Darlo Country Club235 Victoria St
Darlinghurst, Sydney
Darlo Country Club is like a cross between an LA Country or Racquet Club and Raffles in Singapore.
It has an amazing feel to it - expansive yet there are plenty of cosy nooks too. The open plan is nicely broken with a wall of entwined thick rope which is subtly lit and looks spectacular.It's upstairs off Victoria St so you may not spot it straight away, but head up and be prepared to be surprised. For those that may remember, it's where The Victoria Room once was, but it looks nothing like it.
The guys behind Darlo are Michael Hwang and Eddie Levy from The Lobo Plantation and Adam Abrams and Julian Tobias from The Island so it's no wonder that it looks this good.
As usual, we started with a few drinks - the challenge was what to choose as there were plenty of great options. Mlady ended up choosing one reminiscent of her British heritage - an Eton fizz. Of course its description of being an Eton Mess in liquid form didn't hurt either. The dessert is a favourite of hers and not surprisingly she loved this drink. Sir often steers towards rum so the Howard Hughes using Pusser's Rum grabbed him. Described as a merger of two classic cocktails - a Millionaire and an Airmail - it was quaintly served in an enamel mug and satisfied his rum craving nicely.
Of course once the drinks were on their way our thoughts quickly turned to food - unsurprisingly. We started with some lovely paella arancini made with fresh Parmesan cheese and served on a bed of saffron rouille - a bread, olive oil, garlic and saffron paste not totally dissimilar to an aioli. These were great - but then we love arancini. Their sliders come in three varieties, but we chose the wagyu black truffle burger served simply in a bun with iceberg lettuce. It was tender, juicy and packed with flavour with clear notes of truffle through the meat tastes. These were great sliders and we could have easily gone back for more!
They do seafood very well here as we discovered. The Kingfish ceviche was a very fresh and refreshing dish. It was served simply with lime, chilli, coriander and olive oil. The seared salmon fillet was quite unique, being served with a stone fruit salad and ricotta and herbs. The skin on the salmon was almost like crackling and the vibrant and tangy stone fruit salad went so well.
The dish Sir was dying to have was their DCC lobster and truffle Mac 'n' Cheese. The idea of oozing bubbling mac 'n' cheese combined with two of his favourites, lobster and truffle, grabbed him immediately. He wasn't disappointed either - it was delish.
A side of crispy fries went well with just about everything - as they usually do.
A side of crispy fries went well with just about everything - as they usually do.
The inner carnivore of Sir was well and truly satisfied with the sliced scotch fillet. It arrived nicely pink and beautifully tender.
The added bonus was the amazingly delicious chimichurri in a bowl for dipping.
The side of bitter leaf salad was a nice offset too.
The added bonus was the amazingly delicious chimichurri in a bowl for dipping.
The side of bitter leaf salad was a nice offset too.
The Darlo Country Club is popular, lively and clearly doing things the way people want them done. They have a great drinks menu with some really unique cocktails. Then there's to food menu, designed for sharing and with big flavours that will leave you wanting more.
Sir and Mlady dined as guests of The Darlo Country Club. Special thanks to General Manager George Armstrong and to for looking after us so well. Big thanks also to Kimberley Stewart of Agency G for arranging our visit.
