Restaurant Reviews

Hyde Park Tavern

- Alex Leave a comment

 

 

date of visit:  Tuesdsay 17 January 2012

I’m one of these people who spends far too long thinking about where to eat which makes a simple lunch date a three hour exercise in research. After quite a bit of agonising I decided I was being ridiculous and I should just choose the venue closest to my lunch partner’s house.

Easy – that’s the Hyde Park. I may have been here once before – waaaaaay back when I was at uni. It might have just been for drinks as I certainly don’t remember anything about a meal.

As with almost all pubs now, the Hyde Park has a refurbished Bistro which, when I arrived at 1pm on a Tuesday, had a few tables full, mostly with older patrons. This was lucky as I hadn’t booked. I know – so out of character for me! I was greeted and given a choice of tables and the requested high chair was promptly delivered. This was typical of all our interaction with staff – cheerful, friendly, efficient and actually thinking about their job. It’s so lovely when you arrive at a venue with a small child and the staff put some effort into thinking about where you might be most comfortable sitting.

Naturally, I’d spent some time at home reading the menu and thinking about what I might have. I wasn’t feeling super hungry so I knew my standard schnitzel was out of the question. I eventually decided on the tandoori chicken with cucumber and mint salsa, raita and flat bread. Maybe the baby would like to try some tandoori chicken …

When the chicken arrived, it was served as a kind of open wrap. The flat bread covered the plate and the chicken, salsa and raita were spread across it. I suspect that description sounds a little unappetising but the combination of the red chicken (a rusty red, not an alarming cochineal red), the green of the vegetables and the white of the yoghurt looked really good.

It also tasted good – the chicken was tender and not at all dry, and the greenery and yoghurt provided a sharp counterpoint to the richness of the tandoori paste. It wasn’t hot at all – so those who shun chillis should enjoy it and I found the portion size pretty much perfect. A good lunch but not one that will put you to sleep for the rest of the day.

My friend ordered salt and pepper squid which looked fairly standard. I didn’t try any (I was too busy trying to make sure I ate some of my chicken before my 13 month old demolished it for me) but there were no complaints from the other side of the table.

We wrapped up our meal with coffees and the bottom line was that we spent just under $50 on our lunch. I think that’s not bad at all. Most of the main courses are under $20 so you can definitely keep the cost of your lunch down.

I’d definitely head back – the food certainly cuts it amongst Adelaide’s pub grub and the staff when I was there were a real asset to the business.

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Lucia’s, Adelaide Central Market

- Alex 2 Comments

Adelaide Central Market

photo: Janice Chan

date of visit: Friday 6 January 2012

A visit to the Adelaide Central Market with some out of towners meant an obligatory first stop at Lucia’s.

I’m guessing by now most South Australians are yawning and thinking we know about Lucia’s and everyone else is thinking that this is another Adelaide restaurant review, move along, nothing to see here.

And that’s kind of true. But it’s worth pointing out that whether you’re a local or a visitor, a Lucia’s first timer, or an old hand, that this tiny (and crammed and very busy, at any time of day) café is worth visiting.

On this trip, it was coffee and panforte for my overseas guests and me, and babycino for the baby. We managed to grab a table inside, soak up a skerrick of Adelaide history and leave before the lunch time crowd hit.

Besides coffee and cake, Lucia’s offers more substantial food and you can book a table or take your luck. You won’t be having a leisurely lunch but you can always head next door and buy some Lucia’s pasta to take home with you.

And if you’re not in town, Lucia’s now has a shop in Mitcham.

Artisan Cafe, Blackwood

- Alex 8 Comments

photo by emmapink

A relatively early morning coffee (and cake, of course) at the Artisan Café in Blackwood. I’d suggested it as an alternative to another Blackwood café, mainly because I like to try new places (er, yes, I’m a bit obsessed with that) and it seems to be quite well loved on Urban Spoon.

The café is a lovely spacious area, and there are plenty of outside tables. The chairs are even upholstered. How civilised. There was a high chair in place (we were three adults and three one year olds) and baby no 1 was part way through demolishing a croissant. It all augured so well.

Coffees and cakes ordered, it was then that the first mother to arrive commented on how unwelcoming the menu had been. And there, on I guess what might be called the menu’s frontispiece, was indeed a full page screed outlining the circumstances under which children and their parents or carers may be asked to leave the café.

Now let’s get this straight: this is a café. It’s not a fine dining establishment – it’s a café, where people go for coffee, cake and a chat.

One of these circumstances is an infant being ‘inconsolable’. Now, I’m not sure how many parents out there actually enjoy being out with an inconsolable child. Certainly not me. If my baby gets upset, or even a little tired or grizzly, I’m incredibly conscious of the fact that he might be disturbing others and there have been plenty of occasions where I’ve taken him for a walk around the block or rushed out to stock up on bananas to feed him. There was even one meal out, when he was very young, where Andy and I ate in shifts while the other walked him around the block and we left as soon as possible.

Of course, we all know that there are parents out there who would let their little treasures run amok, screaming and throwing food, and most people would consider that unacceptable. In those circumstances, I have no problems with staff asking those people and their children to leave. However, all that Artisan’s little list of rules did was make three paying customers feel uncomfortable and on edge every time one of their children made the tiniest peep.

Coffee and food wise: I ordered a cafe latte, a slice of panforte and a piece of Turkish delight. That little selection cost $7.10, which I thought was very reasonable – especially as it was all good and very prettily presented. The staff were friendly and efficient.

Such a shame about the attitude towards children.  It’s interesting to note that Artisan’s management feels no need to prescribe behaviour for adults – so if you want to go along, have a coffee and talk loudly down your phone, please feel free to do so.

The Artisan Café on Urbanspoon