Alex's choice. Neil 4*, Alex 4*, Gerry 4*, Rod 4*, Louanne 3 1/2*
Overall Rating: 3.9 stars
Total Cost per person: $70.00
Ratings scale: Excellent; Very Good; Good; Not so Good; Poor; Abysmal
This restaurant has a reputation for fine dining in fine surroundings. The Lakes is a residential and holiday apartment resort complex surrounded by beautiful gardens, not far from the Cairns Botanical Gardens and Centenary Lakes. We were delighted to discover that the Matre d' was our old friend David from the early Doninis days. However he informed us it was his second last night as he was returning to Darwin.
Ambiance - Rating: Excellent. Beautiful timber floors and timber windows overlooking the resort complex and roads. View not as I imagined it would be, as the glassed in verandah are overlooked a row of apartments. No table cloths, but linen serviettes and etched glassware and quality crockery and cutlery gave an upmarket feel.
Music - Rating: Good. Piped background music, subtle and low key middle of the road.
Menu - Rating: Very Good. Choice small but well written. A reasonably priced set three course menu with a choice of two items each course ($39.00) a degustation menu at $75.00 per head was considered too expensive.
Entree: Risotto, Asparagus/Mushrooms, Sashimi, and breads rated Very Good and the Scallop/Prawn Ravoli rated Excellent.
Main course: the 2 Racks of Lamb, Chicken Confit on chick pea mash rated only Not so Good, the Barramundi Very Good and the Scallop & Prawn Ravioli - Excellent. The lamb and chicken were deemed bland and tasteless.
Sweets: The brulees and coffee torte rated Very Good. Two coffees were ordered and were brought to the table with an apology that they were not as good as they could be - the machine was playing up. They were returned and replaced by coffee of a similar standard ??
Drinks: Drink selection was upmarket and a quality wine list, priced slightly above standard. Wines at the lower end of the price scale were chosen. The red was served far too hot and had to be taken away and cooled. One wonders why a restaurant of this calibre does not have a wine fridge or, or at least store table ready wines in air conditioning.
Drinks Service - Rating: Good. The waiter knew his wines and was apologetic at the temperature of the wine. Complimentary liqueurs were offered at the end of the meal.
Food Service - Rating: Good. The gap in between entree and mains was not long enough. Waiter extremely professional and knowledgeable, but female wait staff who served the plates were obviously not trained.
Summary: Overall, a pleasant evening, and most of the deficiencies were corrected. Not a restaurant where one would expect the waitress to juggle too many plates and serve across people - but she did! One downside: being a tourist apartment complex and out of town, many of the diners were residents with small children. even though seated in a different area, tired, crying two year olds after 10 pm are painfull for everyone. We were actually surprised to discover that the per head cost was only just over $70.00
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Marinade's Indian Restuarant 2nd Nov. 2007
Irene's choice. Ken, Irene, Neil, Alex, Gerry, Alan
Overall Rating: 3 star
Total Cost per person: $75.00
Ratings scale: Excellent; Very Good; Good; Not so Good; Poor; Abysmal
This restaurant is considered the best Indian restaurant in Cairns and specialises in Northern Indian cuisine. There is an excellent range of Indian breads, but overall the servings are extremely small. As with most restaurants of this type, dishes come to the table to share, which means that not all diners might get a taste of everything, as there is often not enough pieces of meat, prawns etc. for one each. Large tables should order two serves. The restaurant has several private group areas at the rear of the restaurant.
Ambiance - Rating: Good. Nice decor - not overly Indian, paper place mats with prints complementing the decor and linen serviettes. Being seated near the open doors made it uncomfortably hot as the airconditioning and fans did not extend to that area. It pays to ask for an interior table in hot weather.
Music - Rating: Good. Background piped Indian music - not too intrusive.
Menu - Rating: Very Good. An extensive menu of northern Indian food. Reasonably well explained in the menu but waiters extremely helpful and knowledgeable and willing to Anglicise items.
Entree: none
Main course: Dal, Murg Tak E Tak (chicken in Peshwari spice), Lamb Rogan Josh, Goan Prawns in coconut mil and spices, Navratta Korma (vegetables with dried fruit and cashew nut sauce), Bengali fish curry. Breads: Naan, Roti. Ratia and rice. All food was rated as Very Good, but serves small. With only six people one would expect at least one prawn each.
Sweets: none
Drinks: The first bottle of white wine was too hot, but was replaced. Otherwise wine choice and cost was rated Good.
