LOCATIONMinutes from the National Wine Centre and Adelaide Botanic Gardens.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAIf you appreciate wine and food of substance, chances are you value art in the same way. To rejoice in these passions with like-minded people, put Archies Restaurant at the top of your wonderful-things-to-do list. Chef Ivan Racic and art aficionado Naomi Le Poidevin-Racic celebrate their combined loves in both marriage and their art-enriched restaurant. Their manifestation has a lovely energy to it and displays a learned knowledge in both disciplines, without any pretentiousness. The dining room is elegant with nicely spaced tables set on polished floorboards. White walls work well as a backdrop for the art, with a cayenne pepper-coloured feature wall at the rear to spice things up a bit. Towering windows provide views of fashionable Melbourne Street – an appropriate address for this noshery. Loads of lovely sunlight makes this a coveted lunchtime spot.
The menu and the artwork rotate approximately every two months, which is something to look forward to as they are as tantalising as each other. Duck liver parfait is served for your viewing pleasure in a glass accompanied with garlic-infused char-grilled bread. Deep sea perch is soaked and poached in olive oil, finished with romesco crumbs and served on pesto creamed lentils. There is nothing oily about the end result, just melt-in-your-mouth brilliance. House-made pastas impress with pappardelle Milando. The fresh ribbons are tossed with green prawns, asparagus, chilli and marjoram. Gnocchi comes with heavenly gorgonzola cheese, rocket and a salsa al burro. Desserts also visually delight with a double chocolate mousse veiled with coffee bean brittle. Archies Restaurant aims to please the senses on all levels – and it certainly does.
Roz Taylor, December 2008