Botanic Gardens Restaurant – feted food, refined service
It’s special-occasion fare at the feted Botanic Gardens Restaurant, where the food is created by respected former Advertiser Chef of the Year Paul Baker, a devotee of foraged park treasures.
When you look at the trimmings, four courses for $90 is fair special-occasion fare at this feted garden-central restaurant.
Tally the frills at Botanic Gardens Restaurant. The food is created by respected former Advertiser Chef of the Year Paul Baker, a devotee of foraged park treasures. The service is refined, cleverly friendly, and formal.
The hushed setting exudes a sense of celebration in a Hamptons-meets-gorgeous-greenery way. It’s a package for special events, memorable date nights or just a jolly nice day out.
Easily distracted green-thumbs should set out early for the delightful walk to the restaurant, so lush at lunchtime or romantic en route to a weekend dinner.
Idyllic might be a cliché, but it best describes the pretty dining space, all about white timber fretwork in a circular room with green views all round. One magnificent plane tree seems to wrap its arms around the window seats.
I’m drinking an unorthodox Clare Valley Grand Casino blend of cabernet sauvignon malbec riesling (yes, you taste riesling in the red), which plays nicely with my pork. But first, we’re treated to a garden-themed amuse bouche, a teeny head of butter lettuce with a heart of palate-wakening pear, pecorino and walnut.
The courses roll on. Coffin Bay oysters are beauties dressed with cucumber, fermented apple and bonito. A faint sear touches pink bluefin tuna and smokey pork, under a blankie of punchy kohlrabi, all bound by ginger broth. Corned Berkshire pork belly is positively creamy, on a dark jus, alongside caramelly cauli. Lamb tartare nestled in radicchio moves from delicate to faintly earthy through pickled shitake mushrooms, and a dukkah of roses and quandong.
Mayura Station wagyu is rosily rare, pepped by wild garlic and Japanese mustard. Flaking, crisp-skinned Coorong mulloway partners a second hero in soft fennel roasted to russet, outshining a superfluous prawn boudin (sausage).
Chill turns up the volume on rich chocolate fondant under an incredibly good yoghurt sorbet. With sour cherries and fine choc tuille, it steals the dessert show.