Level four of the Museum of Contemporary Art is one of Sydney’s best-kept secrets. It’s all bright blue harbour and staggering views of our bridge. Many Sydneysiders overlook it. But now, there’s another reason to head up: Canvas, the new restaurant with a rotating chef-in-residence concept, ideal for your long lunches before it transforms into an event space each evening.

The idea came about after The Big Group’s Bruce Keebaugh grew tired of being unimpressed by gallery dining, following years of visiting museums across the globe. “So many of them are underwhelming,” he tells Broadsheet. “But I think it’s really important we put our best foot forward in this iconic tourist location.”

Kicking things off is Josh Raine, who helmed the Tetsuya’s kitchen until it closed in July. His menu is a culmination of flavours picked up throughout his career and travels across Hong Kong, London, France, Japan and Australia. There’s delicate coral trout with zucchini – cooked in a braisage of lemon, thyme and white wine – served alongside a zucchini flower stuffed with a sweet scallop mousse. Or a spring lamb served with braised daikon, topped with spicy Tasmanian wasabi. “There’s no box here,” Raine says. “It’s just a great space to do what I want to do. For me, this is a great halfway house to test out ideas.”

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Raine’s comfy in the gallery kitchen. “Both of my parents are artists – my dad’s a typographer and my mum’s a fine artist – so I was literally taken to a museum every weekend. This is kind of like home for me. When this opportunity came up, it made sense.”

Bar manager Manuel Palermo, who’s come across with Raine from Tetsuya’s, was charged with creating a brief but thoughtful wine list. Conscious of the lunch crowd, he opted for lighter options like Shaw & Smith’s crisp sauvignon blanc and Pio Cesare’s elegant nebbiolo. There’s a small selection of cocktails and a sake that nods to his time at Tetsuya’s, which Palermo says has been surprisingly popular.

The menu is refreshingly accessible for gallery-dining standards, with two courses for $85 and three for $100. “It means that when you go with your friends, they’re walking into a non-frightening environment, and that was super important to us,” Keebaugh says.

Canvas is the first Sydney venture from Melbourne-based The Big Group, known for catering marquee events like the Australian Open. Creative director Steffanie D’Alberto filled the space with soft white marble, rippled glass and walnut timber furnishings – a neutral backdrop that leaves the view to star.

As for the next chef-in-residence? Raine’s here till February, and Keebaugh’s keeping his successor under wraps. “We want some intrigue and some fun – we want the ability for people to come back and talk.”

Canvas
Level 4, 140 George Street, The Rocks
0459 610 465

Hours
Wed to Sun 11am–4.30pm
Last orders 2.30pm

mca.com.au/visitor-information/eat-and-drink/canvas-restaurant
@canvas_mca