If you’ve booked a show at The Q and want to enjoy a meal before or after, Michael’s Restaurant, at historic Walsh’s Hotel (established 1875), is just next door, says dining reviewer WENDY JOHNSON.
Although it bills itself as a “restaurant” and mostly prices accordingly, diners at Michael’s Restaurant order at the cash register and are served their dishes at the table.
Michael’s Restaurant has been operating for more than 20 years. It’s a family operation and, on our visit after a show at The Q, the menu offered something for everyone with plenty of premium-cut steak and seafood items.
We shared a dozen oysters ($42.90), beautifully presented on a large silver platter, with wedges of lemon and a lovely seafood sauce. A small salad of julienned veggies topped with a sprig of rosemary sat pretty on the side.
The oysters brought back memories of the sea, and I was thankful to find a proper pepper grinder from the staff at the cash register (the finely ground pepper in a regular shaker on the table wasn’t going to cut it).
After studying the detailed specials board, I struggled between the homemade seafood chowder ($29.90 main) or the South Australian snapper.
The fish won and the large fillet was beautifully tender. It was generous with five tiger prawns and served on a decent rocket mash with a lemon and chardonnay beurre blanc ($36.90). The many other ingredients accompanying the dish – tomatoes, avo and mango – were overwhelming. Sometimes simple is better.
Also from the specials board was the slow-cooked roast pork with crackling. It came with a trio of baked veg, fresh greens and was finished with a homemade apple gravy ($29.90). However, the dish didn’t rise to the occasion, with the meat a little dry and the veggies overcooked. The gravy would have been better on the side. The amount was too overwhelming.
Our other friends stayed with the regular menu, one choosing rissoles ($23.90) and the other lamb cutlets.
Made with Wagyu beef, the rissoles – placed on a mound of mash – and a thick caramelised onion gravy ($23.90). They were large and moist.
Cowra lamb is full of flavour and the shallow-fried thick cutlets were no exception ($41.90). Although the menu promised a honey jus, the lamb arrived with a full dose of a thick, heavy sauce.
All mains are massive, almost overwhelmingly so from our perspectives. I didn’t get near the finish line with my meal and thought of food waste. Every dish arrived with the same side salad and sprig of rosemary… a bit of variety wouldn’t go astray.
Wine is economical with the Step By Step Pinot Grigio (2023) from SA at only $23 a bottle.
Michael’s staff are friendly, and it was service-with-a-smile all round.
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