Food & Wine
All's Swell That Ends Swell
LIZZY WOOD Food Editor
o my mind, there are 'every day' restaurants - those you grab food from a couple of times a week without thinking anything of it - and there are 'special occa- sion' restaurants - the ones you take your Mum to for Mother's Day, or where you celebrate a birthday, for example. At din- nertime, Swell Restaurant on Bronte's beachfront is a special occasion restaurant.
You can tell this as soon as you walk in the door. The restau- rant is elegant. It’s sophistically decorated with clean white decor punctuated by blue cushions, the colour of the ocean outside. White tables fill the small space, a bar sweeps across one corner of the room and an open doorway through to the kitchen reveals glimpses of the frantic pace at which the staff work.
T
Arriving for dinner on a sud- denly cold Wednesday evening, the restaurant was full. Even the tables outside were taken up
80 • the Beast
by groups of people wrapped in coats, hats and winter woollies - testament perhaps to the reputa- tion of chef Shea Crawford, and to the popularity of the menu that he's cultivated since relocating from America. To start, we chose the paradise prawn salad ($20) - meaty prawns served within a tangle of Asian salad, a spicy vinaigrette and grapefruit lending sharp flavours to the dish - and the goat’s cheese gnocchi ($18). Those of you who watched Masterchef last year will know that gnocchi is often the mark of a good chef. I certainly wasn't disappointed; the balls of potato melted in my mouth and soybeans provided a complementary texture.
It's obvious that the chef takes pride in the produce he's using; the hero of the dish is allowed to shine, while Asian inspired flavours and textures are used simply to complement. Both the beef sirloin ($34) and rare lamb loin ($29) that we chose for main were rich and satisfying, although perhaps not as satisfying as the decadent flourless chocolate
cake with vanilla mascarpone ($14) that we shared for dessert. It should also be noted here that Swell is offering an enticing ‘Sunset Menu’ for the duration of winter, whereby diners can enjoy an entrée, main and a glass of wine from the special menu for just $35 between 5pm and 7pm. 'Special occasion' restaurants are normally prohibited from be- coming 'everyday' restaurants by the cost. However, with the new Sunset Menu, as well as tremen- dous breakfast and lunch menus, Swell manages to transcend the usual definitions. So now you can make every day a special occa- sion by dining at Swell!
Swell Restaurant
Address: 465 Bronte Rd, Bronte Phone: (02) 9386 5001 Web: www.swellrestaurant.
com.au Seats: 50 Open: 7 days, 7am-10pm Prices: Entrée: $19-$28; Main: $28-$34 Dessert: $11-$14 Cards: Amex, Mastercard, Visa, EFTPOS
Licensed/BYO: Licensed only
www.thebeast.com.au
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