It's been a while between visits to the Tilbury and boy, has she had a makeover. The downstairs dining room is a contemporary, welcoming space, overlooking the outdoor courtyard, and offering comfortable seating and a lovely ambience.
Our dining party of seven was treated to a tasting plate of entrees, our choice of main course, and a dessert platter.
Our waitress for the evening was professional, polite and attentive; and demonstrated good product knowledge, explaining each of the items and answering questions as each of the shared platters was served. We were also never without beverages or water for the table.
The meal commenced with a chunk of delightfully flavoursome, chewy sourdough from Iggy's, served with olive oil and balsamic.
On the shared entree platter we had the following;
Wild Boar Terrine, Confit Rhubarb, Basil, Sourdough
Blue Mackerel Fillet, Smoked Mackerel, Horseradish Pate, Pickled Beetroot
Ox Tartare In Coal Oil, Kohlrabi, Egg Yolk Jam, Charcoal Cracker
Tuna Tataki, Ponzu Dressing, Sesame, Wakame
The boar was slightly gamey but had a delicious flavour to it. The tuna tataki was a crowd favourite, with its delicious sesame crust and kick of ponzu paired beautifully with the seaweed. The ox was okay but not to everyone's taste. The mackerel was done well, and the tiny globes of pickled beetroot added big pops of flavour.
All the main courses sounded amazing making it difficult to choose. Between the seven of us, there were six different meals selected, increasing the risk of food envy but giving the restaurant the opportunity to showcase a range of dishes.
The general consensus was that the meat dishes definitely trumped the fish dishes as a few of them were overcooked. We had the Cowra Lamb Cutlets, White Bean Stew, Heirloom Tomatoes, Capsicum and the Venison Ragout, Papardelle, Cepe Mushroom, Parmesan, Parsley. The lamb was beautifully cooked, pink and tender. The accompanying white bean stew was rich and flavoursome and would have been completely satisfying as a stand-alone meal, it was that good. The venison ragout was not too gamey at all and had a rich meatiness that paired well with the fresh pasta and mushrooms.
The sides we received were;
Crispy Eggplant, Yuzu, & Coriander Dressing
Butter Kipflers, Rosemary Salt
Carrots Roasted In Cumin Caramel
Hand Cut Chips, Truffle, Parmesan
These were tasty and went down well especially the carrots which had a delicious sweetness. The kipflers were just regular potatoes so wish they advised of substitution.
The evening ended on a sweet note with dessert including;
Carrot & Walnut Cake, Coriander Ice Cream, Carrot & Vanilla Purée
Chocolate Brownie, Malted Barley Cream, Vanilla Pod Ice Cream
Pineapple Upsidedown Cake, Pineapple & Fennel Sorbet
Tilbury's Gin & Tonic Jelly, Citrus Fruits & Mint
Of all the courses, dessert was possibly the most polarising, as would be expected when you are presented with something as intriguing as coriander ice cream. People either love or hate this strong flavoured herb, and here it is transformed into a zingy and refreshing sorbet, a unique and unexpected accompaniment to the carrot cake. The brownie was dense and decadent and is one for the chocolate lovers. The accompanying vanilla ice cream was reminiscent of Street's Blue Ribbon ice cream, which isn't a bad thing. Like the coriander sorbet, the gin and tonic jelly garnered mixed reactions, but the delicately flavoured jelly and tangy citrus fruit were a nice pairing. The pineapple cake was nice and crumbly although the flavour of the pineapple only came through on top of the cake. The accompanying sorbet was nice.
The Tilbury offers a wonderful choice of meals, with inventive and sometimes unusual pairing of flavours. Their focus on local, seasonal produce is apparent in every dish.
Overall, it was an evening of great food and service amongst good company.
Thank you to Zomato for organising this Zomato Meetup and Keiren for hosting the event.Gabbys79 Anna Bread Pitt Baz Juan Pablo Sanchez Keiren
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