Many of Adelaide’s fine dining establishments come with picturesque views, and Jolley’s Boathouse is no different. Set along the banks of the Torrens River, customers have the luxury of gazing out the dining room windows in an area that is a permanently enclosed verandah.

This place capitalises on the 180 degree views from the main dining area. On this particular evening, the restaurant wasn’t too busy, however, I imagine it would have been a little cramped if it was. I think the tables are bit too close together. Other than that, it’s a wonderful setting to be dining in.

For entree, I had the Beetroot Cured Salmon with avocado, rocket, baby beetroot and mustard leaf. The salmon had a nice red colour, with a subtle sweetness about it which complemented the baby beetroot. The avocado was soft and delicate, and the rocket was fresh and crisp. All the elements worked well together to create a refreshing dish.

One friend had the Caramelised Pork Belly with tea smoked trout, green papaya, chilli and peanut salad. I was told this was quite good but not as good as the entree that was had on his previous visit.

The other entree within the group was the Mustard Crumbed Lambs Tongue with celeriac choucroute (dressed sauerkraut) and pancetta. While this dish is more unique than others, I was told it was also very good.

For my main, I had the Char Grilled 350g Scotch Fillet with fingerling potatoes. The sauce provided in this instance was an Argentine style chimmi churri sauce.

The presentation of this dish was quite boring when compared to all the others. I had specifically asked for the steak to be cooked medium rare, but it was well done. I could have complained and had my meal replaced, but I didn’t want to sit around and watch my friends eat and then have them watch me later on. The steak was quite a good cut and there were very bits of fat.

The chimmi churri sauce had subtle hints of garlic, parsley and oregano, and complemented the steak well. The fingerling potatoes were like handcut wedges and were very well cooked. Nice and crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy in the centre.

The following are what the other members of the group had. It seemed I was the only one who had issues with their dish.

After dinner, one friend ordered the Goats Cheese and said it was very good.

For dessert, several of us ordered the Peanut and Caramel Semifreddo with chocolate caramel mousse.

This has to be one of the best desserts I’ve ever had. It could be best described as a deconstructed Snickers ice cream bar. The mousse was soft and delicate, and sat on top of circular shard of milk chocolate. Wedged inbetween the shards was a rich cold semifreddo that combined crunchiness from the peanuts and sweetness from the caramel. The combination of peanuts, caramel and chocolate was always going to be a success.

The staff were friendly and welcoming. As we waited for other members of the group to arrive, we were escorted to a lounge area while they setup our table.

The service was about as good as it could be for a fine dining restaurant. The waiter that looked after us was very friendly and down to earth. He explained the menu and specials to us, constantly refilled drinks, cleared plates as we finished and even took photos for us. The only thing that wasn’t done was the placing of cloth napkins on our laps.

The atmosphere was very relaxed and intimate. With beautiful views of the Torrens River from where we were sitting, how could one not enjoy the surroundings.

Pricewise, the restaurant is fairly much on par with other fine dining restaurants. The entrees were around the $20, mains between $34 to $42.50, sides were $10.50 each and desserts were around the $15-$16 mark. My main was $42.50 which is more expensive than what it was worth. The entree was $18.50 which wasn’t too bad, while the dessert was $16.50 and was undoubtedly the dish of the night.

It was almost a flawless dining experience. Normally, I would overlook trivial things during my critique, but a fellow food blogger also experienced overcooked steak during their visit. At least they’re consistent I guess.

WHERE: 1 Jolleys Lane, Adelaide