The Sydney Morning Herald logo
Advertisement

The Grange Beaumaris

Dani Valent
Dani Valent

Modern Australian$$

There's no point complaining that a French brasserie has no fried rice or that a spaghetti joint lacks linen napkins. It would be just as silly to gripe about the lack of fancy fare at the Grange Beaumaris, a restaurant that is much more straightforward than its rather grand name suggests. Wedged between the unsinkable Lobster Cave and the unappealing maw of Citrus, the Grange knows what it's about: the eager, friendly owners, chef Brad Mill and manager Christian Zimmerman, understand their customers and how to please them. That makes this a smart little business.


The Grange does unthreatening European food with a steak focus. There's no danger of encountering foams, frou frou or too many foreign words. There's also no fuss about provenance; your beef is good and that's all you need to know. This is a place to eat, drink and talk: the food is pleasing but conversation won't stall while you gush over a garnish. Most customers go for eye fillet but we ate the rib-eye, nicely textured, cooked as requested and served over chunky mushroom sauce. There's always a pie - on this night a wet, tasty, rosemary-scented lamb stew under a puff lid. Offal is a minor theme: lamb brains are crumbed, ox cheek is braised in port and marsala. The meatiness isn't entirely unrelenting. Sturdy but supple gnocchi are smothered in four-cheese sauce and scattered with pistachios. An ice-cream platter features raspberry sorbet, white chocolate parfait and hazelnut ice-cream, all lovely.

A modest wine list is boosted by a cellar list of more serious reds and an extraordinary offering of Penfolds Grange back vintages starting at $599. The menu spiel asserts the restaurant is selling the world's most expensive shiraz for the same price you can buy it at "Australia's largest retail discounter". A call to Dan Murphy's revealed this was mostly true. In any case, the wine is cheaper here than at any other Melbourne restaurant I checked out. Also impressive is the private dining room, which is smarter and more striking than the comfortable but slightly oddball main room.

Mill and Zimmerman have more on their plates. They're turning an old bank building across the street into a large bar with roof deck and tapas. Such big thinking should be heralded in Beaumaris, which is still a pretty dire place to eat. If these two keep on track, it's going to get a lot better.

Tips and pans to theserve@theage.com.au


Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.

Sign up
Dani ValentDani Valent is a food writer and restaurant reviewer.

From our partners

Advertisement
Advertisement