing action.
Enjoy a glass of Moet Chandon on arrival and a 3-course menu, curated by Executive Chef, Billy Hannigan, which is made up of some of The Charles Brasserie’s hero dishes, and a selection of dishes created specifically for the day.
The brasserie Melbourne Cup menu is $175pp, guests can choose to upgrade to include a 2-hour beverage package for $75pp or have our Sommelier’s guide them through our wine list on consumption.
To secure your spot, follow the button below or call our reservations team on 02 9145 8066
As one of the most prestigious events on the Australian calendar, the Melbourne Cup promises an atmosphere of elegance and celebration, and we’re bringing all the festivities to The Charles Bar.
Enjoy our casual Melbourne Cup two course set menu and entertainment from The Charles Bar DJ at $65pp. 2 hours beverage package available for an additional $75pp.
Whether you’re a racing enthusiast, a fashion aficionado, or simply looking for somewhere to relax and enjoy lunch out with friends and colleagues, The Charles Bar has got you covered.
To secure your spot, follow the button below or call our reservations team on 02 9145 8066. Limited spots are available, so don’t miss out.
“Brandy is any spirit made from a distilled wine, but not all brandy is Cognac,” says Alex Zanarini, brand ambassador for Hennessy, one of the world’s leading Cognac producers. “This is because of appellation – just as Champagne must come from the Champagne region, Cognac must come from the Cognac region in France. Not only must the grapes (the ugni-blanc varietal) be grown here, but the Cognac must be distilled twice in copper stills and aged for a minimum of two years in French oak from the forests of Troncais or Limousin.”
For a long time, this variety of brandy, made from distilled white wine grapes, has been misunderstood (despite constant shoutouts from rappers like Jay Z and Busta Rhymes) – from how it’s produced to how to drink it. An upcoming collaborative dinner at The Charles with Hennessy will break down the barriers to drinking this old-world spirit, making it more approachable and proving that it can pair as brilliantly with food as any other beverage.
Guests will be served a Hennessy Cognac-based cocktail and tastings of four Hennessy Cognacs – including a rare make only available in certain airports. Perhaps most excitingly, Hennessy Paradis – one of the world’s rarest Cognacs – will also be on the pour. Each Cognac will be paired with a dish designed by The Charles’ executive chef Billy Hannigan.
“Pairing food and Cognac is a lost art that we are hoping to revive with dinners like these,” says Zanarini, who will host a presentation during the dinner to give diners a better grounding in this grape-based drink. “Dating back to the days of King George IV [the 18th and 19th centuries] it was quite common to enjoy Hennessy before, during and after meals. These days, a popular pairing is XO Cognac with desserts, as the chocolate notes and long finish match so effortlessly with petits fours. The subtle spice in XO and VSOP work well with rich meats such as duck, pate and charcuterie, while younger Cognacs are the perfect companion for cheeses.”
If you can’t make it to the dinner, Zanarini and Etymon’s Director of Bars Jonothan Carr have a few tips for enjoying this classic spirit at home or at a bar.
Zanarini reckons Cognac will go well in your favourite cocktail (for example, it’ll add depth and nuance to an espresso martini) or simply with ginger ale and fresh lime for something light and breezy.
“I love to make a sidecar cocktail with Hennessy VSOP or enjoy it neat, as it is very well balanced and light on the palate. Such an approachable style is great for enjoying with food,” he says.
Meanwhile, Carr says you should tweak how you serve your Cognac depending on its age.
“A VS Cognac [aged a minimum of two years] is wonderful in cocktails, VSOP [aged for a minimum of four years] and up you would be wanting to savour the unique flavours, so ice or neat is suggested. However, go wild, I’m sure an XO Cognac old fashioned would be delicious. I may need to make one soon to test the theory.”
The Charles Hennessy Cognac Dinner is on Thursday 3rd of August at 6:30pm. Join us for an extraordinary evening of dining and exceptional cognac pairings, celebrating the artistry of culinary craftsmanship and the unparalleled excellence of Hennessy Cognacs – Find out more
Enhance your theatre night with a delightful pre-show dining experience at The Charles Grand Brasseries. Discover the perfect blend of culinary mastery and theatrical excitement as you indulge in a memorable meal.
