If you’re not averse to ants with your salmon or roasted mealworm clinging to stir-fried water spinach, you’ll get plenty of love at Public: big flavours, adventurous pairings and seriously good cooking are top of the menu. An emu tartare with cured egg yolk, served atop lavosh, stands out for its unique taste and lean, tender goodness. Chicken coated in chimichurri and accompanied by sweet cornbread is one of the heftier plates, and demonstrates the kitchen’s range. Some dishes fail to match these highlights – the water spinach is too wilted, lost in a soy-heavy sauce, while a Neapolitan ice-cream with peanut brittle from the limited dessert selection, loses out to an excessively sweet strawberry sauce. On the plus side, engaged and engaging staff are happy to assist with anything, including choosing from a bold list of cocktails, beers and wines, which roves across both the domestic and European spectrum.
This review was made independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way.
Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide
Wine: ★ ★
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.
