The quest for the perfect French restaurant has been a long withstanding goal of mine for the past year or so, and so you can imagine my glee when I heard of The Red Snail, the newest French restaurant to hit the suburbs of Sydney.
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The problem with finding hidden gems is just that – they’re hidden, and so after hitching a ride to a train station, catching a train to King’s Cross, and walking in a circle around Darlinghurst Rd & Roslyn St rather than walking 500m straight down Bayswater Rd, one would hope that the trek was well worth it ! :)
…Especially considering their $35 for 3 courses special for dinner !
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Despite being situated in King’s Cross, one should abandon all sleazy, dodgy preconceptions when visiting. A glowing red atmosphere was awaiting us (as well as their $10 cocktail happy hour from 6pm – 7pm !!), with the opportunity to dine al fresco or to eat inside and be catered by the waiters and waitresses donned in matching uniforms of red and black.
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Fruit Bellini (mango) – $13, or $10 during happy hour
mango, mixed berry, strawberry, passionfruit
Fruit pulp of your choice mixed with vanilla, peach schnapps & champagne with a fruit garnish
Despite my initial excitement over their cocktail happy hour, whoever mixed my drink put in waaaay too much alcohol. The bellini tasted like an overdose of champagne with the aftertaste of schnapps, and the occasional hint of mango pulp. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like my cocktails tasting like shots – not to mention the cocktail itself wasn’t served on ice so wasn’t cold or anything – and I felt like I was having a heart attack with every sip.
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Honey Roasted Vegetable Gateau with ricotta, pinenuts & balsamic $14
It’s been awhile since I’ve ordered vegetables alone, but the idea of a honey roasted veggie gateau was too tempting to refuse. There was a strong waft of honey at first (which I must admit I’m not very fond of), but the vegetables were roasted to the point they weren’t crispy nor soggy. The ricotta was rather plain, but if you’re not a fan of overpowering cheese, it’s perfect :)
The entree itself was a sizeable portion, and I can hardly remember the last time vegetables made me feel so full.
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Duck confit and orecchiette salad – $14
This was one of the specials of the day. I don’t know about you, but whenever meat is in a salad I think it always tastes better as a cold cut – and this was just it ! The duck was cool, tender, and super tasty :)
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Mussels Provençal, rich tomato, garlic & fresh herbs – $14
This would have been my second choice had I not ordered the vegetable gateau. The mussels were soft and fleshy, and there was no strong seafood flavour that you usually get when ordering oysters/mussels and the like. Also loved the tomato :)
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Duck breast fillet, double cooked with sweet & sour cherry glaze – $31
When eating this I was trying to figure out the perfect way to describe the glaze ….and it really was sour ..and sweet. I’m beginning to really appreciate fruit flavours with meat, and I must say the sauce was really delicious =9.
The duck was a little chewy, which I would expect from being double cooked, and as much as the mussels didn’t have that seafood flavour, did the duck have that ..duck flavour (I’m really very coherent with my descriptions today, hey?)
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Whole trout roasted with lemon & parsley sauce – $25
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Kangaroo fillet, served rare, with native plum sauce – $25
The first time I remember trying kangaroo fillet, it was so soft and tender. Perhaps it was a one-off, because the second time I went back to the same place to eat it again it was nowhere near as nice.
Those who might condemn those who eat our fluffy native Australian fauna – well, I could say the same to you for eating ….the native American fauna …… (yes, the cow.. haha, unless you’re vegetarian!). Nevertheless, the outside of the fillet was really nice, and plum sauce again made the meat just that more juicy.
It was a little chewy this time, and despite requests to cook the fillet medium rare, the taste of blood was permeating.
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Mixed vegetables (side)
Steamed vegetables such as cauliflower, carrots, beans, and cucumber. Apparently all the mains come with a free side of vegetables, which does appear on the menu as an additional $7 if you order it. A nice surprise, considering the ice cream with my sticky date pudding came at an extra $2 – a hidden cost no one bothered to tell me about :(
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Sticky date pudding – $11, plus ice cream – $2
This was amazing :D I don’t remember ever liking sticky date pudding but FATE was calling me out to order this tonight ….and I didn’t regret it at all !
