The Royal Oak Hotel & Restaurant
Image: So this isn’t the cheapest pub bistro in Balmain - it’s also far from the most expensive. I’ll admit to being won over by the outstanding value Sunday Seafood Platter ($49.50) which provides two people with a considerable feast: half a Western Australian lobster in Mornay, excellent chilli octopus, oysters au natural, garlic prawns, crumbed calamari and nicely beer-battered fish with chips and salad.
So this isn’t the cheapest pub bistro in Balmain – it’s also far from the most expensive. I’ll admit to being won over by the outstanding value Sunday Seafood Platter ($49.50) which provides two people with a considerable feast: half a Western Australian lobster in Mornay, excellent chilli octopus, oysters au natural, garlic prawns, crumbed calamari and nicely beer-battered fish with chips and salad. It went well with a bottle of 2007 Josef Chromy ‘Pepik’ Chardonnay ($35). Another good match came from a special of Pipsqueak Cider with Steamed Tasmanian Mussels ($22). While I appreciated the toasted Turkish for mopping up the pot of bacon, cider, cream and herbs, I did want for a couple more briny, black mussels – but perhaps I just wanted to draw out my riveting dining situation? Tables 30, 31 and 32 are situated right at the kitchen pass where the food comes up, creating a quasi-chef’s table setting. I smiled to hear ‘the customer is always right’ ring out from Sous Chef Peter Hlebnikov in the Panopticon kitchen (there’s a portal on the other side, and a salad bar to look through too). He ran a warm and encouraging ship behind a well-placed row of chefly tomes; and the cooking surpassed my (outdated) pub bistro expectations.
The Royal Oak Hotel & Restaurant
36 College Street, Balmain
Ph: (02) 9810 2311 www.royaloakbalmain.com.au
Pub Bistro $$-$$$
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