Barchetta, Cottesloe

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It was New Year’s Day and I woke up a bit weary-headed and totally famished.  We had started our New Year’s Eve night off at the Greenhouse enjoying some good tunes, food and company then all continued partying on back at our house after they shut at 2am.  The night was made even better because my sister had flown all the way over from Melbourne to join us for the week.

Looking at the casualties scattered around my house that morning it seemed that I was not the only one that was border-lining on starvation either.   My sister and I were craving something much more delicious than my fridge could offer us so; accompanied by Big Bones we set off on our search.  Unsurprisingly, the boy chose to stay at home nursing his sore head which was a result of the excesses of the prior evening.  We had arranged to meet my bestie and her other half at the OBH for some hair-of-the dog drinks later in the evening so we figured head towards the beach and see what we could find.

Not a lot was open around the Claremont area so after some time of driving around we were pleased to see most of the restaurants along the iconic coastal road in Cottesloe were open.  Cottesloe beach is internationally renowned for its beauty and lifestyle.  Having had many a pleasant breakfast at the beachside café Barchetta before, I convinced everyone to stop in there for a nibble before we recommenced punishing our poor bodies with further frivolities at the Obie.

Lemon Peppered Baby Calamari with green herb salad & smoked paprika aioli

As we were seated at our table we all realised we were starting to fade fast and were really in desperate need of some sustenance. Our waitress was friendly enough despite the fact she looked like she was suffering from her own post-celebratory pain.  She verbally stumbled throughout the whole process of taking our order and she kept repeating herself several times.  We ordered some lemon peppered baby calamari but requested for them to be served gluten-free.  She warned us the dish wouldn’t taste as nice without the “powder” so we explained to her that we are used to making compromises and we are actually very grateful to the kitchen for willing to adapt.  Unfortunately we should have heeded her advice as she was indeed correct, this dish was quite disappointing.  The calamari was tasteless without the crumb and was in desperate need for some seasoning of sorts.  It was served with a rocket and herb salad which was similarly flavourless and unexciting.

Chilled King Prawn salad with crisp pancetta, spinach, orange, tomato, Spanish onion & vincotto

We also ordered the chilled king prawn salad which was served with cherry tomatoes, orange, spinach and crispy pancetta.  The prawns were fresh and a decent size, the pancetta wonderfully crispy and crunchy, and the sweet vincotto dressing married perfectly with the addition of juicy pieces of orange.  It was a perfectly fresh and uplifting hangover cure.

Big Bones ordered the house made porcini mushroom gnocchi with braised rabbit and chevre cheese.  This dish was not exactly what he expected and consisted of a long plate of braised rabbit topped with four gnocchi which were dolloped with the goats’ cheese.  The rabbit was apparently quite dry and was in dire need of some more love and attention in its preparation in order to make the most of its delicate flavours.  The gnocchi were also a little dry and perhaps not that fresh.

Cinnamon Kumara Frites with preserved lemon and basil aioli

Finally to share we ordered a bowl of cinnamon kumara fries.  These were the highlight of the meal, I have never tried the combination of cinnamon with the kumara before and it was a match made in heaven.  It was served with a preserved lemon and basil aioli which only made them even more moreish!

Once the food started to line our stomachs, the thoughts of the last night’s overindulgences faded away into a distant memory so we shared a zesty bottle of Mount Langi Ghiran “Cliff Edge” Pinot Gris.  With the cool wind gusting around us from the ocean, we sat back and relaxed as someone fossicked around in the sand with her metal detector.  I wondered if she would actually find anything of value.  Observing her complete lack of expression of her face in the distance, I highly doubt it!

After finishing our meals we sat waiting for over ten minutes to be offered dessert menus and coffees.  After seemingly becoming invisible to all staff, Big Bones gestured over to a waitress and requested dessert menus.  A further five minutes passed and she forgotten again to bring them over so we had to ask her again.  By the time we actually were given the menus in our hot little hands it was getting well into the evening and we were very late for our drinking session across the road.  Refuelled we traipsed over the road to recommence our celebrations where we had left off earlier in the wee hours of the morning.  We are going to need to do some serious detoxing in the New Year!

 
Price:  $$$$ (Entrée $16-24, Mains $25-39)
Food:  6.5/10
Service:  3/5
Venue:  4/5
Total = 13.5/20
 
Barchetta
149 Marina Parade, Cottesloe 6011 | (08) 9385 2411 | http://www.barchetta.com.au/

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