THE OBSERVER HOTEL - THE ROCKS, SYDNEY

The Observer Hotel
69 George St
The Rocks, Sydney

These days you see quite a few 2 for 1 deals around. Heaps of places offer two for one meals or two for one drinks. Well, at The Observer Hotel, you get two pubs in one. That's right, the Observer Hotel is literally two pubs made into one. The Observer Hotel was founded in 1908 and combined two establishments, the Observers Tavern and the Waterman's Arms. Situated in Sydney's famous Rocks, where the Harbour Bridge is a stone's throw away, the Observer Hotel stands nestled in the cobbled narrow streets where patrons have come and gone for more than 100 years!

The Counts arrived for dinner on a Friday evening and the place was quite busy. The Observer Hotel is quite a large venue with quite a few different 'spaces'. There is a large al fresco dining area at the front, a main bar inside with ample seating behind it and another great al fresco dining area around the back.

There are quite a few tables which makes it easy to sit and enjoy a meal with friends. Some nights they have live music and this evening some lovely tunes were being sung by a lovely lady in the front room.

We love having a glass of wine with dinner so we looked at the wine list which actually is quite good here.

Count N chose a lovely Italian Sangiovese Rose whilst Count J went for his usual, a glass of Pinot Grigio.

Rose wine is a great alternative to red as its not as heavy and Sangiovese Rose has a nice berry or fruity touch but with a long dry finish. Definitely a favourite of ours!

It was time for some food though and although we'd looked at a copy of the menu, we already knew what we were going to have. You see, if you like burgers, then The Observer Hotel is the place for you (and we LOVE burgers). It has been voted as one of the top 5 burger joints by Time Out Magazine, SMH Good Food Guide and the Daily Telegraph. Quite impressive.





















It was quite a task trying to choose which burger to have, There probably would be more than 20 on offer but we managed to finally choose two burgers and we also ordered some salt and pepper squid (just as a snack).

The salt and pepper squid was crispy and bite sized, so it was a bit like pop corn chicken, only squid. The sauce was creamy and definitely a good dipping agent for the seafood.

Count J had the steak burger. A juicy piece of beef steak, cooked to perfection (not too well done, as that would ruin the burger for him) with caramelised onion and tomato chutney.

It also had rocket in it which gave it bit of a peppery kick.

It was a massive and tasty burger and well positioned to satisfy the biggest of hungers.

Count N, feeling quite adventurous, ordered the Mexican burger. With Guacamole, jalapeños and spicy salsa smothering a thick beef pattie, this burger isn't for the faint hearted. This was as big in size as Count J's steak burger and had the same fresh bun.

Our burgers were served with chips and our choice of salad. We both chose the spicy, coleslaw, which was crispy, tangy and yes, spicy but in hindsight Count N maybe should have chosen a milder salad given his burger was also spicy. Nonetheless, the salad was delicious and most importantly, fresh.

By this time the live music had finished so we decided to call it a night. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening at The Observer Hotel and next time you're in The Rocks you should definitely check it out. They're open 7 days a week till late, so there's plenty of opportunity to try one of their famous and delicious burgers!

The Counts, who review for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, dined as guests of The Observer Hotel. Special thanks to Claire McPherson of CPM Online Marketing Solutions for this invitation.

 

THE SCHNITZEL KITCHEN - CONCORD, SYDNEY

The Schnitzel Kitchen
82 Majors Bay Rd
Concord, Sydney

The schnitzel - in Europe its a staple, in Australia schnitty is typical at the pub.Not at The Schnitzel Kitchen (TSK) where schnitzel is the specialty.

Inspired by the owner Frank Ribosa, TSK breathes schnitzel and offers traditional schnitzel, and on-trend with Sydneysiders desire to try something new and unique, offers specialty schnitzel such as kangaroo, wagyu beef, Greek lamb and more.

We walked in to TSK and instantly felt welcome. It's a family owned restaurant with a great vibe - everyone was chilled and happy. The industrial feel of the decor made TSK ooze modernity. At TSK the entrees were Spanish tapas inspired, all the schnitzel main meals are customisable - choose your schnitzel: traditional or TSK specialty, add either a topping or a sauce, and a side. The Schnitzel Kitchen is licensed so they also had wine, cocktails, spirits and sangria jugs on the menu.