Savor a thoughtfully curated two-course menu, showcasing some of The Charles Brasserie’s most popular dishes.
Let the European-inspired flavors ignite your senses, creating a harmonious prelude to the theatrical magic that awaits.
To book your pre-theatre dining experience, follow the button below or call our reservations team on (02) 8000 7800.
When afternoon tea is in full flight under the lofty ceiling of The Charles, it’s a beautiful sight. A trolley roams the room, groaning with cakes, chocolate and macarons, and guests sip artisan tea from fine china as they load up scones with preserves and cream. In many ways, The Charles offers a very traditional take on the afternoon tea, a concept masterminded in the mid-19th century by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, who would get peckish between lunch and her 8pm dinner. But in other ways, what head pastry chef Rhiann Mead and her team is doing is quite radical.
First, let’s backtrack – here in Australia we typically call this meal ‘high tea’. Yet in the UK, this betwixt-lunch-and-dinner feast is known as ‘afternoon tea’. So, what’s the difference? Traditionally, high tea was what the working classes in England might call dinner or supper (and it’s not unusual for many Australians to have grown up calling this meal ‘tea’). It was a filling meal of meat, carbs and, yes, tea, served after a long day of work. Still, scones, sandwiches and cakes scream ‘high tea’ to many down under.
“We didn’t want to restrict ourselves to the limited options of a standard high tea menu,” Mead says of The Charles’ decision to call the service afternoon tea. “Being a European brasserie, we have a much broader range to choose from, and we wanted the menu to reflect that.”
And Mead’s menu has a few items one definitely wouldn’t have seen on a Victorian-era high tea stand: unique takes on Kit-Kats, gummy bears and chocolate Flakes. “They’re beautifully refined and elegant, but also bring a sense of nostalgia,” she says. “They’re something you’d never see on an afternoon tea menu elsewhere.”
You probably also wouldn’t catch The Charles’ truly impressive honey cake on any other afternoon tea menus: it involves layer after layer (28 in total) of dulce de leche and honeycomb cake, making a spectacular crown for the dessert trolley.
Speaking of the dessert trolley: it’s a flourish you won’t see at any other afternoon (or high) tea in Sydney. It comes by each table after they’re served their scones and savouries, with diners invited to select from a bounty of sweets: the honey cake, tiramisu tarte, chocolates and macarons.
Some traditions, though, are never worth overthrowing. “You can’t have afternoon tea without scones!” says Mead, whose team bakes the classic every day. She also offers a practical answer to that old-age question: does the jam go first, or the cream?
“I’m a jam-first girl,” she says. “A scone will absorb more jam than it will cream, so it makes sense to do it in that order if you want to maximise your toppings!”
Afternoon Tea is available 12-5pm, 7 Days a week in The Charles Brasserie. Visit www.thecharles.sydney for more information
Celebrating World Whisky Day and craftmanship, Head Pastry Chef Rhiann Mead has partnered with Balvenie to create three desserts that perfectly pair with Whisky’s from Balvenie’s range.
Starting from Monday, 8th of May, only available during the Month of May.
Our first Wine Dinner at The Charles Brasserie will be dedicated to showcasing the hidden gems of Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais.
At this dinner you will be expertly guided through 9 Burgundies by Etymon Projects Director of Wine Paolo Saccone, Head Sommelier Maxime Bellon & Fabio Pallottini of Franc About Wine alongside a 4-course menu perfectly paired by Executive Chef Billy Hannigan.
Due to increasing demand and limited production, Burgundies are fast becoming one of the most elusive wines to procure. This dinner features a mix of wines to showcase the complexities of the terroir regions in which Burgundies are produced and the influence it has on the wine world
The dinner is $475pp and includes 9 Burgundy and 4 Courses. This is an intimate evening and limited seats are available.
