They say to properly critique a place, you need to go there several times. The first time I visited this place, I had tapas in the bar area and the customer service wasn’t exactly the best. Tonight, we dined in the restaurant area, located in the basement of the building, and the experience was top notch.

The tapas menu in the bar area is only a subset of the restaurant menu, and from what I can gather, the menu items appear to be seasonal. The first thing that impressed me was their extensive wine collection which takes up an entire wall on one side. There’s a good amount of space between neighbouring tables with enough seating for about 30 people. The candles on the tables and dim lighting really set the mood for a cosy and intimate evening.

Tonight, we decided to go for the banquet which consisted of 5 dishes. This allowed us to sample more of what they had to offer and it also represented good value for money. The dishes started to arrive not long after ordering, and the timing of each dish was spot on.

CHEVRE WITH GRAPES AND DUKKAH – Such an interesting combination that really worked. The smoothness of the cheese, the subtle sweetness of the grapes and crunchy texture of the dukkah combined together to create something very delightful and delicious.

ATLANTIC SALMON – I usually like my salmon a little bit pink in the middle, but having said that, the fish was still perfectly cooked. The salmon was smooth and delicate and the skin was nice and crunchy. The radish salad added a crunchy texture to the dish which complemented it well.

CHARGRILLED CHICKEN – The chicken was tender, succulent and perfectly cooked. The thinly sliced potatoes were soft and moist, and the parsley sauce added a rich herb flavour to the well marinated chicken.

MIXED GRAIN POLENTA – Probably my least favourite dish but still perfectly executed. The roasted pumpkin was soft and moist, the hint of blue cheese provided some strength to the dish and the pepitas added much needed crunch.

LAMB BACKSTRAP – The meat was lean and perfectly cooked. There was a lovely pinkish tinge at the centre of each cut of meat. As it always does, the mint and the lamb worked perfectly well together. The smoked almonds added a nice crunchy texture, but was only secondary to real players in the dish.

The service was great from start to finish. The placing of cloth napkins on our laps, the constant refilling of drinks, the clearing of the plates after each course and just the cheerful mood of the staff really made a difference. The food was beautifully presented, tasty and very satisfying. The price of the banquet was more than reasonable and the experience as a whole was flawless.

If you’re going to dine here, you need to eat in the restaurant section.

WHERE: 118 Hindley St, Adelaide