and 4 years

The Deco

Friday was my 4 year anniversary with my plus one. So I decided to choose a nice restaurant with a great view. The menu is also important to me, since I am quite picky.

The Deco Restaurant is located on the top floor of the Raffles Hotel in Applecross. The Raffles used to be called 'The Canning Bridge Hotel' and was a single story hotel built around 1896. In 1937 it was remodeled into the present day Art Deco design and the second story was added and the named change to that of the popular Raffles Hotel in Singapore.

Outside

Inside

Our table was booked for eight, which is normally is later then I prefer, but they were all booked up before hand. We arrived on time but had to wait for a few minutes while they got our table ready. The place was packed, and after speaking to one of the waiters, we found out it was their busiest night that year. Which isn't the best for a romantic dinner. But although the place was full, we could both hear each other without raising our voice. We landed a table by the window and the view was great.

Our View

We started with a cocktail each and then we ordered our mains, sides and starters. I chose the Lemon and mustard tossed green leaves with fried Haloumi and the plus one chose two oysters, a grilled oyster with lemongrass, creme fraiche and lime and a vanilla infused vodka and lime shooter. The haloumi salad was incredible. I absolutely love haloumi. It is up with brie and camembert as my favourite cheeses. I often have salads with haloumi when I go out and mostly it is cooked correctly, but on occasion it isn't cooked enough or is cooked too much. Haloumi is about the flavour and the texture and The Deco got it right. It was soft, salty and a little bit squeaky. Perfect! My plus one like both his oysters but by his face and reaction I think he preferred the grilled one with lemongrass.

Our first set of cocktails.

My salad

Oyster shooter

After the starters we ordered another set of cocktails and waited for our mains to arrive. The waiter had told us that the kitchen was quite busy and our mains would take a while. We didn't mind the wait. The starters had kept us going and we were enjoying our cocktails, each other and the view. Downstairs from the restaurant is a lounge bar and the music traveled into the restaurant. But it became background music and I watched some of the people below dancing to Grease Lightning.

I ordered the Suckling pig three ways with dates, fennel, ginger puree and Asian Jus. The plus one chose the Tasmania’s King Island beef, 100% grass fed free range, aged 30 days 250g fillet cooked to medium with a Bearnaise sauce. I don't like to eat meat which isn't well done or at least until no pink meat is left, but some of my pig came out medium and I tried some of the medium beef. I am not too sure what 3 ways the pig was cooked but I recognised pork belly, which happens to be my favourite and the dates went perfectly with it. I tried the outside edge of the steak covered in sauce and it too was delicious. Although I could not eat a whole steak cooked that way. I chose the Moroccan Spiced Roasted Pumpkin, pepitas, natural yogurt and coriander for my side and my plus one teamed his steak with some rosemary salted hand cut chips with aioli sauce as his side. The pumpkins were yum but could have done with being cooked more so they started to caramelise. The hand cut chips were also delicious but by the end the ailoi was getting quite heavy to eat.

Our second set of cocktails.

Suckling pig

Pumpkin side

Me with my dinner in my new 'Moments to Remember' dress from Modcloth. 

The name of which went perfectly with the night.

Chips

Steak

After dinner we ordered a third and final round of cocktails and ordered desert. Our waiter was great fun and was very passionate about his food. He recommended for me, after asking if anyone at the table liked chocolate, the warm Belgian chocolate fondant, white chocolate sauce and macadamia ice cream. Although  as you will see from the photo below it was milk chocolate sauce inside my dessert not white chocolate. Also from the waiters explanation of it he also said milk chocolate, so I believe that they have updated their dessert but not the menu. The plus one had the warm maple tart with pecan toffee ice cream. The Fondant was delicious. It was not sickly or bitter and the ice cream accompanied it perfectly. It was light and refreshing. I tried some of the tart and ice cream and it was sweet and delicious and the ice cream, I think, was even better than mine.

Cocktails!

Belgian Fondant

Maple Tart

So gooey!

I then finished with a pot of tea and then after paying we went for a quick walk along the boardwalk around the hotel to let our stomachs settle before we jumped into a taxi home. I recommend The Deco restaurant, especially for special occasions. It has a great view and the price and quality were great. The art deco era is in fashion at the moment and the hotel is dotted with little architectural features as well as decor to suit.

Until next time.
Love, love Elle.