Japanese-French restaurant for date night in Glebe

This article was produced in collaboration with VisionVivo and Carte.

Carte sits near the tip of Glebe Point Road, a short walk from Broadway Shopping Centre

I fondly recall the evening of Wednesday 29 May 2024, when a night that had been carefully planned came to life.

A month ago, I was given the responsibility of organising a promotion night for Carte, a fine dining restaurant serving French-Japanese degustation. The hospitality sector has, for most of 2024, suffered from an economy where high interest rates have tightened spending habits.

As Taylor Swift concerts show, people still spend, but on worthy experiences. I wanted to work with Sydney food influencers and my team at VisionVivo to build a new “Love Story”. Carte is a date night restaurant in Glebe that should fill in everyone’s “Blank Space”.

Photos taken by Keiron & Raymond, from VisionVivo

What’s most striking about this French-Japanese restaurant is its elegance and all the subtle ways in which a feeling of gentle purity is evoked. Australian and international artists have painted inside the frames that adorn the wall. A wall that, in juxtaposition to Carte’s gleaming marble bar, has been left in a comforting, rustic condition. Tables, with their flat-pressed cloth and glimmering silver, are set with infinite care to detail.

After the waiter takes your coat and seats you into a felt-textured chair, it would be a struggle to not ease into a relaxed mood. The space feels like the living room of an artist. With a candle-lit ambience and gentle French music wafting through, the scene is set for date night.

Carte serves its French-Japanese fine dining with a gentle, rarefied air.

Bing Liu in Carte Glebe creating fine dining

From left to right: Bing Liu, Artichoke Velouté with Cipolini Onion & Foie Gras, Stone-axe Wagyu, New Zealand Alfonsino

Bing Liu has trained in the kitchens of New York, Paris and Sydney. He started Carte with the vision of pairing his two loves: fine art and fine food. His cooking balances an almost scientific precision with an artist’s dedication to creativity. Bing shared with me that in his recreational time, he likes to build large Gundam figurines – not just assembling them piece-by-piece, but painting each piece as well.

It’s with the same obsessive care that he designs his French-Japanese menu.

From left to right: Aged Duck with Sherry Gastrique, Matcha Financier with Praline Cream Puff, Black Sesame with Almond Pudding

For an indication regarding pricing,

Degustation experience: $330pp.
Matched alcoholic beverages: +$130pp

Depending on when you book your degustation experience, you’ll see different plates on Carte’s menu. There will be 9 to 11 courses, with seafood prominently featured. Although each course was exquisite, there are a few dishes that I would eat at least 15 servings of: