Martini Restaurant, The Parade , Norwood.

Following our first experience with the 'Jump On It' deal, we decided to return to Martini and try some other menu choices apart from pizza.


Our experience this second time was impressive, with efficient and timely service and a bill that was delivered promptly, rather than having to chase it up ourselves.  Again the restaurant was cosily warm and well patronised.


We went straight to the mains and I ordered the veal scallopini while my partner ordered the spaghetti marinara.  My veal was splendidly tender and served on top of a very tasty mixture of what I believe was kale, finely diced potato and risoni.  There were also slices of prosciutto on top of the veal and the whole was accompanied with a delicious sauce, see photo below left.  I enjoyed this meal very much and found the combination of flavours very well balanced.


My partner's dish looked sensational when it arrived, with the mussels arranged around the mound of spaghetti and other seafood as shown under right.


It was demolished very quickly and he commented that the spaghetti pasta itself was freshly made and cooked perfectly al dente.  The only downfall of this Martini signature dish was that the squid was overcooked and unfortunately tasted rubbery.


The Hahndorf Hill Rose that I drank to accompany my meal is a favourite of mine and complemented the veal perfectly.  Overall the experience was very satisfactory and we will keep Martini on our list of good quality restaurants to visit for mid-week dining.

The Grace, The Parade, Norwood

I returned to The Grace last Sunday afternoon for high tea with two companions and was not disappointed.  In fact the food we were served was very elegant, beautifully presented and delicious.

It was a terrible day in Adelaide, with the weather turning cold, blustery and rainy but inside The Grace it was warm and cosy so this made all the difference to the afternoon's experience.  We started with glasses of house Rose which is served from a tap on the wall - not a bad drop.

We then had a look at the tea menu and were pleased to see the many different varieties on offer.  I chose a quince sencha that was really tasty and complemented the food to perfection.  The tea is served in individual tea pots of varying colours and there is no limit to the number of pots you may desire or the flavours you wish to try.

Also on offer were pots of cocktails made with tea; we tried the Red Queen and it was so nice we ordered another.  The food arrived on a two tiered stand as shown adjacent, with bite size savouries on the bottom and sweets on the top and it looked so gorgeous we were reluctant to spoil its appearance by eating anything.


The savoury layer contained grilled cheese and tomato brioche, duck rillettes served in tiny glass pots with crunchy toasts, liver pate, vol au vents and circular sandwiches.  This layer was devoured with gusto and enjoyed immensely.


We attempted to show some self discipline by waiting a while before beginning on the sweets and it was certainly worth the wait.  The sweets as you can see from the enlargement below, consisted of cherry ripe macaroons, lemon curd tarts, chocolate bars, miniature cup cakes and chocolate truffles.  The tastes were heavenly and complementary and we were very tempted to order another round, but commonsense prevailed and we resisted the urge to be greedy.


I think I'm besotted with The Grace and can't wait to return for another taste sensation within the next week or two.

Snooty Fox Restaurant, Quality Inn, O'Connell Street, Nth Adelaide

We went here for dinner last week because it was a 'Jump On It Deal' which sounded very appealing at $49 for two people.  The deal included two entrees, two main courses and two glasses of house wine.

Despite its name, the Snooty Fox is not at all snooty or pretentious and the setting was quite welcoming, warm and quiet with an arrangement of discreet dining booths or tables for larger groups.  The best part of the evening was the courteous welcome and very professional service including the fact that our orders were taken promptly and the food was served quickly and at appropriate intervals.

Unfortunately the menu choice was very limited and retro in a 1970's style and the quality and taste of the food didn't live up to the standard set by the service staff.   

We decided to share the two dishes we chose as entrees, a salt and pepper squid and a crunchy fried chicken dish and both were oily and served with wilted salads.  The taste and presentation of both dishes was unimaginative, though the servings were very generous.

For a main I chose the veal tortellini special, because it sounded the most interesting of the menu choices, but when it came it was a monster serve and looked really unappealing topped with thick shaved slices of parmesan cheese as shown right.  

I could only eat a few mouthfuls, as the tortellini was disappointingly heavy and floury and the sauce was tasteless.   I'm sure that if there had been more kalamata olives and capers in the sauce it would have been much more palatable. 


Overall, we thought that the deal was generous and that the ambience was pleasant, but we couldn't recommend the establishment as an eating venue because of the derivative menu and uninspired cooking and presentation.

The Lion, Melbourne Street

I went here for lunch with a friend yesterday, having not been here for years.  I was pleasantly surprised by the very chic decor and furnishings in the dining area and was pleased that we were seated in a cosy and comfortable semi-circular booth.

The service was superb right throughout the luncheon and the food was beautifully presented and tasted terrific.  We began with an appetiser of warm, marinated sardines with pickled green peppers  and pearl onions as shown left and were not disappointed, as the marinade was subtle and didn't overwhelm the sardine taste and the miniature pickled peppers complemented the sardines perfectly.   

This was then followed by an entree each and I chose the kingfish ceviche with Vietnamese flavours which is shown right while my companion chose the scallops dish shown under.  My kingfish was artfully garnished with micro-greens and served with finely sliced radish, sour melon and coconut and yuzu.  The fish was also sliced delicately in symmetrical rounds and marinated for the right amount of time so that it was not cooked, like some ceviches can often be.  Overall a lovely dish that I enjoyed immensely.

My companion commented that her scallops were perfectly pan fried and tender and that she enjoyed the contrast between the smooth, soft texture of the scallop with the crispy chicken wings that were served beneath as a base.  She also liked the presentation of the dish with its accompaniments of almond gazpacho, black garlic and the colour that was added to the plate with the bright red cocktail tomato, tomato basil jelly and  micro greens.

