We went to Landscape based on the chef whom we know. First impressions of the ambience was the setting is cozy, inviting, not noisy, and wonderful for group conversation. We had a nervous waiter while attentive, was obviously unsure of the restaurant's history which he desperately tried to explain. It really was not necessary when the history is already fully explained online. The wine listing is massive - indeed almost of biblical proportions. Fortunately, we didn't have to leaf through the book which would have taken a good 20 minutes alone to absorb. Our food was served in good time, was tasty with good portion sizes.
The downside? With the restaurant's name, the menu and associated costs and its setting, I expected a higher standard of presentation. My husband's steak was just that - steak and charred cos on a plate. Nothing else. He had to ask twice for mustard. Steak is the signature of this restaurant but I would have thought presentation again, would be paramount. And sides are important if you want extra. While my kingfish sashimi entre with daikon was beautiful, my charred seafood in broth was nothing to write home about both in the amount of seafood, quality and in its presentation. Perhaps a bit of added flourish would have been to serve the broth separately so it can be poured over at the table?
Maybe I've been spoilt with food artistry in restaurants of this standard and certainly by this chef, however, there was no presentation to speak of. This was just another restaurant. With the sides and the wine, we paid a fairly significant $240 per couple (without tip). I've been to many restaurants around the world so please don't get me wrong, this restaurant is nice, but I expected better particularly compared to similar restaurants in Melbourne. We are going to Ezard in Flinders Lane in a couple of weeks so I will be pleased to do the comparisons and I will certainly post a review.
(The online menu at Landscape, by the way, is out of date which is frustrating when you expect a particular dish and it is not available. If menus are seasonal as they mostly are, they should be changed online to reflect the change in season.)
In the end, I've been but I'm not sure we'll go again. read more