14-05-2025
Nigella Lawson can't get enough of these Sydney hotspots - and names her pick of the best 'roast chook' in town
Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson has been on the ground in Sydney for less than a week and has already frequented more restaurants than many of us would in a year.
The British culinary queen wasted no time heading straight to her favourite local institutions - the latest being Sean's, the beloved beachside restaurant perched above North Bondi with uninterrupted ocean views.
In her usual gushing style, the foodie posted her meal on Instagram, raving to her 3.1million followers and describing her experience as 'the perfect Sydney Sunday' spot.
Nigella followed with a mouth-watering rundown of her long lunch, which began with a delicate fennel chowder studded with sweet blue claw yabbies and a show-stopping plate of vibrant crudités.
It was the main event however - a classic Aussie roast chook - that stole her heart.
'Roast chook at @seansbondi epitomises the perfect Sydney Sunday for me,' she wrote, adding that the entire experience left her not only speechless but physically full.
'I'm actually too full up even to write now, which explains why this is a short caption by my standards.'
For those who follow Nigella, known for her poetic Instagram musings, that admission alone speaks volumes.
Her second favourite was the cruditées and fennel chowder with blue claw yabbies (pictured)
Still, she managed to squeeze in praise for the 'dreamy' dessert of crostoli with pistachio cream, kumquat, quince and persimmon.
Also winning Nigella's heart? The ambiance and soul of the restaurant itself, lovingly referring to owner-chef Sean Moran and his team as 'radiating gorgeousness, as ever'.
She also couldn't help but fawn over the venue's signature feature: its hand-written blackboard menu. 'Oh, that blackboard of joy,' she wrote.
Nigella was joined by her longtime friend and photographer Petrina Tinslay, who has shot many of Nigella's most iconic cookbook covers over the years.
The pair have been frequent collaborators, but this lunch was clearly more about indulgence than industry.
Sean's, which has quietly retained its cult status since opening in 1993, has long been favoured by in-the-know Sydneysiders who flock to the whitewashed beach house for its paddock-to-plate philosophy, relaxed charm and that unbeatable Bondi backdrop.
Since being in Sydney, Nigella also frequented another old Sydney favourite of hers, Fratelli Paradiso in Potts Point.
'My first stop in Sydney has to be Fratelli Paradiso. It's one of my rules for a good life,' she wrote on Instagram.
'Walking through the doors after a year away just felt like coming home. I love everything about this place: great people, great mood, great food.'
While Nigella admitted the restaurant's dim lighting wasn't ideal for taking photos, she found a moment to capture the final course once her neighbouring table had cleared.
The dessert - the show-stopping Bombalaska - left her speechless.
'Behold the beauteous Bombalaska! I don't expect to eat a better pudding while I'm here, and I don't need to: I'll just keep coming back for this,' she wrote.
The dish features a base of hazelnut praline, pistachio semifreddo and lemon curd all tucked beneath a bronzed dome of flame-kissed Italian meringue.
'Yes, I know! I swooned with each spoonful,' she added.
Before reaching that final, sugar-laced high, Nigella indulged in a meal that read like a greatest hits list.
She opened with her usual on-arrival order, Olive Ascolane - plump green olives stuffed with sharp cheese, breadcrumbed and deep fried.
That was followed by a tangle of bitter puntarelle dressed with anchovies, a serve of the restaurant's famed scampi spaghettini, and a thick pork chop paired with agretti (also known as monk's beard) and creamy white polenta.
'I did have help eating all this, by the way,' she joked, adding, 'purring with pleasure, and planning when I can come back for more.'
Fratelli Paradiso has long been a firm favourite of locals and celebrities alike.