The Schnitzel Kitchen has a real Spanish influence, with one of the head chefs (girlfriend of owner Frank) of Spanish background. Frank explained that the combination of Spanish entrees, delicious schnitzel and a family feel restaurant meant that he had many local regulars, but his specialty schnitzel was bringing in visitors from all over Sydney, just to try.

While we perused the menu Duke ordered a Barwand Shiraz from NSW and Duchess ordered what Frank described as a "mean" Long Island Iced Tea. Both came quickly and the Long Island Iced Tea was spot on - perfectly balanced and definitely "mean". We were eager to try a Spanish inspired tapas entree and ordered the chicken croquettes Spanish style - chicken, egg, onion in a bechamel sauce rolled in panko breadcrumbs.

The croquettes arrived and they were delicious - the crispy outside was perfection, Duke was a big fan. Cutting into the croquettes we knew they were cooked well - we’ve had croquettes in Spain before, and these were strong rivals! The centre was a beautiful texture, soft and piping hot. They really were an authentic Spanish recipe.


While we perused the menu Duke ordered a Barwand Shiraz from NSW and Duchess ordered what Frank described as a "mean" Long Island Iced Tea. Both came quickly and the Long Island Iced Tea was spot on - perfectly balanced and definitely "mean". We were eager to try a Spanish inspired tapas entree and ordered the chicken croquettes Spanish style - chicken, egg, onion in a bechamekl sauce rolled in panko breadcrumbs.

The croquettes arrived and they were delicious - the crispy outside was perfection, Duke was a big fan. Cutting into the croquettes we knew they were cooked well - we’ve had croquettes in Spain before, and these were strong rivals! The centre was a beautiful texture, soft and piping hot. They really were an authentic Spanish recipe.

Duke loved the golden colour of his schnitzel, and that his sauce was on the side. He said the chicken was tender, and the crumbs were really the perfect complement.

The jager sauce had a distinctly strong taste but was not overpowering, and the mash was creamy and smooth.

Duke was very satisfied and really enjoyed his hearty feed.

Duchess’ Greek Lamb specialty schnitzel was the highlight of the night. The crust had oregano, and there was a layer of fetta cheese between the crust and the lamb, which was cooked to perfection. The huge schnitzel came with lemon, which drizzled over the crust added that bit more flavour and moisture. The Greek salad side was delicious, too. It was the perfect complement to add freshness to the dish, with huge chunks of fetta, ripe tomatoes and a zesty dressing. It was a satisfying and fresh dish and best without sauce.

Even though we were so full, we couldn't look past the Spanish churros for dessert.

We couldn't decide between chocolate or caramel sauce, so we had both!

We got three large churros, and they arrived at the table piping hot, very fresh, and had a perfect crunchy outside and soft inside.

They were coated in cinnamon and icing sugar, they smelled fantastic.

The churros felt and tasted very authentic. After tasting both sauces, we preferred the caramel - it was creamy and full of flavour.























The Schnitzel Kitchen was a great experience - delicious schnitzel teamed with Spanish inspired dishes. The servings are huge so make sure you’re coming here with a big appetite! And for those that are gluten free, you can order a naked schnitzel with no crumbs.

Duke and Duchess, who are now doing reviews for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, dined as guests of The Schnitzel Kitchen. A big thanks to Frank for looking after us, and the chefs who did a wonderful job.

PITT ST DINER - REDFERN, SYDNEY

Pitt St Diner
96 Pitt St
Redfern, Sydney

Pitt St Diner has a casual sophistication - an air of relaxed charm. It's small, boutique in fact, and not on a busy street.

They've only been around less than two years but in that time they've shown that they are prepared to be bold and creative with their menu and wine list - and their loyal followers certainly appreciate it.

The menu is French influenced - and the French accents flowing from the kitchen are clear.

It's honest and good food and also still adventurous and exciting nonetheless. Owner Gary Prebble takes great pride in making the food take centre stage - and it does. The lovely wine and charming feel of the whole place are an added bonus.

