The smell of sizzling steak, the view of the Nepean River, and the luxurious-yet-approachable dining room is enough reason to step foot into Sinclair’s for an elevated dining experience.
But, if you’re looking for something a little extra, you can take one of six seats in front of the fire grill to experience the Chef’s Table.
Head Chef Scott Mills hosts this intimate and interactive experience, allowing guests into the inner workings of his mind as he prepares an unforgettable and educational culinary adventure.
The experience starts with a downlow of the restaurant’s ethos. Sinclair’s is passionate about sourcing local ingredients and supporting local suppliers.

Ingredients are sourced within a 50-kilometre radius and the menu is crafted according to seasonal availability.
I sat next to a Danish man from Castle Hill. He was indulging in the Chef’s Table for a third time after booking the first one by accident.
Due to the accidental nature of his first visit, he didn’t provide warning about his Celiac Disease. But that wasn’t a problem for Chef Mills. He created a new menu on the spot to cater to his guest’s dietary requirements while providing the pre-selected menu to his other diners without a hitch.
On the menu during my visit were house crumpets, zucchini flowers, and baked scallops for the ‘Bites’ section; charcuterie and slow cooked lamb shoulder for the ‘Small Plates’ section; MB4 Little Joe Scotch with four sauces to taste for the ‘Mains’ section; and a wagon wheel with Zokoko chocolate and strawberry jam for dessert.

The first item I tried was the crumpet, and it was a sweet surprise. The Bugeja sweet corn and fennel jam atop the fluffy dough ball was delightful. Chef Mills called it an underappreciated menu item.
After that was my favourite flavour of the night – the baked scallop with Grima Brothers onion and miso butter. One of the newest words in my vocabulary is ‘Umami’ – which is a Japanese word meaning delicious savoury taste – and that’s how I’m going to describe this rich, salty bite.
Up next, the zucchini flowers served as the ultimate palette cleanser before we ventured further into the menu.
As we continued enjoying these culinary delights, the commentary from Chef Mills flowed. But it wasn’t all about food. The experience was also personable. Everyone got to know their chef a little better, and vice versa.

As we collectively chewed our way through the menu, I learnt that Chef Mills has a Jumbuck barbecue at home, he’s enjoying his commute after moving closer to work, and he sometimes sets up a homemade Subway sandwich station at home for his daughter.
We chatted our way through the menu until we got to the main event – the steak.
Steak is down to a science at Sinclair’s. The Argentinian barbecue requires a certain wood-to-coal ratio to ensure a calculated quantity of smoke drifts through the grill to coat the meat.
Once the Little Joe was ready, I tried it with four different sauces – red wine jus, Sinclair’s steak sauce, red pepper chimichurri, and fermented green chilli. The fermented green chilli was a surprise favourite.
Following dinner and dessert, Chef Mills concluded the night by taking the group on a tour of the kitchen to showcase where the behind-the-scenes magic happens.
Sinclair’s is a perfect example of the direction Penrith’s dining scene is heading towards, and Chef Mills is a fantastic face for that movement.

Ally Hall
Ally Hall joined the Weekender in 2024, and focuses on entertainment and community stories. She's a graduate of the University of South Australia and has previously worked as a Video Journalist with Southern Cross Austereo and as a News Reader with Australian Radio Network.