LOCATIONIn the middle of Griffith shops.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAFrom the outside, Rubicon has a rather unassuming presence. However, stepping inside is like stepping into another world, leaving behind the worries and woes at the door with your hat and coat. The plushly carpeted, cosy interior instantly warms you, even on the coldest of Canberra’s winter days. And if the sun is shining, you can make the most of it on Rubicon’s rear extension, with a leafy outlook and delicate fairy lights draping the foliage. This intimacy lends itself equally well to both business lunches and romantic dinners, with privacy and quiet being the driving forces behind the design.
The meals are equally intimate and warming, bringing the best that modern European cuisine has to offer. While the banquets, prix fix and degustation menus are popular with work functions and large groups, ordering off the regularly changing a la carte menu is richly rewarding. Every dish is paired with a wine, hand-picked by Rubicon’s sommelier; most of the wines are available by the glass. Kick off a romantic dinner with a dozen Sydney rock oysters served with Rubicon’s famous rice wine, ginger and lime dressing or herb aioli and salmon roe, or perhaps a rich yet delicately flavoured truffled mushroom and basil tartlet with luxuriously creamy Florette de Chevre cheese. You can’t go past the autumnal flavours of the warming duck breast confit, served with Schulz bacon, wild mushrooms, caramelised eschalots, Lyonnaise potatoes and drenched in Rubicon’s aromatic duck glaze – perfect with an ’06 Pinot Noir. Finish the evening off with a slice of delicious tarte tatin or honey and rum pannacotta, or order from Rubicon’s extensive and comprehensive cheese list. For a true gourmet experience in Canberra, book your table at Rubicon for an evening of delicious luxury.
Russell Buzby