Patagonian Toothfish

The 1970s rebranding of the Patagonian toothfish (a kind of cod) as the much more palatable-sounding Chilean seabass was a coup for fishery marketers around the globe. But it’s to a certain Sydney tapas restaurant’s credit that they’ve decided to keep their name as raw as Peruvian ceviche. Rather than duck and weave, culinarily speaking, Patagonian Toothfish’s kitchen keeps it real. Located down Chalmers Street in the midst of Redfern’s buzzing dining scene, Patagonian Toothfish celebrates Latin American cuisine in all its diverse, icy, windswept, humid, tropical splendour – from seafood paella to parilla-grilled meats with boutique coffee and cocktails in between.

Patagonian Toothfish offers anything but ugly food in need of a makeover. Thanks to the masterful chef Shamsul Hoque’s efforts in this Chalmers Street kitchen, Patagonian Toothfish presents Latin American delicacies in their unadorned original. Which means, naturally, rather beautifully presented dishes that cover Sydney diners’ needs from breakfast and lunch through to tapas and snacks with drinks, dinners and full-on banquets. An important start to the day, why not join Redfern’s most celebrated tapas team for some breakfast, with a cup of pure Colombian Calima coffee to boot?

The Patagonian breakfast (vegetarian or not) is one of the most popular and fulfilling day break choices among Redfern’s early risers. Plus, the coffee here is sourced (ethically, naturally) from Calima, both the name of Toothfish’s supplier and the pseudonym of Colombia’s premium coffee growing region, Cauca. Bottom’s up. When lunch rolls around, this Latin American outpost down Redfern’s Chalmers Street shifts up a gear, bringing out bigger guns like the Brazilian chicken salad sandwich, Gambas penne, and the first whiffs of the restaurant’s signature paella. But for a truly unbeatable Latin American dining experience in Sydney, you have to go for Patagonian Toothfish’s banquet menu. For a fixed price per head, allow the team here to take you and your palate on a journey across the South American continent.