We finished our meal by sharing an almond and vanilla chocolate bar, but agreed that while it tasted delicious and satisfied our need to finish with something small and sweet it was too rich and too sweet for our palates.

Overall this was a really pleasant experience for us both and we  agreed to return on another occasion for dinner, when we had larger appetites.

Ginza Japanese Restaurant - Unley Road, Adelaide

The recent visit to Ginza, was courtesy of a 'Jump On It' deal and at $49 for two people it was a winner.  The deal included two courses: entree and main plus a small flask of sake.

On arriving my partner and I were greeted courteously and seated in a good spot (not stuck away in a corner as can sometimes happen with a special deal).  A complimentary appetiser of soba noodles served with a very pleasant dressing arrived quickly and was demolished even faster, as was the Japanese beer - Asahi and a Suntory malt.

For entrees we chose deep fried tofu and chicken yaka tori: both were a generous serving, delicious and quite authentic, highlighting the Japanese talent for subtlety.   These were accompanied by the warmed sake, which was quite acceptable and traditionally served.

The mains consisted of a generous tempura deluxe dish and udon noodle soup. Unfortunately, the tempura batter disappointed because of its heaviness but this was redeemed by the delicious soup that provided plenty of noodles and a variety of seafood, vegetables and mushrooms.

Despite having to attract attention for the alcohol bill at the conclusion of the meal (a distractor that we encounter frequently in other places as well) we will return to Ginza and plan to take friends with us next time.

Do yourself a favour if you like Japanese food that is not pretentious and quite authentic; give Ginza a go.

Fino Restaurant, 8 Hill St, Willunga

Dining at Fino is well worth the trip south to Willunga, because of the terrific food and eclectic wine list featuring local and European wines.  We dined there on Easter Saturday night and despite the fact that the restaurant was full the service was attentive and the food was served at reasonable intervals.  The staff were also well informed about the food and how it was prepared and showed an excellent and enthusiastic knowledge of the wine list, especially the local regional wines.

A serving of locally made sour dough bread with Diana Novello First Pressed Olive Oil arrived soon after we were seated and this was devoured with great gusto.  Menus and wine list  (see fino.net.au)  were provided quickly and as well as the seasonal set menu choices, there was a pleasing selection of specials that was explained with pride by the staff.

lamb brains entree

There were four of us in our group and we were all impressed with the choices on the menu.  I chose the entree of heritage beets, both red and yellow with heritage zucchini and mustard greens, followed by another entree of braised lamb brains with kipfler potatoes, cured pig cheek and almonds pictured left, for a main.  

Both dishes were exceptional, using the freshest of local ingredients and displaying a creative and colourful sense of presentation.  The brains dish was the best I've ever eaten and the combination of ingredients was innovative and perfectly balanced in texture and taste.

One of my companions chose  the crispy skin duck breast with beetroot, lentils and broccolini for mains while the other two selected the roast pigeon breast with gnocchi, mushrooms and heritage carrots.  Of the three dishes the duck was considered the winner, but mainly because of the smaller sized pigeon dish.  All enjoyed their choices and the two wines that were selected to accompany them, a chardonnay from Geelong and a local 2008 grenache/shiraz blend from J.C.Pannel matched perfectly.

quince with semi-fredo

Dessert options were also different and our choices included a Spanish custard served in a similar manner to a creme caramel and my poached quince dish with semi fredo that was served as pictured.  I loved this dish for its tasty and innovative use of quince and the combination of textures and flavours that accompanied it .

Overall  Fino deserves its reputation and the number of awards it has received for its food and wine list.  The chef is a star and he has a brilliant supporting cast.  We will return soon without a doubt.

The Tivoli Hotel, Pirie Street

This was our fourth visit to The Tivoli since its refurbishment and as usual it was well patronised and lively.  In its previous life 'The Tiv' was a live band/concert venue serving ordinary pub beers and pub food.  Now the front bar is popular for its inventive cocktail menu, good range of 'on tap' beers, trendy decor and enthusiastic and welcoming staff.

It also has great food though the menu and wine list are a bit hard to read in the dining area because the lighting is so subdued.  This night we dined with another couple and decided to skip entrees and go straight to the mains.  I chose the ocean trout special which was served pan fried on top of a lightly mashed vegetable medley, with fresh asparagus spear and mussels in a light broth.  It also had the trout skin served as a garnish crackling style, which was quite different and delicious.  In fact the whole dish tasted fantastic, except for the mussels which I considered a tad over cooked and for the fact that the food arrived lukewarm as were the other mains served to my dining companions.


One other main that deserves a mention because of its hearty taste and flavour was the Angus Beef Pie which was devoured with alacrity, the only downfall according to the eater being that it could have been complemented with some colourful vegetables.


Following the mains and a very smooth bottle of Radford and Roenfeldt Grenache we agreed to share a couple of desserts and chose a Chocolate Marquise and a Goats Cheese Cheesecake.  Of the two  the cheesecake was declared the favourite because of its attractive presentation and combination of smooth and piquant taste.  The chocolate marquise on the other hand lacked the wow factor in its presentation, but nevertheless tasted good.


Unfortunately, the evening was spoiled somewhat by the terrible end service with a long and inexcusable delay in getting our bill, despite asking for it twice.  Eventually, when it arrived it had been muddled with another table and we were charged for food that hadn't been ordered.  This was sorted satisfactorily and with sincere apologies, but overall we think that more attention needs to be given to this part of the service as it has the potential to tip the balance of your overall impression of the evening from a positive to a negative.