A degustation disappointment

A couple of weeks ago, we drove to Sydney via Canberra to partake in a nine course degustation dinner after Clare was offered a great voucher deal. The total drive time was a little over seven hours each way, but the offer was worth it. We left MacK with Peter and Phyl in Canberra, and he had a blast over the weekend.

Sydney was busy, as we had inadvertently booked on the same day as the Mardi Gras festival. We made our way to our accommodation, and frocked up (have to when heading out to a fancy dinner!). We met Clare and Leigh at their accommodation and had a pre dinner drink prior to walking up to the Restaurant.

Hungry (well prepared for a degustation…) and a little excited, we strolled up the hill to the restaurant, to see a notice in the window advising that the landlord had taken possession of the restaurant, and anybody on the premises would be met with police action. 

Now, we had paid for the dinner, and had received email confirmation! Needless to say, we were more than a little miffed!

Finding an alternate venue on Mardi Gras Saturday was always going to be a struggle, but we eventually walked into a small bistro on McLeay St (McLeay St Bistro) that could take us. The staff were great, and we soon forgot where we were supposed to be! Jane and I had a feta, tomato and caramelised onion tart with Asparagus salad to start with, and I had a grilled organic chicken breast with tarragon jus for a main course. The food was simple, but exceptionally well done, and the staff were fantastic. 

Clare nearly slapped the hand of the waiter for daring to try to remove her champagne flute (good thing she didn't, as he is from Sicily!), and had a beautifully tender and superbly cooked eye fillet. We had a couple of bottles of good wine, and may have had a shot or two of Limoncello as a digestif to close the night out.

Despite the disappointment of the restaurant closure (without notification), we had a great night. It reminded us again that the key to any night out is the people. The company at the table was fantastic, and the staff at the bistro were just brilliant. McLeay St Bistro would be a must stop visit whenever in Sydney… Just hope for your sake they have a little Limoncello left!