Scott Pickett’s Saint Crispin again puts Collingwood on the map
A NEW look and renewed focus marks a return to form for Collingwood’s Saint Crispin, writes Dan Stock.
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RESTAURANTS, like dogs, age differently.
Though just four years old, Collingwood’s Saint Crispin was showing signs of Weltschmerz that belied its years, going from one of Melbourne’s most exciting propositions to an exhausted one.
When it opened in 2013, it heralded a new, refined direction for gritty Smith St, joining Huxtable in the ranks of smart eats sharpening up the street.
While the record shows that burgers ultimately won out with the Huxtable boys, should Saint Crispin have also closed its doors it would have been lamented, though, after an underwhelming meal here about a year ago, not particularly surprising.
But a new focus, with the restaurant now under Scott Pickett’s sole direction (Estelle, ESP, Pickett’s Deli) has come with a new look. And the made-over space is a stunner.
Moody, sleek and flatteringly lit, the bright white walls painted deep dark, a backlit mirror running the length adding space and interest to the room. Gorgeous dark-stained vintage chairs upholstered in moss green velour surround simply set tables.
It’s sharp and current yet comfortable, and still speaks eloquently with the historic bones of a building that once was a horse stables and then a cobbler’s workshop.
Yep, they’ve brought the sexy back.
Plentiful staff, equally sharp in black braces over white shirts, look after the room that still does two full sittings late in the week, with bar seating now extending to a ringside pew at the open kitchen, where Stuart McVeigh now leads a young team from the front.
Having run his owner-operator race for the past few years at Ascot Vale’s Union Food Wine, serving big-hearted, generous bistro-style fare to those lucky locals, the Saint Crispin refinement is perhaps more in keeping with Stuart’s background that includes the Sofitel’s flagship restaurant, No. 35.
A shared history — the two worked together in London under Phil Howard at The Square — and culinary grammar helps deliver a consistent message across the menu that still comes with the option of a five or seven-course tasting menu ($100/$130) but also adds a la carte flexibility to the offering.
You’ll still get warm, crusty bread served with good salted butter and the signature cannellini bean mash to spread on it while sipping, perhaps, on a Maidenii spritz ($17), or glass of Tassie bubbles while perusing the wine list that’s equally in love with interesting locals as it is a French accent.
A dish of spanner crab is pretty and refined, a brilliant mix of delicately sweet, generously proportioned crab teamed with fine matchsticks of apple (that’s Stuart’s five-star eye coming through) for juicy crunch. Dots of black garlic puree underneath are countered with slivers of fried garlic atop, tiny succulents and onion weed flowers adding nuanced fragrance and texture. It’s a delight ($27).
It’s a Pickett venue, so sweetbreads are on the menu and these creamy nuggets are reason enough for any fan to visit.
With cubes of earthy celeriac, soft potatoes and firm broad beans, all under a dusting of crunchy malt, they are eye-rollingly decadent and Just. Damn. Tasty ($26).
Always unafraid of the bold, even the tagliorini here is a bowl of big flavours that favours the hearty of appetite — twirls of perfect pasta with a light parmesan foam and a scattering of porky crumbs all hidden under a blanket of black truffle, headily extravagant yet perfectly judged ($32).
It’s excellent cooking, whether the skills to give an expert dark tan to the dory fillet that remains tender and flaky to the slightest touch of a fork, or the confidence to serve a thick piece of pork slightly pink in order to let the good Western Plains meat shine bright.
That dory takes lessons learnt at Scott’s ESP fine diner in Northcote and applies them here to excellent effect; bold vadovan spicing (a French curry mix) and cauliflower many ways (burnt-roasted puree, dried slivers) for a dish that’s generous and clever ($42). While adding soft lardo and a fine dice of chewy pigs’ ear to the thick piece of pork might seem overkill, its exuberance is tempered by sheets of pickled kohlrabi for another winner ($39).
Desserts are less impressive; warm tapioca is a denture-friendly bowl of vanilla-soupiness that failed to excite ($18), while dry ice trickery couldn’t salvage crumbly, dry chocolate sable ($18).
But who cares if they miss the sweet spot when you can instead preload on eel potatoes at the start?
These mouthfuls of smoky eel piped into scoped out roasted potato topped with salmon caviar are bang-on brilliant flavour bombs ($10).
As Collingwood continues its march through gentrification to high densification, the patron saint of cobblers again walks tall, head held high. Saint Crispin is back. Thank goodness for that.
RATING:
15.5/20
Saint Crispin
300 Smith St, Collingwood
Ph: 9419 2202
Hours: Fri-Sun from noon; Tues-Sun from 6pm
Go to dish: Spanner crab with garlic
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