Garden Brasserie - Neautral Bay

The Garden Brasserie is overgrown with effortless cool and unique style. This Neutral Bay restaurant serves modern Australian cuisine with fruity cocktails beside a glorious indoor garden.

If the garden of Eden served cocktails, its bar would be the Garden Brasserie and the forbidden fruit would be the Kyoto gardens martini. The Garden Brasserie is overgrown with effortless cool and unique style. The vertical garden which crawls up to the ceiling must inject extra oxygen and zest into the air because everything has a touch of flirtation. Split into overlapping levels, the ‘treehouse cocktail lounge’ overlooks the ‘patio’ restaurant below. The decor is a botanical concoction of natural elements such as mahogany tables and marble floors, with retro features such as the Astroturf which lines the staircase. The patio on the bottom floor bathes in natural light that filters through the glass shopfront. As you sit among the shrubbery the restaurant has an ambience alike an English summer day. As the sun sets, the birdcage enclosed lights dimly illuminate the restaurant of casual crowds who sip on smoky margaritas.

Guests don’t come here just for the detoxifying décor of the garden wall (although it is reason enough). The food carries the same earthy characters with meats complimented by delicate sauces and spiced vegetables. Start with dinner downstairs beside the glorious overgrowth. The tiger prawn risotto infused with saffron is mixed with green pea and purple basil, and is a creamy yet light starter. For main, the flavours of the roast duck breast are balanced with spinach, cherries for a subtle sweetness, and a quince tarte tatin. The well considered wine selection features worldwide and local representation. Once you have finished the last sip of your chosen bottle, climb upstairs to the treehouse cocktail lounge. Recline on the olive and mahogany French armchairs and share the restaurant's signature garden lemon tart with good company. This restaurant's botanical character will leave you feeling refreshed, and perhaps even a little sinful if you try the Kyoto gardens martini.

Edwina Storie, August 2010