Drinks Service - Rating: Good. After the initial settling in service it was difficult to attract attention.
Food Service - Rating: Good. Food took longer than acceptable to arrive. Wait staff efficient but not overly friendly.
Summary: There are many much cheaper Indian restaurants around serving larger portions of good food. Marinades food is certainly tasty, but not good value for money in this genre of restaurants.
Overall Rating: 3 star
Total Cost per person: $75.00
Ratings scale: Excellent; Very Good; Good; Not so Good; Poor; Abysmal
This restaurant is considered the best Indian restaurant in Cairns and specialises in Northern Indian cuisine. There is an excellent range of Indian breads, but overall the servings are extremely small. As with most restaurants of this type, dishes come to the table to share, which means that not all diners might get a taste of everything, as there is often not enough pieces of meat, prawns etc. for one each. Large tables should order two serves. The restaurant has several private group areas at the rear of the restaurant.
Ambiance - Rating: Good. Nice decor - not overly Indian, paper place mats with prints complementing the decor and linen serviettes. Being seated near the open doors made it uncomfortably hot as the airconditioning and fans did not extend to that area. It pays to ask for an interior table in hot weather.
Music - Rating: Good. Background piped Indian music - not too intrusive.
Menu - Rating: Very Good. An extensive menu of northern Indian food. Reasonably well explained in the menu but waiters extremely helpful and knowledgeable and willing to Anglicise items.
Entree: none
Main course: Dal, Murg Tak E Tak (chicken in Peshwari spice), Lamb Rogan Josh, Goan Prawns in coconut mil and spices, Navratta Korma (vegetables with dried fruit and cashew nut sauce), Bengali fish curry. Breads: Naan, Roti. Ratia and rice. All food was rated as Very Good, but serves small. With only six people one would expect at least one prawn each.
Sweets: none
Drinks: The first bottle of white wine was too hot, but was replaced. Otherwise wine choice and cost was rated Good.
Drinks Service - Rating: Good. After the initial settling in service it was difficult to attract attention.
Food Service - Rating: Good. Food took longer than acceptable to arrive. Wait staff efficient but not overly friendly.
Summary: There are many much cheaper Indian restaurants around serving larger portions of good food. Marinades food is certainly tasty, but not good value for money in this genre of restaurants.
Adelphi Greek Restaurant 12th Oct. 2007
Neil's Choice. Ken, Irene, Alex, Neil, Gerry attended.
Overall Rating: 3 star
Total Cost per person: $80.00
Ratings scale: Excellent; Very Good; Good; Not so Good; Poor; Abysmal
This restaurant for years was known as Yanni's Greek Taverna, is now owned by the Andre family of musician Peter Andre fame. His brother Chris is the restaurant entertainment on guitar & bouzouki playing mostly Greek/Cypriot ethnic style music.
Ambiance - Rating: Excellent. The restaurant comprises two parts - a semi outdoor area in the style of a Greek street courtyard, and an inside area which we selected as air conditioning is mandatory in Cairns during the summer months. The restaurant is clean, with starched white tablecloths and linen serviettes. Acoustics are not good - very noisy even without the music.
Music - Rating: Poor. Even though we were as far away as possible from the outdoor music, it was so loud that our table vibrated. Table talk was nigh on impossible and I found myself hanging out for the music breaks.
Menu - Rating: Very Good. Typical Greek fare with seafood, lamb and pasta featuring high. Prices were average and the feast menu good value for the hungry. The specials were well presented and the waitress was well versed in the evening's offerings.
Entree: Halomi, chilli muscles and whitebait rated Very Good with the scallops rating Excellent.
Main course: Mackerel with pasta, drunken prawns rated Very Good and the two mixed grills rated not so good (too fatty/greasy) and the quail rated poor (dry and tiny).
Sweets: none
Drinks: Retsina was of good quality and not too strong. House red was acceptable and reasonably priced.
Drinks Service - Rating: Abysmal. The waitress admitted she did not know how to decork the bottle and we had to show her how to do it as other staff were run off their feet. The wrong wine was brought twice and had to be returned. whilst we put up with this for the red, we had to ask for the retsina glasses to be changed. As numbers increased it became difficult to order drinks.
Food Service - Rating: Very Good. Efficient with acceptable waiting periods - although we did dine early.