I don’t know if it was exactly pudding-like, but it was so soft and moist and delicious, and with the sauce … mmmmm foodie heaven.
Would go back here again just for it (and yes, for the range of flavours, the vanilla ice cream was well worth the additional $2) !
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Poached pear with cardamon anglaise – $11
I’m not exactly sure what cardamon is, but the dish had a distinctly alcoholic taste. The pears tasted a bit like canned pears soaked in cinnamon and alcohol ..which was alright, but I probably wouldn’t order it myself.
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Crème Brûlée – $11
If you’re looking for a non-sweet dessert, this is probably the closest you can get, short of ordering the cheese and crackers.
It was a little too creamy, and the glaze on top was a bit stiff as well.
I unfortunately did not get a photo of the garlic bread, which was a m a z i n g ! Definitely recommend it (but only when it’s hot).
As for the French authenticity of these dishes, I cannot vouch for them, but at $35 a pop it’s value to be sure !
If you go on Sunday for lunch or dinner, I hear the prices are reduced to $25 for three courses, so definitely worth a visit.
And if the meals sound reminiscent of Pyrmont’s The Little Snail ? Well, apparently the owners are the same, but the prices are cheaper and some believe the quality of the food is better :)
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The Red Snail (visited 17/07/10)
Cnr Kings Cross & Ward Ave
Darlinghurst 2010
Ph: (02) 9357 4919
http://www.redsnail.com.au
woahhhhh can anyone say value for money, you guys were given a BANQUET
LOL at the random potato next to the trout
for some reason it amuses me
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I was just talking about the Little Snail with my sister- because she gets to go there on a school excursion for her French class. And they’re only in year 8! *sigh* Why doesn’t my school have such fun excursions??
I’ve never been to a proper French restaurant before =O
but the food looks delicious! The vegetable gateau looks really cool! And it sounds really good too!
I actually went to the Little Snail for a high school excursion when I was in year 8 too ! I wonder if she went to the same high school as me .. haha
“Proper” French restaurants in Sydney are few and far in between! There are always a lot of Spanish, Italian, etc, but in terms of French (from the European side), it’s always pretty hard to find! There are a lot of French fusion style places, and I did go to a place called La Guillotine off George St (which I intend to blog about …one day!!) but yeah :D
If you find a good French place, let us know :D
my friends and I have decided to go to red snail next week, a little googling lead me to your lovely blog *bookmarks it*
cant wait to taste the sticky date pudding!
Hello!
Sorry about the very late reply, hope your experience at The Red Snail was good
Posts have been quite slow because I’m in Paris at the moment, but hope to post something soon! :)
Thanks for your comment.
That’s looks like a bargain deal for 3 courses.
I Love the red snail!
I live in the area and have been there at least 10 times.
The food is always fabulous, the staff lovely and they are BYO too plus well priced ($35 for 3 courses!).
They are easily my ‘go to’ restaurant and everyone I have taken there just love it.
Mrs Top in Neutral Bay also has some good specials from time to time, they’re pretty decently priced for the sort of stuff they have. Very traditional en-campagne sort of stuff, no fusion to be found :)
Ad Lib Bistro in Pymble is a bit fusion-y but sticks to the roots fairly well, some of the best food in Sydney when they’re on the ball (although have noticed a bit of inconsistency)
Are these French restaurants ?
Thanks for the tip, definitely going to go and try it ! :)
Yes, yes they are ^^
Hi there,
After all your reviews I’m curious about the red snail.
I may try it one day.
However if I can give you a tip you should try the little snail restaurant in Pyrmont Darling Harbour … which is the original one.
The 3 courses is a little bit more pricy but the food is just amazing.
Hello !
I actually tried The Little Snail first ! …just never got around to blogging about it
From what i remember, the menus were almost exactly the same – but then again, i think the owners are the same
If you do try The Red Snail, let me know ! Id love to hear your thoughts !