This very ‘Sydney’ styled Adelaide restaurant serving Italian fare is located opposite the Hilton and offers a modern, warm-toned oasis of calm to the weary traveller of the harassed business person. The menu is an appetising read, the service friendly and the wine list very appropriate. The food unfortunately doesn’t live up to expectations.
‘Pumpkin ravioli with burnt butter and fried sage leaves’ should be described as a raviloni, the butter isn’t burnt and the sage leaves are limp and soggy. The whole dish lacks punch and flavour. The ‘Melanzane Lasagne’ looks terrific but isn’t caramelised enough and is texturally uninteresting and bland. A dish of potato gnocchi with cèpe and cèpe jus and truffled Parmesan has good texture but lacks salt. An ‘Osso bucco Milanese’ turns out to be a venison shank with saffron risotto. The meat is slow baked and tender, but again lacks flavour and salt and the risotto is not made a-la-minute. The only outstanding part of the meal is the bread and the olive oil.
Desserts are much better. A steamed lemon pudding and a honey brûlée both convince with presentation and flavour and the honey-comb ice cream really is excellent and the house grappa superb.
Value for money is good as is the timing and the service. It’s just the food that needs a bit more attention to flavour…
Score: 5.5 / 10
For more information or bookings:
Augé
22 Grote Street
Adelaide
Tel.: 08 8410 9332