Annata Restaurant

We celebrated my partner’s birthday at their new location opening day with their 5 course menu in addition with oysters, zucchini flower, champagne and wine. Every single course was delicious, amazing, well cooked, well thought out and a pleasant experience for our palates. Congratulations to the chefs who have such high level cooking skills and taste. Definitely a rare gem in St. Leonard’s/Crows Nest. We enjoyed every single course so much that we didn’t want it to end. We will definitely recommend anyone to Annata, as they are now our top favourite restaurant to dine in. The restaurant atmosphere and decorations were great. We will definitely come back to dine at Annata again. Thank you for the wonderful experience. Worth every penny.

What an experience! Extremely accommodating to a private birthday dinner! John and his staff provided amazing and friendly service. From the (pre-organized) flowers on the table waiting on arrival, the delicious 4 course meal with wine pairing, the perfect ambience and quiet atmosphere, to the (pre-organized) presenting of a gift and card after dessert. Every mouthful of each course was savoured before the next. The explanation of paired wines and flavours were unbelievably good. The subtle digestive breaks in between courses to soak in the atmosphere and relaxed conversation was perfect. Annata was an effortless and pleasant experience for our senses and our stomachs. Thank you John and the Annata team for a memorable first impression.

Annata has successfully relocated, and based on my recent visit, they haven't just moved; they've elevated the entire experience. We went on a Tuesday night and free parking is ample from 6pm. From the moment we walked through the door, the new space felt instantly welcoming, combining a sophisticated aesthetic with a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere. While the setting is polished, the real stars of the show are the food and the wonderful service.The menu is an exciting array of contemporary dishes, each thoughtfully composed and beautifully presented. We started with a generous serving of spelt sourdough & cultured butter, followed by Heirloom Tomato and the Yellowfin Tuna Carpaccio for entree. For the main course, we had the Coral Tout and Duck Breast. All dishes were beautifully presented and the taste was delicious. To finish off the evening we shared the Cheesecake Creme Fraiche which was also outstanding.What truly rounded out the experience was the level of service. Our server was attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely enthusiastic about the menu, providing excellent recommendations and ensuring our needs were met without being intrusive. Annata's new location is a triumph. It’s rare to find a restaurant where both the culinary execution and the hospitality shine so brightly. Whether you are a long-time fan or a first-time visitor, Annata is a must-try destination for anyone seeking a truly superb dining experience. Highly recommended.

I still remember my incredible lunch at The Mayflower St Leonards—a fusion dish of salmon, avocado, poached egg, corn fritters, and mayo for just $28, beautifully plated and bursting with flavour. The dining room was stunning: all white, with two colourful butterflies suspended from the ceiling and ocean‑flower animations on the big screen near the entrance. It felt magical, refined, and spacious, the kind of fine dining experience that made every visit unforgettable. Their high tea menu for Mother’s Day was another highlight, offering a unique celebration for $95 per person. Sadly, The Mayflower is gone—its Sydney cafés entered court‑ordered liquidation in September 2025 after a produce supplier’s legal action. The closure was sudden, not a gradual decline, and it left a real gap in St Leonards’ fine dining scene. In searching for something comparable, I visited Annata Restaurant & Wine Bar, which proudly positions itself as “a premier destination for gourmet food and wine enthusiasts on Sydney’s North Shore.” With over 250 wines curated from Australia and around the globe, Annata seamlessly blends exceptional cuisine with a deep passion for viticulture. Restaurant Manager Blake Gibson leads the front of house with a mission to deliver the best dining experience north of the Harbour Bridge, while Executive Chef Jordon Garcia brings innovation to modern Australian cuisine—earning Annata prestigious SMH hats. The vibe is different from Mayflower’s whimsical décor, but Annata succeeds in its own way: polished service, inventive dishes, and a wine program that elevates the entire experience. Where Mayflower offered magical ambience and fusion creativity, Annata delivers culinary artistry and wine excellence. For me, Mayflower will always be remembered for its butterflies and ocean animations, but Annata shows how fine dining in St Leonards has evolved—less about décor trends, more about depth of flavour and sophistication in the glass.

Delicious, thoughtfully prepared food. Flavours are balanced skilfully - subtle when required, bold when needed. Fabulous selection of carefully curated wines by the owner, John, who also played host in the restaurant. It is a very classy establishment without pretensions. Highly recommend the tasting menu.

Been wanting to visit the new Annata and even better than before. Food, service and BYO Wednesday nights is an absolute must for wine lovers wantijg to grab a bottle or two from their celler. Congrats to John and his team. Highly recommended

It was a lovely dinner. You could tell the quality of ingredients is high, and the chefs put in a lot of efforts into the combination and balance of flavours. Our favourites are the tempura zucchini flowers and porchetta. Definitely a good place for dinner dates:)

Service was slow. We had to waive the waiter down the whole night for drinks and to follow up meals. They mixed up our entree orders, then we waited 1 hour for mains (which weren't complex menu items) and the lasagne was burnt and unconsumable. Charges were waived from our bill for poor quality of food. The food wasn't spectacular and I really think they're trying to play in a league above their current competancy. Price vs quality of food is a 2/5. When providing subtle feedback at the end of the night to owner, he really wasn't interested in hearing about it. He was on the floor all night overseeing service, and did not intervene or apologise once. Avoidance won't cure the problems.

