Vitis Eatery opened up in Braddon a few weeks ago taking over what was O’stratos on Lonsdale Street. The restaurant is open and spacious with bi-fold windows at the front that open up for diners sitting at the bar area to look out onto the street.
Cage-like fencing surrounds the bar and is filled with white stones and a few vines starting to grow out giving the place an earthy feel. A similar structure acts as a barrier separating the eatery into two dining areas. Wooden furnishings are a significant feature from the wooden floorboards, raw tables and thickset stools, wooden decor hanging from the ceiling to the wooden cut outs of a rhino and dragonfly.
I understand that ‘vitis’ means vine which has been incorporated in the entire restaurant, hence the cagey fencing. You might not notice it at first as the restaurant just opened up, but give it a few months and the vines will slowly grow and its tendrils will wrap sneakily around the eatery.
The eating area at the back allows diners to sit near the kitchen and drool at the dishes coming out.
The menu consists of different sized shared plates and can be viewed at Vitis Eatery’s Facebook page. We decided to start with the prawn risotto with orange and chervil ($17). This came out covered in prawn bisque foam for added prawn flavour. I thought this was absolutely delicious and liked the small chunks of orange giving the dish a bit of zing. More please!
From the large plates menu, we chose the duck 3 ways with pumpkin, plum and ginger ($34). This looked great on the plate but there were noticeably smaller portions than expected. The duck cigars or spring rolls were crispy and stuffed with duck meat and herbs. The duck breast was perfectly cooked and pink with yummy roasted skin. Duck and plum sauce go so well together so I thought this was a fantastic dish.
Lamb shank with smashed potato, brussel sprouts and bacon ($28) was another dish I enjoyed. It’s a little difficult sharing a lamb shank but it was tender and tasty. The brussel sprouts were warm and added some crunch to the dish. The smashed potatoes tasted great with the seeded mustard which, along with the lean bits of bacon, added more oomph to the brussel sprouts. Overall, a pretty healthy dish.
For dessert, I had the orange brulee with chocolate sorbet ($16). The brulee came out on a large plate with chocolate soil, syrupy and candied oranges and three scoops of sorbet. The caramelised sugar on top of the brulee made a wonderful crack when I broke through it. The custardy creme was so smooth, thick and creamy. I could taste subtle hints of orange throughout. The sorbet was chocolately but light to balance out the thickness of the brulee (I think it could’ve worked with a thick gelato too). One of the better creme brulees I’ve had with an awesome combination of flavours.
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| A close up of the orange creme brulee |
I enjoyed the sharing plates ordered, though it is quite pricey for the portion size. Vitis Eatery offers a more upmarket and modern menu in a casual and relaxed setting. Staff are friendly and explain the dish once it is set on the table. There weren’t too many people dining in so I could enjoy a quiet atmosphere while catching up with friends.
Vitis Eatery is located at 1/9 Lonsdale Street in Braddon, pretty much across the street from Chez Frederic.
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Foodgasm 7/10
