Restaurant Reviews

Monster: Restaurant review

Address

Hotel Hotel
25 Edinburgh Ave
Acton, Canberra, ACT

Hours

Daily 6.30am-1am

Prices

E $20-28
M $20-$35
D $17-$18

REVIEW

Club sandwiches. Hushed, clubby surrounds. Mature waiters. Tablecloths. Monster isn't having a bar of it. This is an entirely new kind of lobby restaurant. Just as Hotel Hotel celebrates Canberra at its most creative, with wild design and a vigorous engagement with the arts scene, Monster puts a spotlight on the region's produce. Three Mills toast with preserves from Lake George at breakfast, say, or a tartare of Boxgum Grazing beef made at lunch, rich with avocado and miso-cured egg yolk and served with a dramatic, hanky-sized black-rice crisp. Or the local wine served alongside the inventive and big-flavoured likes of juicy, lightly spicy fried quail and Japanese mayo or flat-iron steak with chimichurri and fried okra at dinner. Could the service use a dash more organisation and hotel polish? Certainly. Could the menu change a bit more often? Deploy a lighter touch? Sure, but who would risk losing the signature yabby jaffle?
Phone:
(02) 6287 6287
Bookings:
Bookings recommended
Features:
  • Licensed
  • Bar
  • Vegetarian-friendly
  • Wheelchair Access
  • Private room
  • Breakfast
  • Impressive Wine List
Accepted card types:
  • American Express
  • Diners Club
  • Eftpos
  • MasterCard
  • Visa
Chef(s):
Sean McConnell & Daniel Flatt
This review was made independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide's reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way.