Review : The Union

Union Lane
(opposite Union Road Car Park)
Penrith

02 4721 4501

Wed-Sat 5pm - late

We have been wanting to visit Ross Dobson's relatively new eatery The Union for a while now - so after a visit with our very cute new nephew, we decide to do just that.

We manage to score a table for the first sitting at 5.30pm.

Armed with our GPS we manage to find the restaurant relatively easily. Accessed via a carpark, you climb the stairs & enter a warm and inviting room - sort of Penrith via Newtown. 

Once seated, we order some drinks and check out the blackboard menu. The menu is extensive & choosing is difficult. It is also very reasonably priced, with the most expensive dish around the $19.50 mark.

We kick things off with Haloumi, cauliflower and pickled chilli salsa ($14.50). The name says it all really - four thick slabs of salty haloumi topped with cauliflower and a lovely fresh salsa with just the right amout of heat. Really tasty.

Next we have Polenta chips with jalapeno mayo ($10.50). I love polenta chips - if they are on a menu I will order them. These stack up really well against some of the better ones we have tried (The Bentley, Bloodwood) - really crisp on the outside & light and creamy within; the mayo is not too hot but has a bit of a kick to it. Yum.

We follow the chips with the Tomato, fried bread and herb salad ($12.50). The tomatoes are spectacular they have such great flavour - there is a light sprinkling of parsley and some spanish onion & the fried bread is wonderful, it soaks up all that lovely tomato juice yet still remains really crispy and delicious.

Our final savoury course is the Rump Steak, red wine, garlic and bay leaf ($18.50). The four, juicy portions of beef are well cooked and quite tender, the red wine tinged juices are delicious with a good hint of garlic and bay leaf.

We are feeling a little stuffed at this stage, but really can't do without dessert.

The Portuguese baked cheesecake with red wine syrup ($9.50) is mind blowingly good. Really, really light & lusciously creamy - it is like a combination of ricotta cheesecake and custard - it really is fantastic. The red wine syrup is not too sweet and helps to cut through the richness of the cake. The best $9.50 we have spent in a while.

Lemon cream teacup ($9.50) is also very good. Full of lemon flavour it is silky smooth & creamy, yet still manages to feel light and refreshing.

A great meal that comes in at around $100 (including drinks), is pretty good in our books. Add to that friendly and efficient service and you really can't go wrong, can you?

We can now honestly say, we look forward to our next visit to Penrith.

Squeak