Clareville Kiosk
27 Delecta Ave
Clareville Beach, Sydney
This is the place to take someone you want to impress! A beautiful quaint cottage in a glorious leafy spot right across from the beach at Clareville. Inside, sparkling white tablecloths, high ceilings and light colours give the place an airy feel, with a touch of elegance. We chose a sunny table by the window and then studied the wine list. It was international and quite extensive, dominated by French and Australian wines.
Our host (owner) Nathan Boler suggested today’s oysters to begin with and Dame V teamed these with a glass of sparkling Domaine Pichot Vouvray Brut from the Loire Valley. The oysters were very plump and fresh.
Then a house-made brioche landed on our table with whipped butter. It was awesome and the butter was flavoured with a secret ingredient which was quite delicious (yes, we now know what it is but we challenge you to identify it !)
The menu is offered as a 2 or 3-course set price ($55 and $65 respectively) and groups can enjoy a 6-course degustation with matching wines for $105. After our lovely waitress helped us through the choices, we started with the Grade A Tuna with Avocado and Finger Lime. The tuna was tender and the dish was light and super fresh with the bursting pearls of lime and crispy wafers giving it a great mouth feel.
Next our colourful Wild Boar Ravioli arrived, looking beautiful and teamed with creamed Jerusalem artichoke and sliced shitake mushrooms. It was a lovely dish and pretty as a picture.
Next on our list was the New Zealand hickory house-smoked salmon served with a tangy cucumber and onion pickle, beetroot puree and a gin gel. Yum! The flavours were delicate and it all went together so well. The tender fish was so easy to eat and the gin was a clever touch.
Before the mains, we were brought a tiny appetizer of toasted brioche topped with chicken liver and pistachio. It was bursting with flavour. Our only complaint was that we wanted more!
Onto the mains – Butter Poached Barramundi with Mussels and Linguine. Looking frothy and juicy, this dish had a broth which tasted “like the sea” and was a delicate and delicious creation. Dame M didn’t leave a drop in her plate!
Dame V had the Venison Loin and Burger with Brussels Sprouts and Treviso. The meat was succulent and cooked pink. The “burger” resembled a meatball on a potato slice and it was served with beetroot puree and a touch of jus. Another creative and tasty dish!
Dessert shouldn’t be missed here. We had trouble deciding as the combinations sounded a little unusual. But you have to trust the chef and take a leap of faith. Dame M chose the Persimmon, Peanut Butter and Apple Granita. Hmmm…. intriguing! It was superb and the flavours were great together!
Dame V chose the beetroot and white chocolate parfait with honeycomb and smoked cream. What a thing of beauty! It was an amazing dessert – that honeycomb was crunchy and delicious and the combination was a big hit with us.
Nathan Boler and Rob Rietveld (head chef) took over this place only in June last year but they obviously know what they are doing. The presentation of the dishes is outstanding and we love the creativity of their selection. Prices are quite reasonable for such a stylish place – well worth a visit!
Clareville Kiosk is open for dinner Wednesday to Sundays from 6pm and for lunch Friday, Saturday and Sundays from midday.
Those Dames, who review for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, dined as guests of Clareville Kiosk. Special thanks to Nathan and Rob for the lovely service, food and experience.