There is very little in this world still capable of
provoking a visceral response the way in which food does. Food which is much
more than just a necessity in order to satisfy hunger, but a full sensory
experience. And that is not something I take lightly, with so many places to
eat how do you know what to pick, what’s good and what’s not so good. While I
am not an expert of the culinary arts, I admit that I do know my way around a
kitchen and I do know a good dining experience when I have one. So how do we
know where to eat when there are so many places to eat?
One of the places my partner and I visited was “Le Jardin”
at the “Palazzo Versace” on Main Beach in the Gold Coast. Palazzo Versace if
you weren’t already aware is one of 2 6-star Versace resorts in the world, the
other located in Dubai. The moment you walk through the doors you are greeted
by opulence and old world Italian charm, smiling doormen and waitresses;
generally happy staff. The café “Le Jardin” is positioned in a very precarious position
where it’s near the entrance with a certain subtlety that lets you overlook it,
it isn’t until your second glance that you notice the open plan design of the café
next to the entrance. Waiters and waitresses greet you and lead you to an open
seat in one of their 2 seating sections where you are presented with a menu for
high tea.
High tea itself can be wonderful experience especially when
done right and that café certainly does it right. Typically seen as tea with
little sandwiches, “Le Jardin” offers an extravagant selection of teas.
Essentially the kinds of teas that you can’t buy from the supermarket which you
find at many other places. Loose leaf concoctions of different herbs that leave
you feeling refreshed and satisfied especially if you are a tea drinker. For
coffee lovers they also have a selection of coffee’s, once there you can also
choose one of their high-tea packages or order a snack from their light menu.
We were initially disappointed to find that the food options
were hidden away within the menu, or maybe we were so overwhelmed with the
amount and types of teas to notice the food at all. Obviously when you try any
restaurant or café there are certain things that they will do well (specials
and meal deal packages), so to really test the quality of any kitchen and
kitchen staff you have to order outside the box. Surrounded by so many people
choosing the same specials, we decided to order a special meal of our own. We
decided to try fresh oysters and their selection of sliders. I know there are
many people out there who aren’t a fan of oysters or have never tried oysters
but I find that you can gauge pretty effectively the freshness and quality of a
restaurant based on the freshness of their oysters.
Oysters are one of those foods that goes off very quickly,
it’s also a filter feeder and so tastes of the oceans where it came from. That
means not only can it taste disgusting but it can also cause you food
poisoning. But to this date, the freshest oysters I’ve had came from the Versace.
They tasted, surprisingly fresh without that disconcertingly horrid aftertaste
that many other places seem to try to hide by offering Kilpatrick. The food was
all brought out together, the oysters and the sliders. Sliders which you can
find just about everywhere; tiny burgers as everything tiny is inherently
better than normal sized food especially burgers. Well for tiny burgers, theirs
were certainly not tiny. Averaging about 2-3times larger than what’s on offer
at most other places, served with a side of chips and a Bailey’s cheesecake each.
The food was surprisingly exquisite and even more
surprisingly filling. Seeing as yes it is the Versace and yes the food there
will be really expensive and yes it was and we shared a dozen oysters and a trio
of sliders between 2 people who have very healthy appetites. Not to mention the
pot of tea and dessert each and we felt completely full afterwards. I have to
say there is nothing more satisfying than eating at place, paying a bill and
leaving without feeling like you could still have a dessert or a bite at
another restaurant or make a start on the ice-cream at home. It’s great feeling
so full that regardless of the cost you know that it’s money well spent.
Considering the quality of the food that wasn’t included in
their meal packages, I have to say that the next time I go back and after the
last time I will certainly be back again someday, their high tea must be
outstanding. So what kind of rating can you possibly give a place like “Le
Jardin – Palazzo Versace”? As mentioned before I’m not an expert but a normal
person, reviewing this for other normal people…
-
Service (1-10) > 8
o
Depending on how busy they are, empty tables are
left dirty and service can take a while if they are really busy, but this is to
be expected of most restaurants.
-
Quality (1-10) > 9
o
Outstanding quality for the foods that we
ordered, but we have yet to try the rest of the menu. But as it is the Versace,
they have a reputation to uphold so the food will be good.
-
Quantity (1-10) > 7
o
We didn’t actually order that much in retrospect
and so we were given little food, but at the same time it left us feeling quite
full which is good and didn’t make us feel too guilty about the cost.
-
Comfort (1-10) > 7
o
The seats are quite comfortable especially if
you are under 6ft, for those taller than 6ft you may feel a little cramped.
-
Atmosphere (1-10) > 9
o
The atmosphere is amazing especially since it’s
the Versace and the Versace is known for opulence and power. The staff are all
so polite and while there you’ll be treated like a king
-
Price (1-10) > 7
o
It was more than a little pricey which is to be
expected and so obviously not something that can be experienced everyday but
certainly worth trying at least once in your life especially if you can’t quite
afford a trip to the Versace in Dubai
-
Overall = 7.83/10
(1 “Lowest”, 10 “Highest”)
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