Review : Restaurant Atelier

22 Glebe Point Road
Glebe

p: +61 2 9566 2112
e: eat@restaurantatelier.com.au


Dinner:
Tuesday - Saturday from 6pm

We last visited Restaurant Atelier not long after it moved from Newtown to Glebe, so a very long time ago.

As anyone who reads this blog knows, we are massive fans of Bar Mattino & think that Sebastian Tyson is one fine chef. So when he, and his equally knowledgeable wife, Sigrid, talk up a restaurant we know they are not giving us a bum steer. So on their recommendation we finally pay a return visit to Restaurant Atelier.

The restaurant resides in a cute sandstone cottage near the Parramatta Rd end of Glebe Point Rd.

Inside the restaurant is cosy & comfortable and we are seated in the front section right next to the fireplace.


You can choose to order the degustation menu ($85pp or $140pp with matching wines), or choose to go a la carte, as we do this evening.

We kick off with the Jamon Iberico Bellota 'J Martin' w Fleur de Sel Grissini. We love the Iberico; the dark red meat is marbled with fat & has a wonderful nutty flavour and the salty grissini are a great accompaniment. 
As much as we love the Iberico, we think we prefer its 'cheaper' cousin the plain, old Serrano.

The meal proper gets off to a cracking start with an amuse bouche of Spicy tomato gazpacho with John Dory and a sweet corn salad. The mild spicing of the cool gazpacho is spot on. The corn still has some bite to it & texturally works very well with the delicate, sweet portions of the dory.

Following on for Buggles is Alaskan Snow Crab Salad, Twice-Cooked Parmesan Souffle, Crab Bisque Gel, Baby Fennel & Black Olive. The light, sweet crab is perfectly contrasted by the saltiness of both the souffle & the black olives. A really lovely dish.

My Kingfish Ceviche, Salad of Heirloom Tomatoes, Basil Gel, Greek Feta & a Tomato Sorbet is a harmonious blend of fresh, clean flavours. The tomatoes taste of tomato and they, along with the mild Kingfish, are enhanced by the droplets of basil gel and the salty mounds of creamy feta. Very enjoyable.

A main course of Honey & Szechuan Pepper-Roasted Grimauld Duckling Breast, Crisp Confit, Sweet & Sour Baby Radish, Turnips, Confit Carrot Puree, Wilted Puntarelle is fantastic. The duck breast is cooked perfectly and has a sticky exterior that gives off a mild, peppery heat. The crisp confit of leg meat is fatty and delicious. The carrot puree is also divine.

 The Roasted Rump Cap of Wagyu Beef (MS7), Mushroom Custard, Shiitake Mushrooms, Black Bean, Garlic & Ginger Sauce presents perfectly medium rare. The meat has great flavour, is well seasoned, juicy and tender. The mushroom custard is creamy & earthy and I just love the salty black bean. Really love this dish.

A side of Darling Mills Farm Selection of Spring Salad Leaves w a Roasted Hazelnut & Confit Eschallot Dressing, is delicious in its simplicity.


We love a restaurant that provides a pre-dessert and Atelier does not disappoint.

 Custard topped with a coconut sorbet and a generous smattering of 'pop rocks' is a fun & quite delicious lead up to dessert. The custard is rich & creamy, while the sorbet is pure coconut.


Buggles loves a souffle, but is often reluctant to order it (she has far too often, encountered the bland, overly eggy variety).
However, she feels she is in safe hands here, and Coconut & Chocolate Ganache Souffle w Cherry Sorbet, Maraschino Milkshake really does have her name written all over it.

 The coconut souffle is very light & airy, while the milkshake is only slightly reminiscent of maraschino cherries. The raspberry sorbet is very sharp and very true to flavour; it works very well with the chocolate ganache at the base of the souffle.

My Tonka Bean Creme Brulee w Macerated Strawberry, Chocolate Jelly, Black Olive Syrup & Vanilla Ice Cream is spectacular. The tonka bean custard is silky smooth with a flavour not unlike vanilla, but somehow stronger & a little spicy. It is a flavour I really love. The chocolate jelly doesn't deliver much by way of chocolate flavour, it is more of a textural element; however, the Black Olive syrup is intense and its savoury saltiness is a nice contrast to the sweetness. A great dessert.


As much as we love the food, we equally love the service, which is well informed & friendly.
We are very glad to have made the return visit to Restaurant Atelier.

Squeak