Our first taste of the food was with the arrival of the pork and pistachio pate. It was chunky and rough with definite texture - as intended - and served in a jar.

The pate came with a rich aged balsamic onion jam, cornichons and sliced baguette.

It was a substantial starter which was ideal for sharing, with bold flavours.

Next to arrive was a beautifully presented tuna tartare. We know some people won't eat tuna this way - for them it has to be cooked. However, if you haven't tried it raw you really should. The flavours of this dish were superb.

The tuna was nicely combined with cherry tomatoes and avocado, all nicely stacked and topped with thin slivers of crisp and crunchy apple. The colours were bold and the flavours were delicate and paired so well.

Good food deserves some good drinks to have with it of course - and so Mlady had a light 2013 Storm Ridge Pinot Noir from Yarra Valley and Sir had a fuller 2011 McLaren Vale Shiraz. 

Fancy some fish? The whole snapper was served with mixed green vegetables (including beans and cooked tomatoes) and lovely hand cut potato wedges. Yes we did eat our greens that night - mum would be proud!

This was a spectacular dish - the whole fish diagonally across the plate with the sides at either end. The fish was perfectly cooked too with it's skin nicely crisp yet revealing moist tender flesh just below the surface. 

Our other main course was chicken - and done so well. The tournedos chicken is boned and rolled with mushroom truffle and goats cheese inside and then sliced and served on pumpkin mash and a porcini cream sauce. 

Again the colours were evident and the flavours matched this too. The smooth pumpkin mash and porcini cream added tasty depth to the fragrant tender chicken.

Before we moved on to dessert we had a lovely cheese plate. Pitt St Diner has a small but highly select range of cheese choices and it's well worth trying a few.

On this occasion the cheeses we had were a beautiful fromage de Meaux (a French brie), a fragrant and more dominant Italian Gorgonzola and a lighter Munster from France. They were all beautiful and came with baguette, honeycomb and fresh pear slivers. 

Then it was time for dessert proper - and there are quite a few regulars to choose from here. We decided to have one of the specials though.

The sablees was lovely - cake like but a bit different - that was served on a board with marinated mandarin segments scattered around with swirls of raspberry coulis and passionfruit Chantilly dolloped on top. Its a sweet dessert, but with a subtlety that makes it not overpoweringly sweet. We thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Pitt St Diner is charming. It's cosy, intimate and personal. There's plenty of choice on the menu, and even more on the specials board. If you want, they'll match wines for you too, and it's well worth considering. Nothing is to much trouble.

Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Pitt St Diner. Thanks to passionate Chef/Owner Gary Prebble and Nicolas for looking after us. Thanks also to Claire McPherson of CPM Online Marketing for arranging our visit.

THE BUTLER - POTTS POINT, SYDNEY

The Butler
123 Victoria St
Potts Point, Sydney

The Butler is the most recent addition to the growing empire of Applejack Hospitality - the gang behind The Botanist at Kirribilli, So Cal in Neutral Bay and Bondi Hardware. They're obviously doing a lot of "somethings" very right!

The Butler has a kind of French/Aussie fusion thing going on - Fraussie perhaps? It's a nice blend of culture and food which also flows through to the wine list as well - with each opening page revealing Aussie on one side and French on the other!

The place has been fitted out in a really chic way - but the absolute highlight was undoubtedly the huge indoor/outdoor area and balcony out the back that looked onto the CBD. We sat there gazing out with Centrepoint Tower in the distance reaching skyward. Lovely.

Of course in such a lovely environment, drinks are needed! Sir had a cocktail called The Rummy Affair made from Pampero Especial rum, ciroc coconut vodka, Coco Lepez, lime, ginger, pineapple, mandarin and a dash of orange bitters. It was tropical, fruity, tangy and so delicious. Mlady went for a more traditional but nicely refreshing Batlow cloudy apple cider which was perfect for the sunny evening!




















We love to start a meal with a few fresh oysters - not dozens of them but enough just to get the taste.

The freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters here come as they are, you simply add a squeeze of fresh lemon if you want - or just have them as they come.

We decided to start with just one each - loved them - and wished we'd had more. Oh well!

