Ovolo Hotel, 6 Cowper Wharf Rd, Woolloomooloo, Sydney
We arrived … a little late for our 7.30pm reservation. The place was pretty full, with a mixed and buzzing crowd. Alibi is inside the long body of the Ovolo hotel; kind of the far end of the foyer, but the groovy lighting and fancy staging makes this its own space.
We chose here because … I was staying in the hotel, a very cool place with nice homely touches. Plus, I've been reducing the amount of meat in my diet lately, so the chance to eat at a much-buzzed Sydney vegan restaurant was not to be missed.
The menu here was designed by Matthew Kenney, a famous vegan pan-sizzler. They don't tend to use the word "vegan" so much, instead, these are "plant-based food offerings" - don't let the Gwyneth-ness of that put you off, this is excellent and intriguing food in any language.
Our first impression was … earlier in the day, when I had breakfast in these same seats as a guest at the hotel. The space is flipped out from midday to midnight, becoming Alibi. (When it's set up for hotel breakfasts, it's not vegan, because: Eggs and cheese, mmmm - though I didn't see any bacon.)