This location definitely has a lot of potential, but I'm hoping that maybe we just struck out the night we went here, and that some of the issues we experienced aren't common ones.
Dartmouth is a lovely village and it was my first night when we went to Anzac Street Bistro for dinner for an evening reservation. As soon as we arrived there was a sign on the door saying that their reservations were full, so no other guests who had planned ahead would be able to dine there. It's a small location that doubles as a guest house for Dartmouth tourists.
As soon as you arrive, we were greeted with a really nice ambiance and atmosphere. The lighting was low and though the small restaurant was full, we were able to hear everyone in our group. Since we came in a larger group, we were able to sample a lot of what the evening menu had to offer that night.
First off, one of the starters ordered was the foie gras, and though it was tasty, it came with a side of a few slices of toast to eat it with. After eating through the starter, we came to find out that one of the slices of toast was actually burnt black! It was turned over to conceal how badly burned it was, but we were all really surprised that it had actually been served.
Their menu seems to change on a regular basis, but on this evening two of the guests in our party ordered the Duck Confit, which looked promising upon arrival, but one of the main lines in the menu description stated that it was a crisp duck leg, and both orders weren't crispy at all.
I had ordered a mozzarella and tomato type dish that was listed along with the other main courses and was priced similarly as well (around £14), but when it was presented on the table next to the other main courses I had wondered where the rest of it was. It was nearly half the size of the other main courses and wasn't really impressive as far as taste or presentation. I felt that it should have been put with the other starters on the menu and at least reduced to half it's price.
Service overall seemed satisfactory, and reservations are highly recommended. Again, this was my first visit here, and nothing went terribly wrong with our night, but I just expected more from an establishment like this and I'm hoping that this visit was just a fluke. read more