Lean Timms
REVIEW
Nothing appears to work too hard at this handsome 30-seater. Not the pendant lights, bentwood chairs or trim list of low-intervention wines. Nor a small bowl of smoky onion consommé or the textbook duck terrine that kickstart proceedings. Yet, it becomes clear pretty quickly just how much paddling goes on beneath Onzieme’s relaxed surface. Chef-owner Louis Couttoupes changes his menu daily, coaxing huge flavours from hyper-local produce at its seasonal peak, often in the wood oven. In early autumn, that might mean gorgeously blackened thick-cut carrots and crisp-fried curry leaves resting on a bed of labne. Or a blistered cobia fillet with gently wilted kale in a delicate avgolemono sauce. That same passion for provenance isn’t lost on the crack young floor team, who know their cues and help steer the flexible dining format with generosity and warmth. Consider it the Platonic ideal of the neighbourhood neo-bistro.
ABOUT
Onzieme
Australian
5/39 Kennedy St, Kingston
0424 894 763
Chef Louis Couttoupes
Open Dinner Tue-Sat
Price guide $
Bookings Recommended
Wheelchair access Yes
This review was written independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way. To learn more about the process, head over here.
Gourmet Traveller Annual Restaurant Guide
Our guide gives a yearly snapshot of the best restaurants to eat at right now. The best-rated restaurants, as judged by the reviewers’ first-hand experience, form our national guide.