New kid on the block in Crowie. Open a week so and in we go. Originally slated to be a bar with food, now a restaurant with apparently great drinks. Really wanted to love it. Liked the fitout, dark and moody and tasteful, staff solicitous and generally excellent. Pre dinner martini was excellent, wine list seems wide and eclectic, menu looks very interesting if a little pricey. Waiter suggests 5-6 dishes - 3 from the small plate menu (entrees) at $12-$18, 2 from the larger dishes (mains) at $24-$30, and maybe 1-2 deserts. Ouch. So, we did. Four from the small list, one from the large and a desert. Smalls, sashimi, artichokes and asparagus w smoked feta, parsnips and duck ham, and prawns with corn and corn butter. Main, choice of fish, chicken or beef, waiter suggested chicken 'the best i have ever had' so we went that, although the flathead in filo did sound nice. Desert, raspberries w stuff But. A few buts, regrettably. The sashimi was a little dry, although with the compressed cucumber it was served with it was v nice. Prawns, cooked sous vide, actually a bit rare for us, but the corn and corn butter was lovely. Artichokes, by far the tastiest dish of the evening, the smoked feta a delight, and all in all flavoursome. Parsnips and duck ham - well, we had a problem here. Evidently the chef had substituted carrots for parsnips, since it seems the duck ham was the hero. Sorry, we wanted parsnips and the waiter didn't mention the substitution. To be fair, when we pointed this out they deducted it from the price, so can't complain on that front. But rather have been told and known, so no surprises. Chicken, breast cooked in stock from the carcass, indubitably soft and tender, but frankly a little tasteless. Desert, raspberries with honeycomb crumble (I think) and ice cream. So, observations. Food presentation was outstanding, as was the service. But, to our palates, it was all fairly subtle flavours. Bland even. Hate that word. The hero of the dish should be first in the description. Twice we were told the hero was (duck ham and honeycomb) yet they were listed s secondary ingredients. Guys, sort out your menu descriptions. Also, the venue is quite noisy. Think they might need to engage a sound guy and put some baffles around. To be fair, first week, should improve, waiter was grateful for our feedback rather than resentful which is often the case. We'll be back tor another look in a month or two.

Had a wonderful dinner at Annata last week. It was our anniversary, so we ordered up big, with 4 small plates, 2 mains, a dessert each, plus cocktails and wine. (Expect to spend $200 for 2 people to do the place justice.) Unfortunately, I didn't take a photo of the menu, and the menu on the website is slightly different, so I can't name all of the dishes, but will try. First up were the oysters with pickled black fungus. I've eaten plenty of oysters, but have never previously had them served this way, and it was a delicious flavour combination, the kind that makes you love oysters all over again. The other stand out for us was the duck ham from the dish with the heirloom carrots - so, so tasty! We also had a standout vegetarian dish (I think it involved cheese?) plus the prawns with corn, which was a quirky but good combination. For mains, we had the fish dish and the pork, sharing both. I think it would have been easier to have one each, as they were difficult to share. My pick out of the two was the fish, with a superb combination of flavours. However, the next table along had the beef skirt, and it also looked excellent. The highlight, however, was probably the dessert. I selected the passionfruit tofu, while my husband had the cherries with dark chocolate. They were very different flavour-wise, but we each loved our choice. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from passionfruit tofu, but it was just like creme caramel in consistency, but with a strong passionfruit flavour. Loved the toasted rice, coconut and basil - such an excellent combination of flavours! After the Belle D'Annata cocktail, I had a glass of rose and the French dessert wine. Loved the tasting notes supplied for both (skip forward to the section on wine by the bottle for most of the notes), and both were excellent choices. Would love to go back and try more of the wines - they have a very eclectic selection, just what I love. Good luck to all the crew and thanks for a wonderful dinner!

Hands down the best service I've ever had. All the staff were friendly and really know their food and wine. If you're up for it, let them handle the menu for you, you can't go wrong. We had eight courses and were impressed with them all. We will definitely be going back.

We eat here last year. Great atmosphere. We enjoyed the food. Good standard for the area. I'm not sure why we haven't been back since.

Unexpected stop by. The name caught my attention because I heard they have incredible food and wine. They weren't open, but Christian was setting up to prep for the night. Asked him about the food and he opened the door to tell me about it, I quickly had it on our plans by the end of our conversation. Great menu. I thanked him and asked if he had a recommendation for great coffee nearby, then he told me to take a seat and he'd make us some lattes. Incredible service, beyond friendly. Can't wait to come for dinner. Oh and how's the coffee? Great!!

So great to see someone shaking up the Crows Nest scene. Greeted by the uber friendly staff the atmosphere is a great blend of relaxed and attention to detail. Food was outstanding with the chef being given free reign to create lovely combinations. A degustation menu that is perfect in its balance. Seafood was fresh as could be, flavours didn't clutter the plate but complimented each other. Wine list is comprehensive and varied. Still early on this restaurant is delivering strongly from the outset. Do yourself a favour next time you head out to dine and give Annata a try.

Stopped by for dinner as I found the style to be trendy and on point. The wine list was extensive, but I had no opportunity to try it as our waiter was over the top obnoxious. With so many other option available don't waste your time, such a pity!