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.

EMPIRE RESTAURANT - CARNIVAL SPIRIT CRUISE SHIP - OUT OF SYDNEY

Empire Restaurant
Carnival Spirit Cruise Ship
Out Of Sydney

If you like your food then don't rule out a cruise - especially if it's on the Carnival Spirit.

While the rumours of wall to wall food aren't completely wrong (there's food everywhere), it's the quality that is surprising - in a good way.

There are lots of people on board but the meals are actually personalised despite the numbers. There are so many options available at Empire Restaurant each night it's hard to know where to start. They have a menu that lasts the duration of the cruise with about half a dozen entrees and another half a dozen mains - but wait, there's more.

They also have another six choices each day as well for both entrees and mains. With a dozen of each every day it's food bliss!

Our starters very tasty. We had a prawn cocktail served with cocktail sauce. Surprisingly they also had escargots - burgundy snails in garlic butter with Chablis and Pernod and a toasted baguette - tres bien.

They also had panko crusted jumbo prawns served with zesty tomato sauce and homemade spicy chips. But you can get anything on the menu as an entree or a main course - just ask, they are so flexible here.

Main courses are just as varied. We had grilled salmon fillet served with steamed vegetables of the day - cooked as much or as little as you request; a delicious Guinness mince, mushroom and cheese pie made from minced chuck steak and white mushrooms braised in dark ale baked in a fluffy pie crust with aged cheddar cheese; pan-seared chicken schnitzel served with chips and tomato sauce and finally a lovely spice wrapped, grilled 220 grams rump steak from grain fed beef, three peppercorn sauce, sauteed green beans and potato mash.

And lets not forget desserts, where there are just as many options to salivate over.

One of our favourites, in fact one of the most popular among everyone on the ship, was the warm chocolate melting cake. This chocolate fondant was amazing with its soft crust hiding a pool of molten chocolate inside - and you can even ask for the level of cooking you prefer! It was so hard not to simply order this dessert each and every night.

The mango, raspberry and pineapple sorbets were colourful and a good dessert if you wanted to freshen your palate.

We all loved the vanilla creme brulee - a traditional brulee with a lovely toffee crust on top and a smooth custard underneath.

Empire Restaurant is the main restaurant of the many places to eat on Carnival Spirit. You can pretty much get any variation on the menu and often things not on the menu, just by asking.

The quality of the food and service is impressive - especially when you realise that they are feeding a few thousand people every night and are prepared to personalise each and every meal if needed.


We'll be posting a series of write-ups from our recent cruise on Carnival Spirit showing you what you can expect if you travel with them. It's not all food as well, even though there's plenty of it and it is impressive!