It has been a long time since I wrote a restaurant review and by the flow of visitors to this blog for some reviews it has been remiss of me to not continue to with the Shumpty Eats series. Henceforth I will try to keep this series going on a fortnightly basis with a review of a particular restaurant that I have eaten at.

This fortnight’s restaurant is a new restaurant I have discovered just out of the CDB of Brisbane called Reserve. Straight off the bat I will say that it is the best restaurant I have eaten at in a very long time and is in the grand final (with Saffron in Arrowtown) for the best eating experience I have every had. I have been there now on no less than 5 occasions since first discovering it so this review really is an amalgam of those visits. I have experienced just about everything on the menu save for seafood and have picked my top dish from each of the four categories on the menu.

The first thing that is striking about Reserve is that its main dining room is cozy and warm with a fire place in the centre and the tables well spaced. The staff are friendly and, impressively, over my visits there in the last month have gotten to know me which shows a higher standard of service than some other places.

The menu is impressive and is at the more refined end of the restaurant spectrum but the staff are excellent and clear in the explanations and recommendations.

Onto the food:

Appetiser: Demi Tasse of Butternut Pumpkin and Truffle Soup

Served in a small coffee cup this appetiser is just about the best tasting soup I have ever had. Rich and creamy and served hot but not too hot this is the perfect start to the meal. If chef came out and said to me that all they had left in the kitchen was this dish I would grab my spoon and demand they send me bowl after bowl. This is a perfect start to the meal.

Entree: Roasted Banyard Quail with Leek and Bacon Stuffing, Sauce Soubise

I am a fan of Quail and anytime I see it on the menu I order it. This Quail dish is an absolute gem. It is the stuffing that sets it apart from most other quail dishes I have eaten: it just sets the meal off perfectly.

Main: Crispy Crackle Pork Belly with Celeriac Remoulabe, Spiced Prunes, Apple Sauce

If you take one piece of advice out of this review it is that this is the main you must order. It is without question the best main dish I have had in any restaurant in Australia. It defies a description that could do it justice. Suffice to say: go and try it!

Dessert: Vanilla Pannacotta with Cinnamon Beignets, Caramel Sauce

I am not normally a fan of desserts but I had my arm twisted to try this one and I was not disappointed. Often I find Pannacotta to be a bit hit and miss at some restaurants but this one was perfect and the caramel sauce the perfect accompaniment.

It would be pretty obvious that I am more than a bit enamoured with this restaurant. Do yourself a favour and check it out ASAP.

Where: Cnr Coronation Drive and Park Road, Milton, Brisbane

Website: http://www.reserverestaurant.com.au/milton.html

Ratings:

Food: 10 out of 10

Staff: 10 out of 10

Room: 9 out of 10

Final Comment: If you are trying to find a restaurant in Brisbane this is the place you must go!