This a very busy, popular restaurant - particularly for large groups who choose the feast. This restaurant is known for its belly dancers and plate smashing, however on this night it did not occur. Not recommended for a quiet night out, or diners who want conversation. Not a lot of choice for those who do not eat seafood or vegetarians.
Overall Rating: 3 star
Total Cost per person: $80.00
Ratings scale: Excellent; Very Good; Good; Not so Good; Poor; Abysmal
This restaurant for years was known as Yanni's Greek Taverna, is now owned by the Andre family of musician Peter Andre fame. His brother Chris is the restaurant entertainment on guitar & bouzouki playing mostly Greek/Cypriot ethnic style music.
Ambiance - Rating: Excellent. The restaurant comprises two parts - a semi outdoor area in the style of a Greek street courtyard, and an inside area which we selected as air conditioning is mandatory in Cairns during the summer months. The restaurant is clean, with starched white tablecloths and linen serviettes. Acoustics are not good - very noisy even without the music.
Music - Rating: Poor. Even though we were as far away as possible from the outdoor music, it was so loud that our table vibrated. Table talk was nigh on impossible and I found myself hanging out for the music breaks.
Menu - Rating: Very Good. Typical Greek fare with seafood, lamb and pasta featuring high. Prices were average and the feast menu good value for the hungry. The specials were well presented and the waitress was well versed in the evening's offerings.
Entree: Halomi, chilli muscles and whitebait rated Very Good with the scallops rating Excellent.
Main course: Mackerel with pasta, drunken prawns rated Very Good and the two mixed grills rated not so good (too fatty/greasy) and the quail rated poor (dry and tiny).
Sweets: none
Drinks: Retsina was of good quality and not too strong. House red was acceptable and reasonably priced.
Drinks Service - Rating: Abysmal. The waitress admitted she did not know how to decork the bottle and we had to show her how to do it as other staff were run off their feet. The wrong wine was brought twice and had to be returned. whilst we put up with this for the red, we had to ask for the retsina glasses to be changed. As numbers increased it became difficult to order drinks.
Food Service - Rating: Very Good. Efficient with acceptable waiting periods - although we did dine early.
This a very busy, popular restaurant - particularly for large groups who choose the feast. This restaurant is known for its belly dancers and plate smashing, however on this night it did not occur. Not recommended for a quiet night out, or diners who want conversation. Not a lot of choice for those who do not eat seafood or vegetarians.
Willie McBrides at the Fig Tree
So after several false starts at various venues, we settled at Willie McBrides at the Fig Tree. BUT this involved a major life style change. The session was at night .... starting 7.30 AND it was a bit out of the city - no restaurants in the immediate vicinity. What were we to do about dinner? By this time it had become too much of an institution for too many of us to just give it up.
Solution: eat at the Fig Tree. Well, this worked for a while until we had eaten everything on the menu several times, then we discovered the little gem "Kings" across the road. Kings is on the ground floor of a most ordinary looking cheap motel, with decor straight from the 70s. BUT restaurateur Dennis certainly has a good thing going. Not only good food, but if you dine before 7pm - two for the price of one. CHEAP AND GOOD. No wonder he is packed out. BUT of course when you eat there every week, the menu starts to get a little limited .. and the special is always the same.
After two years at that end of town we were beginning to be seriously concerned that our taste buds were becoming ossified. New places were opening in town that we had never heard of. we were becoming out of touch. Hence the second friday night dinner club. The second Friday of every month one of us would choose a restaurant, and we would conduct an appraisal, including rating and reviewing. Hence this blog and the remainder of the postings.
Solution: eat at the Fig Tree. Well, this worked for a while until we had eaten everything on the menu several times, then we discovered the little gem "Kings" across the road. Kings is on the ground floor of a most ordinary looking cheap motel, with decor straight from the 70s. BUT restaurateur Dennis certainly has a good thing going. Not only good food, but if you dine before 7pm - two for the price of one. CHEAP AND GOOD. No wonder he is packed out. BUT of course when you eat there every week, the menu starts to get a little limited .. and the special is always the same.
After two years at that end of town we were beginning to be seriously concerned that our taste buds were becoming ossified. New places were opening in town that we had never heard of. we were becoming out of touch. Hence the second friday night dinner club. The second Friday of every month one of us would choose a restaurant, and we would conduct an appraisal, including rating and reviewing. Hence this blog and the remainder of the postings.
The "Grand" days
The Grand session lasted about three years, interspersed with some short stints at Willie McBrides, Shenannigans, Edge Hill Bowls Club, and Cruising Yacht Squadron, in periods where the Grand prevaricated about whether Celtic music fitted their image.