We adore croquettes. We're soon to eat our way through Europe again and our trip through Portugal and Spain will be full of croquettes.

The salted cod croquettes with curried mayo were delicious.

The croquettes themselves were great but the curried mayo they had with them took the whole dish to another level. We could have kept eating these tasty treats all night!

Another favourite of ours is a really good mixed platter.

Here at The Butler we had a lovely one of cured meats, rillettes, pate, pickles and toast.

It was colourful and appetising and the different components were great individually and also together.

Everything tasted so good.

Sir loves duck. He eats it a lot - here in Australia and always when in Paris. We're in Paris soon and it will be duckfest for him again!

The duck sausage, confit leg, pickled beetroot and celery was another simple combination done really well to create another lovely fresh and healthy dish that also tasted delicious as well.

The duck, in fact the dish, was nicely presented and wonderfully flavoursome.

Do you like octopus? How about an octopus salad?

The grilled octopus, white beans and sherried vinegar was such a fresh, vibrant and refreshing salad.

The sherried vinegar gave it an edge that lifted it even more. The squid was nicely cooked and we loved the fact that they used beans with this.

We decided we needed something a bit green to have with our meal.

The grilled zucchini with goats cheese and basil ticked a lot of boxes for us.

Yes, it was green. Then it had goats cheese which we both love. Finally, it had basil which is again a favourite of ours. It all combined really well into a simple but effective dish that was extremely tasty.

How spectacular was this dessert?

It was a cherry trifle with mascarpone - at least that was the description in the menu - but in reality this wording didn't do it justice. 

Presentation was the key to this dish. It came served in a glass so you could see everything.

There were plenty of layers clearly visible, whole cherries and apple.

The finale was a lovely colourful garnish of fresh flowers on top of the trifle.

It was a simple touch that capped off such a vivid dessert.  

Our final dessert was a lovely yoghurt and honey panna cotta with raspberry coulis and passionfruit.

As with the previous dessert, colour was a key feature yet again. The pale panna cotta was offset with the vivid raspberry coulis that was dotted with bright passionfruit.

Fortunately it not only looked good, it tasted good too! 

The Butler is a pretty, chic place. Great atmosphere, great decor, great drinks and great food - all served with a smile. However, that view - wow - it's a killer and combined with everything else The Butler is so memorable.

Sir and Mlady dined as guests of The Butler. Special thanks to Applejack Hospitality and to Luke, Farah and Helena for looking after us. A big thanks also to Olivia Warne of Pendulum Communications for arranging our visit. 

SLIDE - SYDNEY

Slide - Risque Review
41 Oxford St
Darlinghurst, Sydney

Slide has been around for a while now and has been attracting big crowds to its Moulin Rouge style of shows. It's classy too - the type of show that most can go to - so don''t be afraid!

We were there to enjoy their French three course meal and to watch the show Risque Review.

We're not sure if the place is modeled on being a slightly smaller Moulin Rouge - but if you've ever been there you can expect similar quality in a much more intimate room.

It's not all about the show, and it's not all about the food and drinks. It's about both. There are even different types of shows on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings so you can come back for the food and have variety in shows.

We started with a few cocktails.

Mlady had the love cat - described as long red and sexy, while Sir had a French martini - a classic drink. Both arrived promptly and tasted lovely.

The entree was a trio, or trilogy, or whatever three is best described as!

It was a single escargot (snail in the shell), port wine rockmelon salad with smoked duck breast (served piled high in a large glass) and a delicate single serve of goat cheese souffle served in a spoon.

All three were tasty but the souffle was probably our favourite by a whisker.

The show started after our entree and it was certainly impressive. We expected it to be professional - they have been here a while - but it was so much more than that!

There was singing, dancing, acrobatics, humour, pantomime, costumes, razzle dazzle and a bit of cheekiness thrown in as well. We were thoroughly entertained - this is smaller than Moulin Rouge but almost comparable.

Mlady's main was the Poisson L'Iberico - salmon fillet with saffron beurre blanc, fennel and capsicum ragout, chorizo served with pesto coated jumbo fries. It was delicious.

