It’s within cooee of Queen Street Mall, but this laneway bolthole feels coolly out of step with it. Moodily lit with an industrial-chic interior featuring brick, leather hides and brass, there are nooks aplenty to dally in, including a quirky courtyard behind. Even the wine list is character-filled – a “reserve, vintage and obscure” selection sees aged Burgundy mixing it with Aussie fiano and Hungarian Tokay. Modish enamelled plates may not impress everyone, but when they bring octopus terrine offset by tart chardonnay jelly, salmon pearls and fennel, who cares? Pork variations feature in a death-row meal: roast pork, pork sausage and a pork farce-filled battered zucchini flower. Barramundi is lighter, topped with salt and vinegar crisps and on a creamy cauliflower base. Service is slick and sweets are, well, sweet, especially a nutty riff on millefeuille featuring chocolate-dipped banana, hazelnut ice-cream and caramel.
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
Food: ★
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.
