Modern Australian / Local
Versatility is a skill that restaurants and bars often yearn for but never attain. Cross-over vibrancy that moves through a venue, and covers multiple periods of the day and night. The majority of hotels try and fail. To have a space designed for multiple purposes. A space that moves effortlessly through lunch to dinner, or from casual to smart.
When this equation is solved it leads to success. Success is profitable. Profit allows for long-time well looked after staff. The flywheel spins. For Gerald’s Bar this level of success meant it outgrew its Rathdowne Street digs, and took the ultimate risk to go bigger. Going bigger involves a fine dining aspect.
The Parlour at Gerald’s Bar is in its infancy. With an early booking we thought the clientele would build. Slightly tucked away from the main sprawling bar, but within an atmospheric earshot, our expert team of waitstaff explained the tasting menu.
Having started with a superbly made house martini (olive oil), and the ‘Dolores’, our snacks arrived with some fanfare from the floorstaff. They were not wrong. The taste of the fish and chips bite transports you to your classic fish and chippery, without the newspaper. With specially imported aged raw milk cheddar scattered on top, the tart is almost as good.
Sourdough is special. Making it a course on tasting menus around the country is possibly controversial, but in this case (and many others) it deserves some stardom. Paired with spectacular warmed honey encased in butter, you can understand why this shouldn’t always be considered a side.
Bringing back memories of a terrific recent wedding at Provenance, the Henty Chardonnay shows its careful handling in the vineyard, paying dividends for Catherine. My Wildeberg Chenin Blanc from South Africa is beautifully chosen by the bar, leaving me without any doubt I can put my trust in the sommelier.
A collection of end of season black star tomatoes prepared several ways, with flamed cockles underneath, shows ingenuity in the kitchen. Tomato as a star is not new on tasting menus, and it is one of those ingredients that can really shine. I welcome the style of this dish that is combined and lifted by a tomato broth with vanilla.
Our highlight dish is the nannygai. A member of the snapper family, I am enamoured with the clever presentation. The various elements come together in gorgeous harmony. Like our wedding though, the beauty of the main ingredient should be presented without being dulled by the risoni, even though the teaming of the two (and the courgette and basil) were a match made in heaven. Adding even a further notch was the Meyer-Fonne Riesling from Alsace, backing up the initial superb pick.
Preparing for main I turned to a red in the form of the 2015 Urbina Tempranillo from Rioja. This was paired with the enormous main of Wild Shot fallow deer loin, which included a rich terrine like ball (caillette), and charred and pureed sweetcorn and juniper. The richness of the dish eventually stopped Catherine continuing, but I just couldn’t stop, especially with the corn which elevated the dish considerably, and the aged red too.
Presenting the cheese trolley like a skilled salesperson, the incredibly well chosen and diverse range of cheeses had us captivated. Due to our generally limited appetite at the end of the savoury courses, we ordinarily would wave off any mention of cheese prior to dessert but we were sold. By the time we had a tiny slither (but with a generous and delicious range of accompaniments) we were up to pussy’s bow.
Entirely satisfied, nothing stops Catherine and I having dessert, and we prepared ourselves for the lemon verbena mousse, presented with a delicately sliced peach topping, and raspberry sorbet. Like the other dishes there is some inventiveness here, clever combinations of ingredients without going overboard, and a less-is-more thought process with the ability to match the flavour profile with some great wine choices.
Add immaculate service to the stunning food and wine, and you have what should become a popular offering. Tonight was quiet in The Parlour with only two tables on a Saturday evening, but if the word gets out expect this new aspect of Gerald’s Bar to be just as popular as the rest of the venue.
