Aces Bar and Bistro is tucked away in the heart of the Central Markets. It’s located in the passage way that connects the fruit and vegetables stalls to Chinatown. The venue itself is old, dark and dingy, with the only natural light coming from the atrium in the centre of Market Plaza. The setup of the place is fairly simple, with a long bar down one side of the room which leads to a kitchen at the back. The middle is filled with dining tables and there is a door which leads to the pokie machines. There is also a sun room, which is a recent addition, however, this is frequented by smokers, and anybody with a healthy pair of lungs wouldn’t dare venture in there.

Today, I ordered a Chicken Parmigiana. The dish came out 15 minutes after ordering and was above average in presentation. Unlike other locations, the salad is not complimentary and costs an extra $1. The chicken was a reasonable size in diameter, however, the schnitzel was quite thin. The chicken was tender and succulent, but the schnitzel coating was kind of soggy. The napoletana sauce had decent coverage over the schnitzel but was sour in taste. The mozzarella topping was generous in portion, so much so, you could see the cheese slide off the side of the schnitzel. The schnitzel had a nice golden brown colour which indicated that it had spent sufficient time browning under the grill. The chips were well cooked and adequately salted, however, there were quite a few of those throw away crunchy bits that I dislike.

The staff were friendly and the service was pretty good. The atmosphere was relaxed, although the clientele at this establishment seem to be approaching retirement age. The pricing is reasonable at this place, however, this is reflected in the quality of the food. I’ve eaten here many years ago and thought the food was terrible. Today’s experience was slightly better but not by much.

WHERE: Market Plaza, Gouger St, Adelaide