Bayswater Brasserie

Introduction
Bayswater Brasserie is located at 32 Bayswater Road,in the infamous Kings Cross, Sydney, and offers Modern Australian cuisine to Sydney’s trendy and well-heeled yuppie set. Its dishes are inoffensive, based on simple, fresh ingredients that continue to impress regulars and visitors alike.
Ambience
Bayswater Brasserie strives to provide the diner with the ambience of a Parisian bistro. Whether it achieves this or not is entirely subjective, but what the restaurant does achieve is an environment that is entirely comfortable; the design and layout of the restaurant offers a level of privacy to each table, but the energetic vibe of the restaurant creates a warm and exciting place to dine.
Food
The menu offers a good selection of appealing dishes. So much so, that it is one of the few restaurants where I have found it extremely difficult to choose between dishes. My table of ravenous twenty-something girlfriends, all of whom have very healthy appetites, decided to start on a selection of oysters, which were freshly shucked and served with eschallot vinegar before our eyes.
My partner often criticizes me for not being particularly adventurous when it comes to ordering out. So, I decided to go against my usual habits, and ordered Crisp Pork Belly with Celeriac Remoulade, something that I have never eaten. I was thoroughly disappointed with the dish, not so much because of its execution, which was clearly outstanding. What I found so thoroughly wrong with this dish was the pork belly itself. I should have ordered the Barramundi with Flageolet Bean Cassoulet or even the Prosciutto wrapped Chicken with Pea Puree, but perhaps I am too set in my ways. Two of my girlfriends ordered sirloin steak with porcini butter and chips, which is a favourite when girls dine out alone, and they were not disappointed. My last girlfriend ordered Blue Swimmer Crab Lasagne with Tomato Beurre Blanc, which was positively delicious!
We were all on the verge of tears when we were politely informed that the Raspberry Bombe Alaska had sold out, which we had been eying of at the table next to us, but were able to choose two other indulgent desserts. Conscious that we had already consumed a huge amount of rich food, we chose to share two desserts between the four of us, which was a perfect end to the meal. We chose a Passionfruit Soufflé with Mascarpone Cream and Chocolate Marquis with Frangelico Ice-cream. I still don’t know what the fuss is about soufflé which has failed to impress me throughout my whole life, despite being treated to the famous Chocolate Soufflé at Maxims, Melbourne by my parents many times throughout my twenty-five years. However, the Chocolate Marquis with Frangelico Ice-cream was everything I expected and more. In fact, it was almost as good as a bag of Haighs Peppermint Frogs.
Wine
The girls shared a bottle of champagne and a bottle of white wine. I chose to refrain given that I was designated driver and don’t often indulge in wine in preference for a real drink!
Price
Prices were competitive for a Sydney restaurant. Starters are priced at approximately $15. Mains cost between $22 for the vegetarian option up to $40. Desserts were $12.50.
Comments
A fabulous find that is well worth visiting on your next trip to Sydney.
Score:15.5 /20
Contributed by TB

Tivoli Club

Introduction: Starting in 1860 as a mens gymnastic club this was combined with the German club in 1921
Ambience: Very comfortable and quiet on Sunday night. For the rest of the week - who knows!
Service: Efficient
Food: Two outstanding dishes the Schweinhaxen seved with sauerkraut and roast potato a roast leg of pork (from ankle to knee) and the Eisbein, the same but smoked and ? broiled are tender, tasty and filling. The veal goulash with spatzel (pardon my spelling) and red cabbage was also very tasty and super tender. Schnitzels have been a bit dry in the past and I did not test them today
Desserts a bit ordinary. The Apple strudel made on puff pastry seemed undercooked to me
Wine: A small inexpensive range. Many German beers available
Price: Generally inexpensive About $45 for two
Comments: a very good peasant style German restaurant. On the corner of Dandenong Rd And Chomley St Windsor. Plenty of off street parking
Score: 14/20

Da Noi

Introduction: Well known Italian style restaurant in the heart of Toorak Rd South Yarra
Ambience: Noisy crowded happy atmosphere
Service: Slow The Italian wine list had some information about the wines which was helpful as the staff were not!
Food: We thorougly enjoyed the Chef's choice The al dente pasta dishes were very good, the main courses cooked to perfection, the rabbit being particularly tender and unusually moist
Wine: All Italian I am unable to comment
Price: Fixed $65 or al a carte moderately expensive Now $80 and no longer expensive
Comments: The poor service seriously compromises this otherwise pretty good place
Score: 14.5/20 That was then NOW 16.5/20!

