PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIABartons Restaurant lives in The Caledonian Hotel, with a vista of the North Adelaide parklands. Dine alfresco with Mother Nature, but then you will miss the refined atmosphere that permeates through the restaurant. This iconic heritage listed hotel was redeveloped in 2003 into a stylish and modern venue with classic, quality features. The major drawcard is the food and wine presented in the fine dining room – a separate entity in its own right. Discerning patrons seek out the impressive menu then return to revisit the wine list. Fiona Nairn’s laudable selection has even won awards in previous years.
Head chef Peter Swiderski seasonally changes his stellar menu. Seafood stars in entrees like yellowfin tuna spring roll with roast capsicum, house sambal and pickled papaya; or pan-seared scallops and prawns on sesame soba noodles with a spiced carrot aioli. Quail is deboned and rubbed with spice before being intriguingly partnered with “giant” cous cous and pureed spinach. Duck aficionados will delight in the option of twice cooked duck leg, five spice pork belly, fried ginger rice and bok choy; an orange-juniper reduction makes this is a sublime choice. Atlantic salmon is marinated in coconut and lime, which then reappear in the desserts. Enjoy the palate cleansing coconut sorbet; or a lime and ginger creme brulee.
Roz Taylor, December 2007