Clearview Cruises, Sydney Harbour

Sydney is such a beautiful city, you could easily take it for granted. For an incredibly romantic evening, my fiance and I go on a Clearview Cruise. It's a dinner cruise that includes 4 courses, unlimited alcohol and stunning views of this gorgeous city. Keen to find out more?

When you're in love, sometimes you just need a really lovely night out. I was really looking forward to my cruise as it promises to be kid free, not over crowded and with quality food. The cruise starts at Circular Quay where Matt and I are in our fancy clothes. The boat we board is called the "Blue Room" with the blue windows. The night begins!

You are first shown to your table and you order your main and dessert (entrees are standard for everyone). It actually starts to get quite dark quickly. Matt and I head to the top level of the boat where champagne, beer and wine is waiting for us. I opt for a champagne. I see a lot of people are getting into the moscato.

 Everyone seems quite relaxed and the boat is quite spacious so there's enough room for people to move around. I sip my champagne and enjoy the atmosphere. I snack on the first course of canapes including watermelon with feta which is really refreshing and a nice way to start the night. I notice the cruise is really relaxing because there's no kids running around, there are not hoards of tourists and everyone is dressed up and stunning. I feel very much in love looking at my other half.

Matt had a few of the smoked salmon which was really delicious. These small, delicate little cubes encase smoked salmon with a drop of mayonnaise and dill. I also get a glass of moscato and Matt ops for another beer.

There's plenty of canapes going around and the next one is the arancini which has rice, mushroom and a hint of truffle oil. It's served with some aioli. It's quite enjoyable to eat. 

As it's St Patrick's day, I notice the Opera House is lit up in a nice shade of green. Matt gets out the camera and enjoys the views. You can either stay in the half enclosed area or stand outside for a closer look at the lovely views.

Matt takes some stunning photos of Sydney's icons. I get in on the action too with my phone.

 The last canape I try is a crumbed prawn with a sweet chilli sauce. I smack my lips as I enjoy the prawn with a bit more champagne. Delicious. Matt is allergic to shell fish so he goes for another arancini ball. The staff now let us know that the entree is ready so we head down to our table.

Entree consists of three elements, there's a 

• Butterfly BBQ Australian king prawn with dill tapioca pearls, pomegranate and coriander, 
• whiskey cured smoked salmon with mascarpone cream and 
• teriyaki chicken tulips. 

 The canapes and the entree are such a nice way to start the meal with a lot of variety. I love prawns so I get straight into it. Matt brags about how nice the smoked salmon is and he also devours the chicken. You also have your choice of wine with your meal.

 It's time for the mains. There's a choice of four mains including 

• Prime Australian grain fed beef tenderloin with potatoes, asparagus and mushrooms
• Over roasted chicken breast with potatoes and chimichurri and parsnip roulade
• Herb and Pistachio crusted Pentuna Ocean Trout with quinoa and radish
• Large ravioli parcels served with beurre blanc

Matt orders the beef tenderloin with potatoes, asparagus and mushrooms. The staff tell us there is only one option of medium rare with the beef which is what Matt prefers anyway. The dish arrives and it looks absolutely delicious however
the beef is more medium to well done which is more to my liking. So we end up swapping the mains. I like the gravy with the beef and potatoes. It's a great combination. 

I ordered the Herb and Pistachio crusted Pentuna Ocean Trout with quinoa and radish which was beautifully presented. The crust of the Ocean Trout was crunchy and flavoursome which complemented the fish. The quinoa makes for a nice side and a lighter meal. Matt also enjoys the Ocean Trout.

  
I've enjoyed the meal so far. I'm quite full by this stage however there's always room for dessert. There's two desserts to choose from so Matt and I order one of each. There's the 

• Fruit Patisserie
• Chocolate Indulgence

The fruit patisserie comes in a yellow cube with raspberry centre. The chocolate indulgence was silky smooth and in dome form. The chocolate was rich and delicious. I thought desserts were very much of high quality.  

The owner has come from very humble beginnings and has an incredible story. You should check out his story with this video

 Summary: Overall, I walked away feeling very much in love and really enjoyed the experience. There's something incredibly romantic about good food, beautiful views and champagne.

I think the cruise was very high for value and I had a nice time. My highlight would probably be canapes on the sky deck and also dessert.

Price: From $125. For more info check out this link
http://bit.ly/weekendfoodescapes

Location: Departs from Circular Quay and goes around the harbour

Weekend Food Escapes dined as guests of the venue or their representatives. All photos, opinions and words are my own.