The Grand, is at the end of Shields St., which is slightly away from the waterfront tourist beat of the Esplanade and the Pier - at the cheaper end of town. Shields St., known through some promotion or other as "Eat St." houses a range of ethnic restaurants. Our favourites were Mother India, Limmys Malaysian, Star of Siam, Tandoori Oven, Apres Beach Bar. Occasionally we would go to the Red Ochre although this was more expensive. Verdis and Fasta Pasta were out as they were not a patch on Donninis and Sushi and Mexican not our style. The famous Victory Cafe is in this stretch as well, although we did not frequent it in those years.
The Crown Hotel bottle shop opened up in a little heritage shed that we had years before held Bush /dances in when the Folk Club at the Crown was a happening thing (long before the Celtic Confusion session days). it cam in handy for the BYOs along the stretch.
During this time we were able to impress our friends and workmates with our extensive knowledge of Cairns restaurants.
When the Grand finally decided they preferred fist fights, bikies, pool playing and juke boxes .. the session ended ... we were at a loss. No more excuse to go to a different restaurant every Sat. night.
The Grand, is at the end of Shields St., which is slightly away from the waterfront tourist beat of the Esplanade and the Pier - at the cheaper end of town. Shields St., known through some promotion or other as "Eat St." houses a range of ethnic restaurants. Our favourites were Mother India, Limmys Malaysian, Star of Siam, Tandoori Oven, Apres Beach Bar. Occasionally we would go to the Red Ochre although this was more expensive. Verdis and Fasta Pasta were out as they were not a patch on Donninis and Sushi and Mexican not our style. The famous Victory Cafe is in this stretch as well, although we did not frequent it in those years.
The Crown Hotel bottle shop opened up in a little heritage shed that we had years before held Bush /dances in when the Folk Club at the Crown was a happening thing (long before the Celtic Confusion session days). it cam in handy for the BYOs along the stretch.
During this time we were able to impress our friends and workmates with our extensive knowledge of Cairns restaurants.
When the Grand finally decided they preferred fist fights, bikies, pool playing and juke boxes .. the session ended ... we were at a loss. No more excuse to go to a different restaurant every Sat. night.
History - Donnini's days
Why this blog? We are a group of people in Cairns Nth. Qld. who for the last 15 or so years have spent some of our spare time playing celtic music in a regular Saturday session. For a lot of years (8 - 9?) we played on Saturday afternoons at Gilhooley's, later known as the Irish Bar at the Pier. After the session we liked to go upstairs to our favourite Italian restuarant "Donninis Ciao Italia". We got to know the restuarant and its staff there very well - Yves, Marco, David, Jeff, Maria, Mandy, Gail, Franco, Greg, Louis, Picollo, Mario and our very favourite Gilberto.
We have even followed some of the staff as they have left to start their own resturants, ice cream parlours or just work in other places around town.
The thing we really liked about Donninis (apart from the food which was consistently good, particularly the Canollis and the best lemoncello ever tasted) is that the staff treated you like family. We had many fun nights there and we had a standing reservation for anything between 4 and 14 people anywhere between 7 and 9 pm. ... A restaurateur’s nightmare really but we were never turned away - even when others without bookings were, even if the staff had to steal table and chairs from the shopping centre side and sit us in "coach" rather than the "pointy end" (which we preferred as we could keep an eye on the chefs in the kitchen keeping an eye on the young female customers!!)
When the Irish Bar met its demise and the Pier closed for refurbishment, the session moved across to the other side of town to the Grand Hotel. This is in Spence St. Known as "Eat St."
We have even followed some of the staff as they have left to start their own resturants, ice cream parlours or just work in other places around town.
The thing we really liked about Donninis (apart from the food which was consistently good, particularly the Canollis and the best lemoncello ever tasted) is that the staff treated you like family. We had many fun nights there and we had a standing reservation for anything between 4 and 14 people anywhere between 7 and 9 pm. ... A restaurateur’s nightmare really but we were never turned away - even when others without bookings were, even if the staff had to steal table and chairs from the shopping centre side and sit us in "coach" rather than the "pointy end" (which we preferred as we could keep an eye on the chefs in the kitchen keeping an eye on the young female customers!!)
When the Irish Bar met its demise and the Pier closed for refurbishment, the session moved across to the other side of town to the Grand Hotel. This is in Spence St. Known as "Eat St."
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