2 North Terrace, Kent Town, South Australia.
Reservations: (08) 8363 4888.
This is the first restaurant I have visited on this trip to South Australia. I had a hard time finding the place to say the least, though this is more likely than not due to a lack of good navigational skills! Nonetheless, the experience made the journey well worthwhile. Upon arrival I was swiftly and kindly greeted by the name that my reservation was made, and without further ado was led to my table.
Décor – modern/colonial. The Grill restaurant itself is on the second floor of the building, giving it a view of passing cars and the National Wine Museum. Not the most attractive view, but still a view! The bathroom is very impressive – modern, extremely clean, and lights turn on as you enter.
Drinks – The drinks list was not terribly extensive, especially in the way of beers (which was a little surprising considering that it appears to be a pub/grill). However, the basic wine list is satisfactory, and offers a reasonable choice of familiar wines, by the glass, and at a reasonable price. Better yet, ask for the reserve wine list and you will find even more attractive and familiar wines: BIN 389, Ebenezer, Menzies, and so on.
The ‘Grilled Atlantic Salmon’ was delicious! It is served with baked potatoes on the bottom, and asparagus on the top. The salmon was lovely and incredibly soft, on the other hand, the skin was perhaps slightly overcooked; which made the skin difficult to cut/breakaway, as a consequence, allowing the meat to fall apart. The asparagus was long, soft, and tasty, and the potato had a nice subtle flavour that was also nice. Whilst eating the fish, I was swapping between my beer and red (I know, not the most appropriate, but none of the whites were familiar nor appealing to me). This observation was picked up by the waitperson, and I was asked if I would like a white. I explained what I was after, one was recommended, and rightly so.
(Wine Name), - palate was fruity, whilst not overpowering, followed by well-balanced acidity. (92 points). The ‘Grilled Beef’ was the highlight of the course – absolutely delicious. The tenderloin of beef was cooked perfectly, and the gravy-based sauce was full of rich flavours. It was served with large mushrooms and spinach that was neither chewy nor soggy, and the mushrooms were an absolute delight. The gourmet butter melted away nicely throughout the duration of the meal and further added to the flavour of the sauce. The exterior of the beef had a nice grilled/charcoal texture, whilst leaving the centre incredibly tender and juicy. The sauce was too delicious to waste, and a fresh bread roll was duly given.
My wine to accompany the beef was a Tapestry Shiraz 2005, which comes from the SA region of McLaren Vale. The wine has been aged in oak for 18 months, and is surprisingly elegant for such a young Shiraz; particularly coming from McLaren Vale (which in my opinion tends to produce bold wines). The palate was smooth like velvet, with intense and well-balanced fruit that follows through to the finish, which is pleasant, and leaves you wanting more. Perfectly fine drinking now, though would make for even better drinking with 4-7 years cellaring. (96 points). The wine was served in a decanter, properly poured, and regularly topped up. The stemware is not 5-star grade, though they are perfectly functional glasses, and are of a nice, and relatively large size.
Post-meal – They had 3 types of Cognac (much to my pleasant surprise, being a Grill). I ordered a double shot of Hennessy XO with ice served separately. The waitperson possessed a sound knowledge of spirits and Cognac. The serving size was generous, the cubes were of good size, with smooth edges. A small glass of ice was also presented with a teaspoon to scoop cubes at my discretion. Price-wise I was impressed ($5-10 cheaper per shot than elsewhere, compared to Perth at least).
My Cognac was then followed by a coffee that was made just as I had requested; a strong flat white. Usually this can be a recipe for disaster, and you can expect a revoltingly strong coffee. This on the other hand was perfect. A separate sugar bowl was also presented on the side.
Mains average $20-25.
Food 5 /5
Service 5 /5
Décor 4.25 /5
Bathroom 2 /2
X-Factor 0.5 /3
Total: 16.75 /20
Reservations: (08) 8363 4888.
This is the first restaurant I have visited on this trip to South Australia. I had a hard time finding the place to say the least, though this is more likely than not due to a lack of good navigational skills! Nonetheless, the experience made the journey well worthwhile. Upon arrival I was swiftly and kindly greeted by the name that my reservation was made, and without further ado was led to my table.
Décor – modern/colonial. The Grill restaurant itself is on the second floor of the building, giving it a view of passing cars and the National Wine Museum. Not the most attractive view, but still a view! The bathroom is very impressive – modern, extremely clean, and lights turn on as you enter.
Drinks – The drinks list was not terribly extensive, especially in the way of beers (which was a little surprising considering that it appears to be a pub/grill). However, the basic wine list is satisfactory, and offers a reasonable choice of familiar wines, by the glass, and at a reasonable price. Better yet, ask for the reserve wine list and you will find even more attractive and familiar wines: BIN 389, Ebenezer, Menzies, and so on.
The ‘Grilled Atlantic Salmon’ was delicious! It is served with baked potatoes on the bottom, and asparagus on the top. The salmon was lovely and incredibly soft, on the other hand, the skin was perhaps slightly overcooked; which made the skin difficult to cut/breakaway, as a consequence, allowing the meat to fall apart. The asparagus was long, soft, and tasty, and the potato had a nice subtle flavour that was also nice. Whilst eating the fish, I was swapping between my beer and red (I know, not the most appropriate, but none of the whites were familiar nor appealing to me). This observation was picked up by the waitperson, and I was asked if I would like a white. I explained what I was after, one was recommended, and rightly so.
(Wine Name), - palate was fruity, whilst not overpowering, followed by well-balanced acidity. (92 points). The ‘Grilled Beef’ was the highlight of the course – absolutely delicious. The tenderloin of beef was cooked perfectly, and the gravy-based sauce was full of rich flavours. It was served with large mushrooms and spinach that was neither chewy nor soggy, and the mushrooms were an absolute delight. The gourmet butter melted away nicely throughout the duration of the meal and further added to the flavour of the sauce. The exterior of the beef had a nice grilled/charcoal texture, whilst leaving the centre incredibly tender and juicy. The sauce was too delicious to waste, and a fresh bread roll was duly given.
My wine to accompany the beef was a Tapestry Shiraz 2005, which comes from the SA region of McLaren Vale. The wine has been aged in oak for 18 months, and is surprisingly elegant for such a young Shiraz; particularly coming from McLaren Vale (which in my opinion tends to produce bold wines). The palate was smooth like velvet, with intense and well-balanced fruit that follows through to the finish, which is pleasant, and leaves you wanting more. Perfectly fine drinking now, though would make for even better drinking with 4-7 years cellaring. (96 points). The wine was served in a decanter, properly poured, and regularly topped up. The stemware is not 5-star grade, though they are perfectly functional glasses, and are of a nice, and relatively large size.
Post-meal – They had 3 types of Cognac (much to my pleasant surprise, being a Grill). I ordered a double shot of Hennessy XO with ice served separately. The waitperson possessed a sound knowledge of spirits and Cognac. The serving size was generous, the cubes were of good size, with smooth edges. A small glass of ice was also presented with a teaspoon to scoop cubes at my discretion. Price-wise I was impressed ($5-10 cheaper per shot than elsewhere, compared to Perth at least).
My Cognac was then followed by a coffee that was made just as I had requested; a strong flat white. Usually this can be a recipe for disaster, and you can expect a revoltingly strong coffee. This on the other hand was perfect. A separate sugar bowl was also presented on the side.
Mains average $20-25.
Food 5 /5
Service 5 /5
Décor 4.25 /5
Bathroom 2 /2
X-Factor 0.5 /3
Total: 16.75 /20
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