REVISITED

Banished to the clear plastic lined back garden we enjoyed a truly excellent strongly Sardinian influenced 5 course meal. Each course was a surprise and every one was excellent. You may get something quite different but I feel sure it will be just as good. a wood fire on the barbecue and a central gas heater kept us as warm as toast

We had: Anti paste of Fennel in a light anchovy sauce, capsicum in olive oil and lightly spiced meat balls followed by a Cohlrabi Basil salmon tartar which only needed a little salt to make it perfect. Then came a Sardinian specialty Casa da Musica, I think, a crisp thin sheet of papadam like bread with a chunky tomato sauce in the centre of which sat two lightly poached eggs. Fabulous. A sand crab pasta followed which was mouth wateringly delicious and then a perfectly prepared lamb shoulder in a cream sauce with rosemary spiced roast potato. the dessert a honey flavoured icecream with a ricotta filled pastry with a couple of palmiers and biscuits was a nice end to finish the meal

Service was much better than last time I came. the only thing that disappointed was the rough olive oil served with the crusty sour dough bread and the remarkable information that there was NO butter available. The butter that they did have for cooking was of inadequate standard for table service!

BYO is not available. Wine by the glass around $10. We had a very appropriate Italian Pinot Gris $46

Sinatra Pizza & Pasta Licenced Restaurant

Introduction: In the same buildind as the Capitol Theatre at 9 Gordon St Elsternwick handy for a coffee or meal before, or after, the flicks
Ambience: Cafe style
Service: Amiably incompetent
Food: Large inexpensive and quite reasonable size serves of pasta and substantial desserts. We tried the fettucini with avocado and chicken and the apple strudel ( we also have a vegetarian strudel our waitress told us!) and were well pleased with both dishes
Wine: Small range by glass or bottle at very low prices I ordered the house Trebbiano ( is that white or red?, tho it was the only one offered and a Cab/sav (Is that white or red? too) but both quite passable at $4 and $5.50 per well filled glass
Price: Mains about $12.50
Comments: Doesn't pretend to be anything special and it's not.
Score: 13/20

Mehfil

Introduction: At 291 Corrigan Road Keysborough this small restaurant seems to be well known and well liked by the local cognisanti
Ambience: I felt a little like being in someones dining room.
Service: Quick - they were not very busy at the time
Food: The Superior Banquet ($22) gives you 3 entrees choice of 3 main courses, rice and dessert. the Samosa's were large, crisp and not too spicy, the tandoori Chicken was done in a gas oven and lacked the characteristic charcoal flavour added to the normal tandoori spices and the kebab was a bit dry. After this, not having high expectations, I was impressed with the main courses. The chicken Korma, the spinach paneer with home made cottage cheese and the fish (Rockling) cooked in coconut milk were all excellent with fine sauces dessert of home made Kulfi (icecream) was extremely good as was the Gulab jamun - a cottage cheese dumpling in sugar syrup
Wine: BYO
Price: Very inexpensive. There is a smaller choice banquet for $17. Most mains $9-12
Comments: If you live within cooee of Keysborough and you want an Indian meal look no further this is the place to go
Score: 14/20

Gertrude Street Enoteca

Introduction: At 229 Gertrude Street Fitzroy, around the corner from Smith Street this small wine bar exudes an atmosphere of casual bon hommie. Enoteca means "wine library" and here the walls are lined with wines - mostly Italian
Ambience: Friendly
Service: Prompt, specially informative in regard to wines
Food: Simple tasty. Crisp toasted Pannini with smoked chicken, providone, radichio and fennel and rocket salad was very flavoursome as was theFoccacio with pea frittata, prosciuto with parmesan and rocket
I did not try the Pannini with baked pumpkin, rocket and pinenut salad nor the cured meat plate with olive salad which completes the lunch menu.
Wine: Extensive and frequently changing range by the glass or bottle. particulrly enjoyed Shaky Creek (Otago) 2003 pinot noir ($13) and the Tuscan La Massa 2001 Savignon / Cabernet ($15) however most wines were around $7 per 150 ml glass
Price: Modest Pannini and focaccio about $8 -9
Comments: Great place for a snack, coffee or a drink. Friday and Saturday apparently thet shuk oysters (about $2.60) and have a slightly more extensive menu. The blackboard offered the slow food manifesto which struck me as odd, anyway McDonalds is no competition for them!
Score: 14/20

Jacques Reymond

Introduction: Since his recent refurbishment and the loss of some of his longserving staff, to my mind, Jacque Reymond has most successfuly reinvented itself
Ambience: Pleasant large main dining room warmed by two artificial , but effective, wood fires
Service: Attentative, helpful and informed
Food: Beautifully presented, the Winter Degustation menu was unsurpassed at any restaurant I have eaten at in the last few years. It consisted of the following
Packham pear and Jerusalem artichoke soup, gorgonzola and walnut cream - a great start
Asian crab salad, rice crusted tuna and oyster tempura - a small seperate portion of each, the crab being especially tasty
Paradise prawns and wakame (seaweed) chakin rather like a large quennelle in a miso broth - very light and delicate
Lacquered Atlantic salmon, wok of oriental mushrooms a soy and sake glaze - the sweetish glaze with the perfectly so so perfectly cooked salmon was to die for
Choice of Saddle of venison, with celeriac a beetroot and watercress salad or Suckling pig and mild spiced fresh bortolotti beans both of which I tasted were, once again, truly excellent dishes
A pallette cleanser of mint and red plum sorbets topped with a pepper foam was unusual and effective
We were then offered some flexibility with the dessert I enjoyed a date pudding with icecream and a small, surprising, sugared, but still tart, cumquot whilst my wife enjoyed a smooth and perfectly prepared creme brulee
People at the neighbouring table had a trilogy of mushroom with which they were not so enchanted. Although the pate was excellent the capuchino was too dilute and the tempura too oily
There is also a vegetarian degustation menu available and what looked to be a most appealing a la carte menu
Wine: Good range. By the glass $13 to $30 (for a vintage, '86 I think) Moet and Chandon
Price: Two courses $70, 3 courses $94, 4 courses $118 Degustation $120 Vegetarian degustation $86
Side salad $12, with blue cheese $18
Comments: A truly excellent gourmet dinner

