What's the new Glass Brasserie like? Our verdict

Luke Mangan hung up his apron at Glass Brasserie in 2024, ending the 20-year partnership, so what’s next for the Hilton Sydney restaurant?

Few expected to see a new Glass Brasserie without Luke Mangan anytime soon. For many years, Luke Mangan and Glass Brasserie were synonymous, so the news that their 20-year partnership was coming to an end in 2024 came as a surprise to its devoted diners. Having led the kitchen from 2004, Mangan was an ever-present figure, which set him apart from many chef-led ventures where the named chef isn’t actually present in the kitchen. There’s no question that his departure left some large shoes to fill, so the question is, who will step up to the role and what will this new Glass Brasserie without Luke Mangan look like into 2025?

A new Glass Brasserie takes shape

Glass has entered a new chapter this year, under the leadership of newly appointed Head Chef, Natalie Murphy. She began her career at the restaurant 10 years ago at just 19 years old and has honed her skills over the years—under the watchful eye of Mangan, of course. Murphy worked her way up the ranks, becoming Head Pastry Chef before being awarded Chef de Cuisine in January 2024. And a year later she has stepped in to the Head Chef role to steer the venue into a new era.

Glass has been my home since I was 19, and stepping into the Head Chef role is truly a full-circle moment. My menu is all about refined simplicity. Elevating the best seasonal produce while honouring the restaurant’s legacy of exceptional dining.
— Head Chef Natalie Murphy

The menu is a modern celebration of Australia and is designed to share, aiming to inspire connection and conversation. Entering the restaurant is still as romantic as ever. That dramatic floor-to-ceiling wine wall. The sweeping views of the architecturally sublime Queen Victoria Building. The iconic ambience. It all sets the scene for a memorable dining experience.

We visited on a Wednesday evening and found a gentle buzz hummed across the restaurant throughout the evening. The clientele was a mix of post-work diners suited and booted, groups of friends enjoying a refined dinner and couples here for date night. The crowd is certainly older, except for one young couple seated behind us who were celebrating a 23rd birthday.

The window table view at Glass Brasserie overlooks Queen Victoria Building. Image: our own.

The new Glass Brasserie Banquet menu is the first refresh presenting what a Glass Brasserie without Luke Mangan looks like. Image: our own.

We tried the new menu

Refreshed just a few days ago for the start of autumn, the Glass Banquet menu is a five-course set menu that takes the decision-making out of the equation for just $129 per person. Standouts include the fresh seafood platter, comprising peeled Yamba prawns served with a Mary sauce and freshly shucked oysters served with a choice of tabasco or ginger vinaigrette, delicate autumn tartlets and an O’Connor grass fed ribeye served with béarnaise sauce or a rich Madeira jus.

The wagyu bresaola might not be the prettiest dish compared to the sliced squid and the autumn tartlets it arrives with, but the combination of paper-thin slices of wagyu, pickled pine mushrooms and red onion are a rich and salty delight on the tastebuds.

A note for the trio of dishes, however: ignore the running order of the menu and dive straight into the squid. Ours was tough and chewy—disappointing, having heard that it is one of the menu highlights—but may be best enjoyed as soon as it hits the table. The autumn tartlets are an unexpected star of this course, offering a sort of palate cleansing effect thanks to the citrus essence to the feta filling which lines the wafer-thin pastry and is topped with slices of persimmon and lightly spiced with sumac. It’s just what you need between the richness of the wagyu and charcoal-seared Tasmanian squid.

Glass has long been regarded for its steaks, and the premium cut of grass fed rib eye on the Banquet menu comes as expected. It comes with skin on fries and cos lettuce, dressed with parmesan, walnuts and a big punch of white anchovy. It’s tasty and the meat is cooked to medium-rare perfection, but perhaps the arrival of an impressive rock lobster on the table behind us took our attention away a little. It’s a simple, crowd-pleasing main course nonetheless. If you still have room at the end of all this, the Valhrona dark chocolate tart with caramel, coffee gelato and an unusual burst of sour pineapple will surely fill that hole. It’s not quite Luke’s liquorice meringue roll, but it fills the dessert spot well.

We created the banquet menu so that our guests could get a taste of our whole menu. Nowadays, people really want to try a little bit of everything when they eat out, it’s a more modern and communal style of dining and I think our banquet menu is the perfect way to facilitate this. We select our favourite dishes from the menu, including some seasonal favourites and of course, a couple of consistent classics to build the perfect ‘tasting menu’. It’s a versatile overview of the Glass menu, designed so you can get a taste of everything—and it’s also just great to take the hassle out of ordering which can be so overwhelming!’

—Natalie Murphy, on her new menu

Star of the show

The highlight of the evening for us was Mauro Bortolato, Glass’s Head Sommelier, who regaled us with his expert knowledge and insight on each paired wine. He has been at Glass since 2005 and his passion for the restaurant’s extensive wine list is palpable as he speaks. The list features more than 1,000 drops from across the globe and we’re convinced Bortolato is equally knowledgable about all of them.

Upon arrival, the pairing experience begins with a glass of Pommery Champagne, which Glass is proud to have as their house Champagne. Bortolato explains that the first vintage in 1836 marked a turning point in Champagne production at the time, as the ‘brut’ style was far less sweet than was usual at the time. These nuggets of information continue throughout the evening.

Chef Natalie Murphy’s approac to highlighting the best of Australian produce continues through the wine pairing, with a full-bodied Barossa Valley Shiraz being served alongside the steak. The local family-run winery only produced 516 cases of the Tait Basket Pressed Shiraz.

During Luke’s time at Glass, the wine pairing experience with the Crustacean menu saw specific wines served with each dish. For the Banquet menu, Bortolato explains, the wines must complement a number of dishes—especially the second course, which is served as a trio. It makes sense. But those who are looking for a full wine pairing experience should be warned.

Our verdict

As the first menu refresh since Luke Mangan’s departure, it presents the high standard that diners have come to expect. Plates are picture-perfect—apart from that wagyu, perhaps, but there’s not much you can do with slices of meat—and flavours are balanced. It is a safe bet though. I mean, what can really go wrong with a rib eye at a venue like this? There aren’t any wild innovations, but perhaps those are coming soon.

Murphy is clearly talented and has immense experience at Glass, so we hope to see her bring some fresh ideas to the scene.

The autumn Banquet Menu is available for tables of at least two, for $129 per person. Find out more at glassbrasserie.com.au