Sir had the Agneau Grille - perfectly grilled lamb rump served with parsnip mash and wild mushroom bordelaise and herb buttered green beans. A side of pommes frittes capped it off so well!

Of course dining out on French food means a tasty sweet finish to any meal. We had a trio described as les delices de Paris - violet macaron, eiffel ginger bread and petite rose and pomegranate pavlova. It was a great way to finish a lovely meal with threee tasty treats.

The show of course was just as memorable. We were enthralled by the acrobatics, enchanted by the saucy escapades and allured with the dancing and singing. It was a great show!

Slide is a venue that has been attracting large audiences for quite a long while.

Once you go there though it's very easy to see why.

You need to book ahead but it is such a great evening at Slide you should give it a go!

There were plenty of couples there as well as larger groups - they cater for all.

The food was excellent and we were talking about the show for days afterwards!

Sir and Mlady were guests of Slide. Special thanks to Fernanda for looking after us on our visit. A big thanks also to Lucilla Dodds for arranging our visit.

MORDEO BISTRO & BAR - SYDNEY CBD

Mordeo Bistro & Bar
126 Phillip St
Sydney CBD

Mordeo is a large place that sprawls along a very spacious foyer inside the Deutsche Bank building on the corner of Phillip and Hunter Streets in the southern Sydney CBD area.

The place has a modern feel to it and its foyer location makes it very airy and open. You certainly won't feel crowded or claustrophobic here! The outlook is also actually quite pleasant with a large water display in the foyer as a lovely bonus attraction.

Mordeo is well set out with a bar on one side and restaurant on the other.



The menu is Southern European influenced - think Spain, Italy, Greece and France. This creates a great range with something for everyone - even in a fussy group. There are even some traditional recipes - the taramasalata is the owners grandmothers recipe!

Mordeo seats 80 to 90 people very comfortably plus they can handle many more standing in the bar area. They are open five days a week - on weekdays.

We of course started with a few drinks - it had been a busy day! Mlady had an old school French style cocktail made just for her - even though it wasn't on the menu. It's worth remembering that they're happy to create drinks here based on your preferences! I started with a glass of 2012 Bellanda San Fermo prosecco from Veneto in Italy. I do like a nice glass of prosecco! 

We do love our croquettes and the Atlantic salmon croquettes with saffron mayonnaise were a must. It's a slightly different filling to many pl;aces and these beauties tasted great. The seafood and mayonnaise combined nicely and they were crisp and delicious. 

Another starter we eagerly wanted to try was the seared scallops which fortunately can be ordered individually.

The scallops came served with a Spanish onion salsa and individually in spoons.

The salsa was tasty and was enough to add flavour without overpowering the delicate scallops - which were lightly cooked as they should be.

Our next starter was the smoked pork hock terrine.

The terrine came with a fennel and apple salad, fig chutney and grilled brioche.

We don't often find - or order - terrine even though it is something we certainly like. We were glad we had this version though.

This was a lovely terrine that was surprisingly light with all the ingredients working really well together to create a great combination of flavours.

The fruity apple based salad went well with the pork based terrine as well and the sweet brioche made the whole dish extremely substantial. 

A few glasses of red are of course always a necessity at this stage of a meal. Mlady had a nice Pinot Noir and I had a lovely Sardinian red.

We have to confess that whilst we've had a number of squid ink dishes this was the first time we'd tried sauteed squid ink gnocchi.

This was  made fresh with broad beans, truffle salumi and grana padano.

The whole dish looked spectacular.

It was also very flavoursome with everything combining so well to create a lovely dish that was so memorable. 

The slow cooked octopus carpaccio was a very colourful dish.

Think picture postcard kind of picturesque with the bold red and green toppings standing out so vibrantly.

It had a great variety and mix of flavours and textures that combined well.

The octopus was extremely thin and very tender and the whole dish tasted so nice. 

It's hard to visit an Italian restaurant and not have a pizza, isn't it? Whether it's as a starter, a main or even a dessert it just seems to fit so well.

The fungi pizza we tried was made with mushroom and truffle and grana padano.

The earthy truffle flavour clearly cut through the other flavours giving the whole dish a great lift.

