PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIANatalie and Mathew Starkey recently came to Hobart from Perth, he from the executive chef position at Perth's Western Australian Club, she with years of front-of-house experience. With a lot of hard work they have transformed what was a fairly run-down old antique shop into a light, warm and attractive restaurant space with a delightful bottle-lined private dining room seating eight, a well-stocked bar with lie-back banquettes and two nicely appointed dining spaces with open fires, starched linen and quality tableware.
The menu is small (five entrees, six mains) and changes regularly around dishes that might best be styled as good-quality mainstream, the food flavoursome and nicely presented with a few interesting touches such as a cucumber and gin jelly with oysters and shredded beef cheek ravioli with porcini and truffle creme. Given its location, Natalie's professionalism, the warm, intimate feel of the place, the small but well-selected wine list and the competency of the kitchen, it is proving a popular and successful addition to the city's dining scene.
Graeme Phillips, May 2007