After a busy week of stitching skirts, I was completely ready for a weekend of relaxation and some quiet time with Mr Ask. We love eating out and I’ve been meaning to do some restaurant reviews for a while. We visited 3 different restaurants over the weekend so we could share a review of each one with you. We not only wanted to let you know the quality of the food but also the quality of the dining experience. I know that for some of you eating out means finding the time and money, as well a babysitter too and maybe it doesn’t happen as often as you like. Have you even gone out to eat, expecting a nice, intimate experience only to find yourself yelling to be heard across the table? I think it’s one of the fastest ways to ruin a meal and so do Dine Hear. They are giving you the chance to win 1 of 3 iPad minis – all you have to do is click here and nominate a noisy restaurant. Have a look at this little video. Can you imagine that?
The Vegetarian from Talking Brand on Vimeo.
The Place:
Sunday lunch is almost mandatory, right? Even though it was cold and windy we headed to Eden Dining Room & Bar on the Holdfast Shore Glenelg. They have a Sunday lunch roast and live music from 3pm. The bar area also serves food and is separated from the al a carte dining room by a half wall. We had a 2pm reservation in the dining room.
The Food:
I was very tempted by the cheese soufflé but decided on the warmed broccoli with sourdough and goat cheese. It was a good call, the broccoli was a simple but well balanced dish. Mr Ask went with one of the specials, breaded sweetbreads with beetroot & onion rings, something I’m pretty unlikely to cook at home. Mr Ask said it was a delicious and approachable way to serve something people may be unsure about.
Mr Ask had the lamb roast special which came with Yorkshire pudding, meat gravy and lots of veggies. Lamb is something Mr Ask rarely eats, he just doesn’t enjoy lamb much but I could tell from the look on his face that this was a perfect melt in your mouth roast. I had the parmesan gnocchi with mushrooms and beurre noisette. This was a good, gutsy vego dish but very filling and quite rich. I was lucky enough to be allowed to take my leftovers home.
Mr Ask is a sweet tooth and even though we were both very full, he asked to hear the dessert menu. When I heard about the citrus dessert that included curd, marshmallow, sorbet and fresh fruits, I was sold! It was layers of sweet and tart and I ate the whole thing, even though I didn’t expect to. Mr Ask had the chocolate tasting plate with milk, dark and white chocolate in various forms. All I heard from him while he was eating it was enthusiastic mmm’s of enjoyment.
The Experience:
The real reason to dine at this level really is the service. The staff at Eden are amongst the best that I’ve ever seen, one big-stand out is our regular server Hugh who always knows how to make our time there more pleasurable. Our food and drinks kept flowing in a timely manner and they had no problem when we chose to have dessert outside. The noise borders on a bit loud but is completely acceptable given the time we were there, the live music getting started and the number of other diners.
The Verdict:
Eden is really our favourite restaurant to dine out, it may border on a bit expensive for a few people but having been there at least ten times over the last twelve months I can safely say they have consistently provided us with a great time out. I would recommend Eden for a romantic night and if the price point is a bit high, why not have some nibbles and cocktails?
Now you’ve heard what I have to say, don’t forget to head over to www.dinehear.com and nominate a noisy restaurant for your chance to Win 1 of 3 iPad Minis!!! Be sure to check out my reviews on the Gastro Pub & the Cafe xx
All opinions are my own and honestly reflect my experiences. The restaurants reviewed were chosen by me. I received financial compensation to offset the expense of the meals and to include information regarding the Dine Hear promotion in my reviews.
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