To secure your seat, follow the button below or call our reservations team on (02) 8000 7800.
When you’re a pastry chef, Easter is truly your time to shine – especially if you’re also a professionally trained chocolatier, like The Charles’ multi-talented head pastry chef Rhiann Mead. This is one of her favourite times of year. It’s a prime opportunity for her to flaunt her chocolate-working skills, learnt during an apprenticeship at prestigious London chocolatier William Curley.
“In my first week I was shown how to create a chocolate flower – something that was well beyond my skill level at that time and something I’ll never forget,” says Mead, who further honed her skills crafting decorations, petits fours and chocolate bars at Sydney fine diners Bennelong and Quay. “The head chocolatier, Alistair Birt, invested so much time in teaching things, from the most simple decorations to a technical chocolate sculpture.”
And this fantastically chocolate-heavy time of year is the perfect time for Mead to put those technical and artistic skills in the spotlight. For The Charles’ first Easter she’s designed mini chocolate eggs to create an elegant, adult-friendly version of the Easter egg hunt. Salted muscovado caramel is encased in a 64% dark chocolate shell, flecked with gold leaf, then wrapped in colourful foil to “really spark that childhood nostalgia”, she says.
The opulence of The Charles’ dining room, which evokes the old-world glamour of Europe’s finest restaurants, is mirrored in a collection of larger, hollow eggs.
They begin with cocoa butter shells coloured with the light pinks and burgundies that are The Charles’ hallmark, as well as a gold lustre combined with cocoa for a gold-speckled effect. Depending on which egg you select, it will be lined with either a 40% milk or a 66% dark chocolate, combined with a beautifully textural crunchy praline mix.
The extra-special finishing touch on both eggs? A smattering of gold leaf, adding some extra Easter sparkle.
And unlike your ordinary mass-produced Easter eggs, every single creation served at The Charles is hand-tempered, decorated and finished – a practice of patience, and demonstrating a deep understanding of science and flavour. (Not to mention, working with chocolate in Australia can be a difficult undertaking, thanks to our warm and humid climate.)
The Charles’ signature dessert trolley will also be getting the Easter treatment, with Mead adding classics such as simnel cake – a fruitcake widely eaten this time of year in Britain that’s popping with marzipan, and with extra marzipan balls on top representing 11 disciples (minus Judas). And, now it’s an acceptable time of year to start eating hot cross buns, there’ll also be a hot cross bun gelato on the specials list in the lead up to the big weekend.
Keen on sampling Mead’s chocolate skills beyond Easter? You’ll find her cocoa-crafting handiwork on The Charles’ menus and dessert trolley year-round. A black forest cake on the bistro menu is a chocolate-lover’s dream, with three types of couverture chocolate, as well as cocoa nibs and cacao powder. And on the roaming dessert trolley you’re sure to find deftly crafted moulded chocolates, hand-dipped rochers and moreish chocolate bars.
The Charles Easter Eggs are available on the Dessert Trolley from Monday 27th of March – Sunday 9th of April. The Charles is open for Lunch and Dinner on Easter Saturday & Easter Sunday.
Indulge in a spot of luxury at The Charles Brasserie Afternoon Tea.
After a long day trawling Pitt Street, finish your day in the luxurious surrounds of The Charles Grand Brasserie as you sip on a glass of Moet and enjoy a relaxing afternoon.
The Charles offers guests an exclusive afternoon tea experience with a selection of Savoury and Sweets carefully crafted by our experienced pastry team, this is an Afternoon Tea experience that you won’t soon forget.
This experience is $99pp and includes a glass of Moet, curated menu of savoury & sweets and flowing tea and coffee.
For guests who would prefer a non-alcoholic option, this is priced at $75pp and includes a curated menu of savoury & sweets and flowing tea and coffee.
To book your Afternoon Tea at The Charles, please follow the link below or call our reservations team on 9145 8066.
Afternoon Tea is available from Monday-Sunday, from 12pm-5pm, in the Brasserie. We require 24 hours’ notice for all dietary requirements and will do our best to accommodate all requests.