We really enjoyed this.

Dessert is a must do at Mordeo. There are any number of great choices - and we had quite a few of them.

We started with the loukoumades - Greek donuts with hazelnut gelato and a honey cinnamon syrup.

These are such a winner, and not just for donut lovers. The sweet syrup went so well with the light donuts and the hazelnut gelato was tasty as well.

The creme Catalana (basically without trying to offend anyone it's the Spanish version of creme brulee) was delicious. It came served with orange zest and a pastry crisp resting across the top. Nothing was overpowering in this dish.

We then had a wonderful wood fire individual pan baked apple tart with vanilla bean gelato. This was cutely and impressively presented and also tasted delicious.

 

Mordeo Bistro and Bar has a lovely indoor outdoor feel - you're inside yet you feel like you're outside.

Mordeo is a bar and a restaurant and it combines both these important functions very well. It was certainly popular on the night we visited yet everything was moving smoothly. Many seemed to drop in for a drink and a nibble and just stayed on for dinner.

The food is certainly worth staying for! The impressive lighting to the front reminds you of giant lamp shades or even huge fez hats. Either way they look great.

Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Mordeo. Special thanks to Pascal - the manager there, Mark - their head chef and Vivian who looked after us so well on our visit. Thanks also to Olivia Warne of Pendulum Communications for arranging our visit.

THE DUCK INN PUB AND KITCHEN + CAKE WINES - CHIPPENDALE, SYDNEY

The Duck Inn Pub and Kitchen + Cake Wines
74 Rose St
Chippendale, Sydney

The Duck Inn has a warm homey feel to it - think country cottage blended with, well, your lounge room.

We were there for our second Cake Wines matched campaign where they match signature dishes of unsung-hero restaurants with selected drops from Cake Wines.

Cake Wines are a fresh young crew that are making a name for themselves in the wine market.

We hadn't been to The Duck Inn before and we discovered it has undergone a metamorphosis.

Co-owner Ben Kirkman explained it all to us. The place has been completely transformed - and the public seems to love it - it was packed.

The Duck Inn  has a front bar area that stretches around one side and into a casual library space (well it looks like a library until you realise the books are wallpaper).

Around the other side is the restaurant which is quite a decent size and finally there's a lovely beer garden out the back that seems to always be popular.

We started with a lovely serving of house smoked salmon plated appealingly on a slab of black slate.

As a huge fan of smoked salmon this was certainly very tasty with great flavours and it was a decent sized serving as well.

A side of slaw that was tangy but not overpowering, and plenty of sourdough, capped this tasty starter off perfectly.

Our tasty salmon starter was of matched with a tipple from Cake Wines.

The Cake Wines 2014 Pinot Gris was a lovely drink that was indeed well paired and had a great bouquet.

Cake Wines are based in the Adelaide Hills and are certainly not approaching making a name for themselves in the same old traditional way.

For example they donate 10% of their proceeds to independent radio stations around the country. They launch pop-up bars in weird and wonderful locations.

They sponsor Tropfest. They do things like we were experiencing - matching their wines with possibly unsung hero restaurants. They even have their own art competition - the Archi-Bottle Prize with the winner displayed on a wine release.

The scallops were not something we ordered but Ben thought we'd like them anyway so they appeared. He read us very well as they were great.

The scallops were plump and juicy and cooked lightly - as they should be.

The scallops came resting on a mixed bed of corn and were generously topped with plenty of greenery.

Our main was a magnificent serving each of the lovely "Binderee" New England grass fed eye fillet.

It came with spinach puree, roast cherry tomatoes, crushed rosemary new potatoes and herb butter.

This dish looked and tasted great - and the meat was cooked perfectly to order. Mlady had some wholegrain mustard with hers and I just had mine as is.

Our mains were matched with a lovely 2012 Cake Wines Shiraz that was full flavoured and again matched the dish it was paired with very well. A good red with a good eye fillet is a match made in heaven!

Time for dessert and we had two great treats here! The apple crumble came in its own ceramic bowl and it was a big serving.

It was Mlady's favourite.

For me, the bread and butter pudding, made with brioche, was the winner. We both agreed it was a close call though and thankfully they give you decent sized servings as well.

