Located inside Crown Sydney, Woodcut is a luxury restaurant built around elemental cooking: fire, smoke, steam, and ice each anchored in their own dedicated kitchen. The concept focuses on premium Australian ingredients prepared with simplicity and precision, allowing the flavours of seafood, vegetables, and wood-fired meats to shine. The restaurant is widely known for its dramatic open kitchens and its high-end steak program featuring some of the most exclusive cuts in the country.

Outdoor view from Woodcut

Food

Team Chowhounds came here for a dinner and this meal was a journey through both the cold kitchen and the fire kitchen.

  • Oysters ($7.50 each)
  • Cooked Bugs ($46)
  • Pearl Meat ($46)
  • Veal Tongue Skewer ($24 each)
  • Halloumi ($32)
  • Black Market T-Bone Steak ($300)
  • Rib Eye, Butcher’s Cut ($335)
  • Hasselback Potato ($19)
  • Cheese Plate ($30)

The oysters were served on a bed of crushed ice and tasted bright, clean, and slightly briny with a natural sweetness. A squeeze of lemon was all they needed.

Woodcut, Sydney – Oysters
Woodcut, Sydney – Oysters

The cooked bugs were tender, slightly sweet, and buttery. Woodcut kept the preparation minimal, allowing the natural flavour of the meat to stand out. These were quite a shock to behold on the menu but the taste was as if lobster and tuna had a baby together.

Woodcut, Sydney – Cooked Bugs
Woodcut, Sydney – Cooked Bugs

The pearl meat came thinly sliced over ice with citrus and herbs. For those unaware, pearl meat refers to the muscle of a clam that opens and closes the shell, so it's not the actual pearl. This pearl meat offered a subtle, oceanic flavour and a gentle chew — delicate and refreshing.

Woodcut, Sydney – Pearl Meat
Woodcut, Sydney – Pearl Meat

The veal tongue skewer arrived with a beautifully charred exterior and a melt-in-your-mouth interior. Edible flowers and herbs added visual appeal and a hint of freshness. This was one of the most memorable bites of the evening.

Woodcut, Sydney – Veal Tongue Skewers
Woodcut, Sydney – Veal Tongue Skewers

The halloumi was served sizzling in a cast-iron pan with warm dates and herbs. The pairing of salty cheese and sticky sweetness made this a standout dish.

Woodcut, Sydney – Halloumi
Woodcut, Sydney – Halloumi

The Black Market T-bone steak had a deep char with an evenly rosy centre. It was flavourful, smoky, and clearly benefitted from Woodcut’s fire-focused approach. This was easily shared among the table. Unfortunately, this thick cut lacked much seasoning so we asked for a serving of salt and pepper to customize.

Woodcut, Sydney – T-Bone Steak
Woodcut, Sydney – T-Bone Steak

The rib eye was even richer and more marbled than the T-bone. It came juicy, tender, and packed with concentrated beefy flavour — a luxurious showpiece cut.

Woodcut, Sydney – Rib-Eye
Woodcut, Sydney – Rib-Eye

The hasselback potato was crisp, golden, and meticulously layered. The layers afforded a ton of texture, and I would have liked if this came standard with a side of sour cream, but you can request pretty much anything you want at Woodcut.

Woodcut, Sydney – Hasselback Potato
Woodcut, Sydney – Hasselback Potato

The cheese plate offered a curated selection of Australian cheeses accompanied by honeycomb, dried grapes, apple and pear slices, and breadsticks. It was a balanced and elegant way to finish the meal.

Woodcut, Sydney – Cheese Plate
Woodcut, Sydney – Cheese Plate

Ambiance

Woodcut’s dining room featured warm lighting, polished stone tables, and clear views into multiple open kitchens. The space felt modern and upscale, with a lively energy that never became overly loud. Watching chefs operate over fire pits and chilled counters added a sense of theatre to the evening.

Our dinner was seated outside which faced the Darling Harbour boardwalk which was perfect on a late-spring evening. The boardwalk is vast and offers ample opportunity for people-watching and it felt like eating in a little seaside garden.

Woodcut, Sydney – Interior
Woodcut, Sydney – Interior

Total occupancy I believe is around 170 guests across all table arrangements and so you can assume any size of party can be accommodated.

Service

Service was inattentive and slower than a train ride to the Blue Mountains. Sorry but that's what my experience was. When they attended to us, staff explained dishes confidently, and offered thoughtful recommendations, but getting them to show up was a nightmare. Perhaps it was a short-staffed night on this Sunday dinner. As a result, water refills, table clearing, and check-ins were handled with inconsistency and no acknowledgement that it was a messy evening.

A number of things went sideways in service.

Our reservation-maker asked for an outdoor table, yet I was the first person to arrive for dinner, and I was seated inside.

When we asked for the sommelier, we instead got our server and a random staff coming over to take our drink order, so we weren't ready and they were unaware of the drink orders the other had taken.

A dinner for 5 people took 3 hours for our a-la-carte dinner. I could be out of the loop but that felt quite long.

Flagging our server down was the worst part because at this point, it seemed like nobody wanted to come outside to the end of the garden path where our table was situated.

Woodcut, Sydney – Menu
Woodcut, Sydney – Menu

Final Thoughts

One-Liner: A refined celebration of elemental cooking with standout steaks and pristine seafood in one of Sydney’s most polished dining rooms, if you can handle the potential for a LONG dinner

Highlight: The Rib Eye (Butcher’s Cut)

Price per Person: $200–$350

Would I Go Back? No, I think there are other surf and turf restaurants worth checking out first at this price point.