Tomislav Restaurant

Review by Franz Scheurer

Tomislav Restaurant might be a little hard to find but it’s worth the effort. It is diagonally across the Coca Cola sign in Kings Cross, but as the address is Kirketon Road and the entrance in Craigend Street it can get a little confusing. Street parking is an issue but thankfully there are a couple of parking houses within easy walking distance.

The restaurant is small, intimate, with inside and veranda seating and it has a glorious view of an unusual aspect of Sydney. The tables are spaced generously (no intrusion on your privacy) and the bench-seats on the veranda are supremely comfortable due to very amply padding supplied by the full-length cushions. Light levels are low outside and mainly due to the kitchen lighting, a little brighter inside. Reading the menu is not an issue, even for someone needing reading glasses.

The menu is short and concise, as is the wine list. Chef Tomislav Martinovic’s cooking is exciting and his plating is appetising.

While you are making up your mind what to eat, have a serving of the three appetizers, ‘Rice Crackers’ with salt & vinegar (the essence comes in a spray bottle, and the same crackers with sour cream & chives. The third appetizer is served on a crouton and it’s a moist, moreish ‘Kangaroo Tartare’ with hazelnut dressing. We started our meal with ‘Roasted Red Gate Quail’, which was served with chilli, coriander and roast pineapple. It takes a brave chef to put pineapple onto a plate, but not only did the combination work, it was probably the dish of the night. We loved the presentation, flavours and textures of the ‘Poached Yellow Fin Tuna’ with apple, avocado and parsley crumbs and the ‘Clear Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho’, served with foie gras, cucumber and grilled scampi was superb. I loved the smoothness of the foie gras with the rustic, yet refined Gazpacho.

For mains we tried the ‘Grilled Lamb Cutlets’, with mint sauce and baby onions showcasing excellent meat in a deceptively simple dish. The ‘Potato Gnocchi’ with egg yolk, green peas and asparagus shone with a silky texture and a fabulous mouth feel. I really loved this dish. The ‘Pasture-fed Angus Scotch Fillet’ was presented with a large piece of cut-in-half bone (making access to the bone marrow easy) and the meat, cooked rare, was pre-cut into strips and arranged on the dark, I presume slate plate. These guys know how to cook meat and the fillet was excellent. It was also accompanied by grilled mango and a horseradish cream, and it was those two accompaniments that didn’t live up to the rest of the meal. The mango was overly sweet and did nothing for the dish and the horseradish cream lacked punch and flavour. It took all of my imagination to detect any horseradish.

On to desserts, and let me tell you right away: they are stunning! We left the selection up to the chef and in true chef-fashion, he sent us the lot. His ‘Cheese Cake’ is a must have and I am not going to spoil the surprise by describing it. Just order it! All desserts looked fabulous and each one has a little surprise, be that in the association we make automatically or in some form of unexpected texture. The cheese course was a slab of Meredith ewe’s milk blue served with a superb pickled tamarillo pie and clotted cream ice cream. Simply superb!

Service is attentive and helpful. The wine list is eclectic and although small there is something there for every taste and budget. A good selection of wines by the glass is a plus.

Do I like it? Absolutely

Would I go again: Definitely; I want more of his desserts!

Noise: 72 db

Score: 7.5/10

For more information or bookings:

Tomislav Restaurant

2/13 Kirketon Road

Darlinghurst NSW 2010

Tel.: 02 9356 4535

Web: www.tomislav.com.au/