THE GUNNERS BARRACKS - MOSMAN, SYDNEY

The Gunners Barracks
End of Suakin Drive
Georges Heights (near Mosman), Sydney

It's hard to put into words just how picturesque this place really is. With sweeping views out across the harbour is easy to see why this is so popular for weddings and special occasions.

There are also the lovely walks in the surrounding bushland too - with many people working up an appetite by doing this first, or working off their food afterwards with a stroll in nature.

But it always seems to come back to those views and of course the charm of the building, the area and the history associated with it all.

This was a real gunners barracks. Constructed in 1873 it was the last military building in Sydney made entirely of stone. It was built to last - and it has!

Of course when you think of high tea you often associate it with champagne - and you won't be disappointed here. After we were greeted and seated at The Gunners Barracks we were greeted again with two glasses of lovely bubbles.

Somehow sipping champagne in a lovely historic building with fine china on the table and sweeping views of the harbour and they yacht races seems so ....... wonderful.





















Then of course there was the actual high tea that arrived a short while later.

The beautiful three tiered stand of fine bone china was adorned with delicious goodies on each layer. A separate plate had even more treats -  light and fluffy freshly baked scones (with a side of double cream and home made jam), tasty mimosas with raita dipping sauce and cute mushroom tarts.

The bottom layer of the stand had finger sandwiches - egg and mayonnaise, salmon with cream cheese and cucumber and finally tender roast beef.

The top two layers had the sweet goodies like a very light almond slice, a beautiful rhubarb panna cotta topped with crumble, salted caramel macarons, chocolate slice with raspberry (chocolate heaven) and a lovely light fluffy and creamy passionfruit cheesecake. It was sweet eaters delight.

High Tea also includes tea - naturally - and there are so many choices of different tea's here the hardest decision you need to make is which one to actually have.

Mlady had her favourite - English breakfast tea - and wasn't disappointed.

Sir decided to be a bit adventurous and had the fragrant vanilla tea which he had black and adored.

The Gunners Barracks is a sophisticated and elegant place, with spectacular views and food to match this.

Its great for couples or groups. Its outdoor balcony is lovely but they also have a beautiful indoor area too.

Even though it's a big place - seating around 350 - it is understandably very popular - so make sure you book. It's so worth visiting!


Sir and Mlady dined as guests of The Gunners Barracks and Grand Pacific Group. Special thanks to Melody and Sam and to Aaron and Sal for looking after us so well. Big thanks also to Hannah Evans from Grand Pacific Group for arranging our visit.

 

BURNT ORANGE - MOSMAN, SYDNEY

Burnt Orange
1108/1109 Middle Head Rd
Mosman, Sydney

Burnt Orange is as pretty as a picture. It's in such a beautiful location out on the peninsular at Mosman with views across the bushlands and on to the water.

The structure itself is also quite spectacular as well. It's basically a historic building with balconies around most sides where the restaurant/cafe operates, maximising those magnificent views.

The building was erected on Army land in 1920 as the club house for Mosman Golf Club. It was resumed in World War 2 and then converted to Army housing till as recently as 1997.

Further down the track it became Burnt Orange which also has a gift shop and is also available for functions.

Breakfast and brunch trade means you need good coffee - and they do.

In fact Burnt Orange is also a cafe and operates for both morning and afternoon tea - as well as offering high tea.

We started with coffee's which were very tasty. They actually have good range of coffee and a lengthy tea list available including specialty, organic and herbal teas.

We're fast becoming fans of juice with breakfast and brunch. Not instead of coffee - but as well as it. Mlady has been pushing this with Sir for a while and it's finally getting through. There's a good range here that you can mix and match to your own tastes. The options are orange, apple, pineapple, watermelon, carrot, beetroot, with ginger/mint. Mlady chose apple and ginger/mint (she loves anything ginger) and Sir chose apple, carrot, beetroot and mint. They were so fresh and refreshing.

Sir was peckish and chose the diverse Breakfast Board.

It was certainly a large breakfast. The board arrived holding house-smoked trout, grilled halloumi, fresh avocado and soft boiled egg served with two enormous slices of toasted Avoca brown bread.

Where to start! It was a big breakfast but so tasty with a great range of flavours that were delicious.

