Ruby L’otel
On a bleak and dreary winter night I returned to Ruby L’otel to find things were jumping. Sliding between rowdy groups doing ten-buck meals with ten-buck jugs of Aussie beer standards, and the trivia tapas crew, I let their enthusiasm carry me (kicking and screaming) into a pleasant pub night. As I munched on Louisiana Crab Croquettes ($12) with a curious Creole tartare, and a pot of chalky Baked Goats’ Cheese ($11) with tortilla chips, Chef James ‘Jimmy’ Grant explained his menu philosophy: “look at what other folk are doing, and try not to do that.” So you won’t find a menu full of the latest pub fads, like tacos or sliders. What you will find is a plate-sized 400g Angus Rib Eye ($32) served on the bone with the marrow cleverly revealed. It sports a black cherry and roast eschallot jus with hand-cut chips cooked in garlic infused duck fat. Not being a mainstream beer gal, I took it in with a Czech Cernovar ($4/330ml), which is now on tap, and a fail-safe bottle of Ninth Island Pinot Noir ($32). It lasted into a better-than-average pub dessert: a whopping slab of warm Chocolate Cake ($7) packing a clever chipotle punch, cherries and pistachios, smothered in a boozy choccy sauce.
Ruby L’otel
68 Victoria Road, Rozelle
Ph: (02) 9555 1900 rubylotel.com.au
Pub Bistro $$$
