PROFILED BY DEGROOTS MEDIAThe initial grandeur of the building is somewhat off-putting; opposite Hyde Park, Bambini Trust Cafe is tucked inside a grand sandstone building flanked with majestic columns. However once inside, the room is low-key, intimate and relaxed. Having “cafe” in the title is a tad misleading, judging by the prices and the quality of the food, it is less a cafe and more of a restaurant. But this is a good thing, the food is divine, the menu made up of truthful dishes founded on quality ingredients. The chicken liver and truffle pate with walnut toast is a rich and indulgent start to the meal. The crispy skin barramundi fillets with truffled potato mash and shiitake mushrooms are delectable, and once tasted you will find it hard to stray and sample other dishes on the menu.
The staff also believe in the excellence of the cafe, perhaps a little too much. The first time I called I was curtly informed by the lady answering the phone that Bambini was so popular they didn’t need a profile written about them. Luckily the rest of the staff I encountered were warm, professional and helpful, and intimate with the menu’s offerings. The wine list offers a bit of everything, Australian wines sitting beside French and Italian selections.
Jennifer Miller, October 2006
