Hats off to the National Gallery for repositioning its café – Oculus Café x Kitchen by Mike – to the ground-floor foyer with views of the Sculpture Garden, writes dining reviewer WENDY JOHNSON.

Dining at Oculus Café is dining in a very special space. At the centre of it all is a spectacular oculus that creates a light-filled, wow-factor environment. 

Hat’s off to Kerstin Thompson Architects for the design, Tom Fereday for the café’s customer furniture collection, Volker Haug Studio for the bespoke lighting and the National Gallery for repositioning the café to the ground-floor foyer with views of the Sculpture Garden. 

And then there is the food…

The menu has been created by well-known Mike McEnearney, founder of Kitchen by Mike, whose 2014 cookbook by the same name is one of my faves.

Kitchen by Mike doesn’t pay lip service to the philosophy that “we are what we eat”. Mike and his team are dedicated to good food made with fewer ingredients, less interference and great respect for produce. The café delivers.

Canteen-style, diners order at the Kitchen by Mike pass, pay at the cash register and settle in at an individual table or at one of several long, communal tables. 

Mains on our visit included lamb, which we both ordered because the first lot of roasted chicken was finished and the second lot was not due for another 10 to 15 minutes.

The pot roast lamb shoulder, with buttermilk, rosemary and honey was sensational and a generous serve. It was tender and delicious with a big slice of roast pumpkin with pomegranate and earthy, nutty nigella seeds.

Impressive is the line-up of artistic looking, colourful seasonal salads, each “good for the soul”. My hearty potato salad was a celebration of quality ingredients. Loved the lentils, shallots and parsley. Loved the cab-sav dressing.

Equally delicious was the peas and quinoa salad, finished off with basil oil. Gorgeous looking and super tasty was the pear and fennel salad. It featured lovely shavings of tangy parmesan, raisins and pine nuts.

Don’t go past the signature sourdough which is served with Pepe Saya artisan cultured butter – churned and fermented to perfection ($5 a slice).

The drinks list, including wine, is all-Australian. We enjoyed a Nick O’Leary chardonnay ($20 a glass) and White by Mike, a pinot gris blend made by Ravensworth ($15).

The menu structure at Kitchen by Mike is straightforward. One main and three salads is $35, one main and two salads $30, three salads $23, two salads $18, and one salad $10. Those wanting something lighter can enjoy wraps, quiches, slices of pizza, and more. Sweets include house-made cakes, tarts and other yummy looking treats. 

Oculus Café x Kitchen by Mike is open for breakfast, lunch and in between. The space is large – capacity for about 110 people – and it was packed on the Saturday we visited.

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