Maybelle

Reviews

Restaurants, Italian, BYO, Licensed, Outdoor Dining

Overall 5.6 19

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food 8 Ambience 9 Service 10 Value 8

I booked L'unico for my mother's birthday dinner last night and I had such a fabulous experience that I decided to write about it straight away!

There were six of us and five of us arrived half an hour late, but the staff were very understanding and insisted this was not a problem. We ordered two breads as an entrée and they sent out a third bruschetta for free! All were delicious. I ordered a salmon and cream fettuccine, which was delicious but so large I couldn't finish it. Another one of us ordered their signature dish, which I think was L'unico chicken. It was served with cashews and cream and looked delicious.

With the exception of my brother (who had a bit of a bland pesto pasta) we all loved our meals. We had brought our own cake for my mother, and the lights were dimmed while the staff led us in singing happy birthday. They had also lit sparklers and put them on the cake, which was a nice touch. When the lights came on, they poured each of us a free glass of Italian sparkling wine.

I found the staff very helpful and I loved the complementary bubbles. What made the night for me (and my mum) was the way they made us feel like special customers, even though it was our first time there. L'unico was an accidental last minute choice (the restaurant we originally wanted was fully booked) but I'm very glad we went there!

Dec 08, 2010

Rubicon Restaurant, Griffith

Restaurants, European, Modern Australian, Vegetarian, Banquet

Overall 8.7 11

7 Recommended

Food 9 Ambience 9 Service 5 Value 5

Each year, my family takes me to Rubicon for my birthday and I love it. I love the location, the atmosphere, the layout and the food. My favourite place to sit is in conservatory/courtyard, which is particularly beautiful at night.

My brother and I like to share the pear and pumpkin risotto as an entrée (it is actually a main) and we each have beautifully presented plates given to us when the entrées are served. Most recently, I had a delicious gnocchi as a main course. Their house-made ice creams are also a great dessert, which suits me because I'm not usually interested in cake after an entrée and a main.

I don't mind the price tag attached to dinner at Rubicon – it is regarded as one of Canberra's fine dining restaurants – but I have to say I'm not crazy about the service. I have always found the service at Rubicon very mediocre, something I find incongruous to the quality of the food and its status as a fine dining institution. Then again, based on the glowing feedback on the service given by other reviewers below, perhaps my experience is an anomaly and I have gone there at unusual times. Nevertheless, it's not enough to turn me off the food!

Dec 07, 2010

Mecca Bah, Manuka

Restaurants, Middle Eastern, Licensed, Outdoor Dining, Serves Dinner

Overall 5.4 18

6.5 Recommended

Food 5 Ambience 9 Service 6 Value 6

I am Middle-Eastern and needless to say I love Mediterranean food. I try to support Middle-Eastern restaurants when they open in Canberra and I really wanted to like Mecca Bah, but unfortunately I was disappointed.

I found their dips very dry and I didn’t think the tagines were properly prepared as the flavour was lacking. I didn’t try the pides, but I thought the grills where a bit overpriced, particularly considering the cuts of meat they use. None of this is to say that my experience at Mecca Bah was bad per se, I simply think there are much better quality and value restaurants in the genre – Saffron comes to mind.

Mecca Bah does get top points for ambiance. I love the layout and furniture, and music really adds to the atmosphere. I also hear their ice creams are delicious, although I didn’t have dessert there. I think I will be back at Mecca Bah for dessert and Turkish coffee, or perhaps just a drink and some exotic music. I probably won't be back for dinner.

Dec 07, 2010

Ardeche Restaurant, Canberra

Restaurants, African, French, BYO, Licensed

Overall 5.4 19

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food 9 Ambience 6 Service 10 Value 10

I must admit I was surprised by some of the comments Ardeche has received below. Although I have not yet had dinner at Ardeche, I am a very regular lunch customer. My work colleagues and I go there for lunch once or twice a week and I have never had a bad experience.

I am usually served by the owner, a Moroccan gentleman, who is just so lovely and thoughtful. I usually order the lunch special, where you select one of a handful of featured dishes (there is usually one chicken dish, one red meat dish, one seafood dish and one vegetarian dish) with a glass of wine for around $15.

I love seafood, French and Mediterranean cuisines and Ardeche's French and North African menu is perfectly suited to my tastes. I love their duck and lamb dishes, and each is always slow roasted to perfection. My absolute favourite would have to be the Moroccan chicken with chick peas, a dish that is often featured on their lunch special.

I eat out a lot for work and I have not yet found a restaurant in the Canberra CBD that can match the quality or value of Ardeche's lunch. The only thing I would suggest is a serious overhaul of the restaurant's website (I was investigating their banquet as possibility for my mother's birthday dinner and found the site very hard to use) and an update of the restaurant's décor.

Otherwise, I think the location is great, the service is very friendly, the food is delicious and the value for money is terrific! I can highly recommend it for lunch!

Dec 07, 2010

Saffron, Manuka

Restaurants, Mediterranean, Vegetarian, BYO, Has Bar

Overall 8.2 13

9 Highly Recommended

Food 10 Ambience 9 Service 10 Value 7

Great service and delicious food. My favourites are Samkeh Harrah (baked fish with chilli and nuts), Sayadiya (fish with tahini and rice) and Imam Bayuldi (eggpland and cous cous). They are the best in Canberra for Middle-Eastern seafood dishes and they have a really comprehensive wine list. They have also agreed to cater a Christmas party for me this month for $10 a head - easily the best quote I've had!

Dec 07, 2010