The Duck Inn is a quaint, homey, comfortable place that you just relax into and it's somewhere you want to stay. The food is great - and so were the matched Cake Wines that brought us here. 

Sir and Mlady dined as guests of The Duck Inn and Cake Wines. Special thanks to Ben Kirkman, David Thackray - the chef, Michaela and Gary for looking after us so well. A big thanks also to Glen Cassidy, co-founder of Cake Wines for inviting us and arranging our visit.

AUSTRALIAN BREWERY - ROUSE HILL, SYDNEY

Australian Brewery
350 Annangrove Rd
Rouse Hill, Sydney

Despite its busy Annangrove Rd address the Australian Brewery is a bit tucked away down a long driveway but this hasn't stopped huge numbers of people finding it! It's a big place that provides a wide range of drinks including the tasty brews made there. However most people seem to go there for a meal as well.

We were invited there to have a guided tour of the brewery facilities, sample a few of there ales and grab a bite to eat.

There are so many different areas there. A large front area, a more intimate lounge bar area with live music and pizza, an inviting outside area with a pit fire to sit around and various other spaces. It's clearly very popular for groups but also great for families. They even had an 18+ area.

The brewery part of the premises is understandably off limits to the public, but the folks here have cleverly put a glass wall in so you can see through at all the shiny vats fermenting the different pilseners, ales and lagers. We went in and had the different stages and temperatures of the brewing process explained to us and how it was transferred from one vat to another. Extremely interesting. The brewing business here has grown significantly and they now send brews far and wide - even exporting to Japan.

We sampled a few drinks as well. Mlady had the dark lager, her preference, and it was extremely tasty with no bitter aftertaste.

I had the Pale Ale, also my beer of choice, and found it extremely good - and the next few were just as nice!!!

There are of course more options than just these two available but we stuck to our favourites.

Of course if your sipping a few brews in the lounge bar a few pizza's go oh so well. We started with a capsicum pizza which was freshly made in the oven in the same room! It arrived nicely presented on an elongated wooden board. It had a lovely thin crisp base and plenty of topping. The next pizza was a tasty pancetta one. Our final pizza was a Margherita - an old favourite of ours and an almost certain choice every time. All the pizza's were very tasty!

The Australian Brewery is a great all-rounder. They can handle big functions down to just a couple visiting. Take the time to visit - it's well worth it. Their brews are very tasty as well - so it's easy to see why they're expanding! Service was fast and friendly as well. 

Sir and Mlady were guests of the Australian Brewery. Special thanks to Andrew Beck, Mark and Andrew for taking the time to show us around and for looking after us on our visit. Thanks also to Jonas 'Roy' Tobias from Men at Work Comms for arranging our visit. 

VICINITY DINING & BAR - ALEXANDRIA, SYDNEY

Vicinity Dining and Bar
90-96 Bourke Rd (Cnr Collins St)
Alexandria, Sydney

Vicinity Dining have added to their lunch and dinner options with a new breakfast menu designed by Renae Smith, a well known contestant on Masterchef in their 2014 season.

It's a big place but set out in several sections to avoid a cavernous feel - and there's outside seating as well.

There's a heavy emphasis on healthy fresh food but the choices are all packed with flavour. If you prefer gluten free, vegan or vegetarian then there are plenty of choices for you - but also plenty of other options as well!

I was at a Media Launch and I was joined by the Duke for breakfast - who's always great company and loves a healthy meal!

Probably my favourite dish of the day was the salmon stack. It looked spectacular and tasted just as great.

It was creme fraiche and very tasty smoked salmon piled high on sourdough and topped with capers and lemon myrtle salt.

The combination went so well together and it was a fresh and tangy start to the day.

The Vicinity take on French toast looked so colourful.

It had scattered half slices of toast garnished with fresh fruit. I have to confess to being a French toast fan and this light and fruity combination was great.

Their super bircher was also impressive (see middle picture above) but due to space limitations (my stomach space that is) I didn't get to try it.