We thoroughly enjoyed a second visit and had the Autumn Degustation menu. Now $140 It is 1/3rd of what you would pay for it in America or England
Mark 18.5/20

Tasty Cooking

Introduction: Set among a gaggle of small shops at 78 Kings Way Glen Waverley this restuarant is a huge surprise
Ambience: A recently refurbished simple clean and open appearance. Paper covered white table cloths plain and unostentatious.
Service: Prompt and helpful
Food: This was the surprise. A bowl of prawn crackers awaited on every table. Fried one tons (6 for $4.50) with sweet and sour sauce were covered in a fine crisp pastry. The traditonal crab on a bed of noodles in a ginger sauce with shallots was perfectly prepared - the sauce not too thick and the crab not overcooked. A pigeon in Chinese rice wine served cold was the best I have ever eaten.
Desserts of Red bean paste in batter served piping hot and cumquot icecream were also excellent
Wine: Licensed or BYO
Price: We had expensive dishes but still only came to $84.30! Generally inexpensive
Comments: Eat in or take away, lunch or dinner 7 days a week, this is one place I will DEFINITELY come back to and if they continue to maintain this standard again and again
Score: 16.5/20

Matrioshka

Introduction: More like a reception centre than a restaurant. Best to organize a table of eight or ten!
Ambience: A huge uncarpeted room with long tables stage and dance area
Service: Food comes quickly in large volume
Food: Fixed menu Starts with 'Zakoski' a variety of entrees on central platters including smoked salmon, green salad, ratatouille, piroshki, chopped liver, fried fish, olives, followed by main course of shaslik, chicken and chips. Prawns and other seafood are also available for an extra $10. A platter of fresh fruit concluded the dinner
Wine: Byo
Price: $45 or $55 with seafood mains
Comments: A little taste of Russia, . There was a band a couple of girls crooning and an opportunity to dance. A good place for a party for the office staff
Score:13.5 /20

Barcelona Cafe

At 25 Fitzroy St St.Kilda this cold and noisy establishment was a mixed bag

Service: S-L-O-W Our very pleasant waitress tried to make up for some of the Chef's deficiencies with some complimentary Tapas and a Sherry at the end of the night but it was too late to make up for the raw Paella which we sent back nor for the tasteless seafood stew.
Perhaps the tapas are a better deal.
Price: Relatively expensive about $30 for mains
Comments: I would not go back there again
Score:12 /20
Contributed by C

Pomodoro Quadrato

Introduction: At 315 Toorak Rd South Yarra this small restaurant is as Italian as Italian can be
Ambience: Comfortable, unpretentious
Service: Lucia Gesualdi, the owner, ran off her feet making everyone welcome. I felt almost as though I was eating in her own kitchen!
Food: Straightforward Italian dishes excellently cooked. Assagini ($6.50) set the tone for a really good meal. Bresaola with rocket, whitebait and Eggplant Parmigana were all that could be expected.
Mains ($ 21- 29 Less for pasta or rissotto) were handsome serves. We tried Saltimbocca ala Romana, Rabbit casserole and Eye fillet steak. All were very tasty, tender and satisfying
Wine: Licensed for BYO, corkage $5 / bottle, small wine list with some inexpensive house wines ($18) and several wine by the glass
Comments: This is an above average restaurant with below average prices
Score: 14.5/20

Centro

Suburb: 225 Clarendon St Sth Melbourne
Melway: 1C H12
Introduction: Long established and always popular basically Italian restaurant
Ambience: Very welcoming and congenial. Good creature comforts
Service: Friendly, efficient without being hurried
Food: A mixed bag of mostly Italian dishes - pastas rissottos veal. I tried the cassoulet which did not achieve the taste of those I have enjoyed at French restaurants. The calves liver with onions and a creamy mousse like mash was excellent as was the duck confit and there were no complaints about the "fruito misto' a variety of battered fried sea food with a small green salad.
The finest dish of all, however, was the chocolate souffle. Order it early if you need to leave early as it takes 20 minutes to prepare.
Wine: Plenty by the glass BYO too and there is an excellent cleanskin outlet next door (Corkage $5 per bottle)
Price: About $85 for two courses for two
Comments: Chef Pietro Caluzzi well deserves Centro's popularity
Score: 14/20