14.5/20
Contemporary$$$
It can be difficult to concentrate on what's covering those heirloom-worthy plates at Vanitas; being surrounded by so much gold-lit glamour can do that to a diner. And there's no chance of forgetting where you are with Versace's mosaic-and-Medusa motif on everything from the silk upholstered dining chairs to the candlesticks. All this high-octane glitz is, however, grounded by the welcoming and quietly knowledgeable staff. Here, the entrees are the star: a tarragon brioche soaked in lobster broth with poached Moreton Bay bugs is luxurious but substantial. Snapper baked in pancetta served on a beetroot risotto and broadbeans is sweet and comforting, if unmemorable, and a harissa-crusted chicken breast needed something more than a side of undressed orecchiette with roasted capsicum and onion with mushrooms and spinach. But finish on a high with a lovely chocolate and caramel tart with red wine-poached pears (gold-flecked, of course) and linger over that view.
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