Vicinity are using some quality and tasty ingredients supplied by the likes of The Protein Bread Company (the Duke already lives on and swears by this stuff) - founder Anna Hopkins was there, Charlies Balls (tasty healthy guilt free treats) - founder Charlie de Haas was there too, CoYo (makers of tasty coconut milk yoghurt) - Abe Hanara was there representing them, and of course Pepe Saya - who doesn't love their butter! The emphasis on fresh and quality shines through and it's tasty food. 

Anna Hopkins, Charlie de Haas and Abe Hanara

Renae Smith

Of course if you're desperately seeking a bacon and egg roll for you're starter then you won't be disappointed either.

This was delicious with maple bacon and the good dollop of house made tomato relish was another nice addition.

Another unique dish was the African baked beans.

They came in their own little copper saucepan - I grabbed one of these quickly and couldn't bring myself to share it.

There was so much food, and so many choices, it was a difficult exercise to know where to start or which ones to try. We did try to taste everything - but failed!

The big breakfast is exactly that - big! It has such a great range of different components as well - with eggs (of course), bacon, haloumi, mushrooms, tomatoes and onion jam. I grazed on this and sampled some of the eggs, mushrooms and haloumi. I wish I had saved more room to try a few other things from this plate!

Breakfast at Vicinity is certainly impressive.

BRIXTON LOUNGE AND DINING - GLEBE, SYDNEY

Brixton Lounge and Dining
95-97 Glebe Point Rd
Glebe, Sydney

Brixton Lounge and Dining is a very new addition to the growing restaurant district along Glebe Point Road in Glebe.

While they do have a distinct English theme to some of their dishes they spread their culinary wings much broader than this so there's something for every taste.

Brixton Lounge and Dining isn't a big place seating 45 on the dining side, but there's more space again on the lounge side for nibbles, drinks and even a full meal if you really want. Many start there with drinks and just end up staying for the evening!

The whole place has a nice elegantly relaxed feel to it with the effort in creating a pleasant decor really showing through but in an understated way.

We both love salmon - but if the truth is told I probably love it just a bit more!

The Brixton cured salmon with creme fraiche served with rye toast sounded simple but tasty - and it was.

The salmon had been house cured in salt, sugar and fennel seeds and was very tasty. It all looked spectacular with caper berries and dill garnishing it all nicely.











Our other starter stayed with the seafood theme yet again.

We chose the chilli prawns with whole black beans and fresh lime.

Again it was a simple dish that delighted us. The use of interesting combinations of good ingredients shone through strongly here and it all went really well together.

The tomato and ricotta tortellini in black olive butter was possibly the most impressive dish of the night for us - which is a big call as there were quite a few contenders. It was so delicate and light and had such great flavours. We loved every mouthful and eagerly devoured it all! 

It was time to move on to main courses and the hearty twice cooked pork belly. It was served with cauliflower puree and pickled fennel and it sounded like the perfect comfort food for me to enjoy.

And enjoy it I did!

It was perfectly cooked and was extremely tender with a nice crisp top, and it was an extremely generous serving yet again.

Mlady's English heritage perhaps shone through a bit here with her main course choice of the classic sausage, mash and onion gravy.

She certainly likes a good bangers and mash and this was again great comfort food with the sausages full of flavour and the rich gravy and mash going so well.

A side seasonal greens tossed in confit garlic looked and tasted great and combined nicely.

The  sweet part of the meal had arrived and we decided to share two desserts.

Our first choice was the walnut brownie with berry compote and vanilla ice cream and it was a truly great dessert. The brownie was so light and fluffy and the compote and ice cream combined nicely with it.

We ate every last bit of it.

We were advised that one of the most popular desserts was the strawberry cheesecake on a shortbread base.

We were told that it was a substantial serving of cheesecake and this appealed so it quickly became our second choice.

It was indeed a good sized serving and a bit different to the usual triagular slice of cheesecake - but very tasty.

Brixton Lounge and Dining offers a lovely comfortable atmosphere with some really good food and service. Owners Mike and Melinda have created a restaurant and lounge bar that caters to all tastes and offers interesting cocktials and wines with delicious food. It's well worth visiting.

Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Brixton Lounge and Dining. Special thanks to Mike and melida for inviting us.