A recommendation for all occasions

When my friend D rang me the other day for a restaurant recommendation the conversation went something like this:

D: "Where should I go for dinner tonight?"

Y: "I don't know."

D: "Aww, c'mon, you're the expert. If you don't know, how am I supposed to know?

Y, sighing: "Well, that depends really..."

D: "On what?"

Y: "A million things. Who are you going with? What's the occasion? Are you looking to have a good time or make a good impression? Are you picking up the bill or splitting it? Are you driving? Do you want somewhere you can BYO?"

D: "Oh."

Since I started working in the food media about eight years ago I have been asked this question dozens of times, along with the equally sigh-inducing "What's your favourite restaurant?".

It's not that I don't have favourites but they're favourites for specific occasions or with specific groups. Much as I love Quay for special occasions, it wouldn't be my first choice for a cheap 'n' cheerful mid-week catch-up with a friend. I'd suggest Tre Viet in Newtown or Teriyaki Boy in Balmain. Thirtieth birthday dinner? Can anywhere beat Cafe Pacifico in East Sydney for a noisy group? Romantic tete a tete? How about The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay (ask for the table in the front left corner)? These days, when "lunch with the girls" often means lunch with at least three prams in tow, our favourite venues are those that boast space, relatively few other punters to annoy and menu options which can be eaten with one hand or cold, if necessary.

Restaurants aren't one size fits all, thank goodness, and in my experience, you'll have a better time if you choose one that suits the sort of night you're hoping to have. I can honestly say that Flying Fajita Sisters on Glebe Point Road was a better venue for the gossipy, giggly end-of-week debrief I was looking forward to on Friday night than an upmarket, fine-dining establishment, where we would have felt the need to mind our Ps & Qs (and possibly the odd F too)...

In D's case he was looking for somewhere to take a potential love interest on their first date, which for me means somewhere classy yet not too formal, with good lighting (candlelight makes everyone look good), an interesting menu (if all else fails, food is a good fall-back conversational topic for a date) and a wine list. No, you don't want to drink too much but honestly, first dates are tricky enough without having to do it without a glass or two (warning: 10 is probably too many) of vino.

So, where did D end up taking his date? The Bald Faced Stag Hotel for Open Mike Night...