Whoa! What a piece of fish. When was the last time you saw wild barramundi on a menu? Here it’s free of the muddiness of the farmed stuff, its texture firm, a garnish of muntries and anchovyflecked grilled broccoli giving it a winning indigenous agrodolce vibe. But what’s with this shallow saucer smeared with sour cream and smoked mackerel floss? The wafers of bread with it don’t have the bulk or heft to scoop it adequately from plate to mouth. Infuriating. So it goes at this gorgeous restaurant, which sandwiches ambitious, mostly successful ideas, lots of Australian ingredients, a big, smart wine list, and a big, perhaps less-smart floor team between a fancy “rooftop” cocktail haunt, and the gussied-up public bar on the ground floor. Bea might not yet be quite completely convincing, but the flashes of inspiration are mighty promising.
Gourmet Traveller’s star-ratings, which range from zero to three stars, reflect reviewers’ first-hand experiences. The best-rated restaurants form our national Top 100. Our wine ratings, from zero to three stars, are made by wine editor Max Allen on the strength of the quality of the restaurant’s wine list. View our rating key here.