Mlady decided to have something that sounded a bit lighter so she chose the toasted homemade muesli with sheep's milk yoghurt, fresh berries and Summer fruits.

It was an extremely healthy start to her day but it was such a big serving.

The flavours and colours were brilliant with plenty of variety in both departments. She really loved this dish and devoured it.

Burnt Orange is simply beautiful. It's the perfect place for a romantic or special breakfast, brunch or lunch with great food. The views are amazing too. In fact, they even have high tea on some days too. It's popular so book!

Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Burnt Orange. Special thanks to Hugo and Emma for looking after us so well. A big thanks also to Claire McPherson of CPM Online Marketing Solutions for inviting us.

AFOUS - MOSMAN, SYDNEY

Afous
Level 1 81 Parriwi Rd
Mosman, Sydney

Afous means hand, with the five fingers representing the five senses of taste, touch, hear, smell and feel. In many respects the restaurant continues this theme by welcoming you with open hands and then asking patrons to extend their hands for some droplets of rose water. This personal touch sets a wonderful mood for what is to come. Owner Omar Majdi has put a lot of thought into making the whole experience of dining at Afous a memorable one - and he has succeeded. The first thing you notice is the view - amazing. Afous sits on the upper level with spectacular views on both sides of the Spit. At sunset you look out over the changing water and the troubles of the day just melt away.

Afous offers a mixture of Moroccan and Spanish dishes. We started out with a serving of North African zaater bread and a glass of merlot. We hadn't tried zaater bread before and loved it. The blend of herbs and sesame seeds was good but the killer punch was the lemon juice drizzle - such a great flavour. The serving was generous but we could have devoured more!

Entree number one was the B'stilla fingers - a house speciality. We weren't really sure what to expect here but what arrived was two rolls of almond chicken infused with rose water and cinnamon all wrapped in filo pastry and resting in a light orange saffron sauce.

The flavours were unique with both sweet and savoury somehow combining well. The pastry was crisp and not overly thick, the chicken tender and the delicately sweet sauce pulled it all together nicely.

Our next entree was the Moroccan meat balls in mild spiced tomato sauce. Whilst it doesn't initially sound particularly different the meatballs themselves were possibly the lightest we have ever had. This is certainly not a heavy entree - it's light and mild for those seeking a gentle start to their meal.

For our final shared entree we had the carrot salad marinated in paprika and lemon dressing.

This dish surprised us a bit. The flavours went together better than expected and it was beautifully presented in a mini glistening tajine.

Whilst this was a salad and therefore cold it could almost be served warm. It was extremely refreshing and tangy all in one.

The main course of barramundi fillet was fantastic. It was described in the menu as grilled barramundi served with fennel and orange salad with honey mustard seed dressing.

The fish was perfectly cooked with a crispy skin covering tender juicy flesh.

The surprise packet was the salad. The fennel and orange was crisp and fragrant all at once and the sauce complemented it beautifully.

It was a generous serving too but once started it was impossible to stop till it was all gone!





The fish tajine was impossible to resist once spotted on the menu. Somehow you've almost got to have a tajine when eating Moroccan - or at least I do! It was described as fillet fish marinated in ras al hanout, grilled vegetables, olives and Moroccan chermoula spices. From the first lifting of the lid of the tajine the aroma was wonderful. Based on the appearance though I was a bit concerned that the fish may have been overcooked. After serving it I was pleased to discover it was in fact perfectly cooked. Again it was a huge serving but oh so nice and a side of light and fluffy cous cous topped it off so well.

Of course you cant finish a great meal without dessert. Mlady chose the Crema Catalane, a favourite of many customers at Afous, which was similar to creme brulee and topped with a crunchy burnt sugar glaze. A glazed ceramic vat arrived - it was again such a generous serving and so good. I chose the more traditional Moroccan semolina cake served warm with whipped cream. It was shaped like a friand and light and tasty. Presentation was, as always here, excellent. 

The night ended with tea du Maroc, which we had never tried before. It's unique and full of flavour - green tea infused with two mints and a touch of rose water. It was served in a flamboyant showy style by a well practiced Omar adding even more spectacle to the meal.

Afous has pleasant decor, great service, atmosphere and style and wonderful food served in generous proportions. It's certainly worth trying but then once you do this you'll be back!

Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Omar Majdi and Afous.

Omar Majdi (right)