I disagree with those who say The Point Albert Park is one of the best restaurants in Melbourne…read more
The decor and architecture inside this place is nothing special. I was quite disappointed actually. It has a simple reception style decor. The restaurant is located in front of the Albert Park Lake. Depending on the day or night, the view may be nice to look at. Unfortunately, the view was far from spectacular that night. I assume that the view and location is contributes to the price and reputation of this place.
I can see that this place can be a suitable venue for a wedding function as there is a separate big dining function room. Personally, this isn't my personal preference in terms of architecture and space. The actual restaurant is quite small, narrow and not as extravagant as I expected.
There were many other couples that night. I personally wouldn't recommend this place for date night as there are other better places to take someone on a date. Then again, the view might be more appealing during the day or during summer night.
My partner and I started with a dozen of natural oysters with lemon. Half a dozen of St Helens Tasmania and half of Coffin Bay (which is actually my favourite oysters). The oysters were ok, and was not cold enough. It was room temperature or as if the oysters were sitting in the kitchen bench for a while. I believe natural oysters served at a fine dining restaurant should be served cold, not warm.
I had the Seared rock lobster, veal sweetbread, Parmesan gnocchi and crepe sauce. It was a standard sized meal for a fine dining restaurant, but if you're big eater or prefer a pub sized meal then you'll be disappointed with this dish. It was actually a good sized meal for me. The lobster meat was delicious and meaty, the parmesan gnocchi was soft, fresh and had a cheesy (not overpowering) taste upon first bite. The veal was tougher than the lobster and had a slightly burnt bitter taste. This was a good contrast to the rest of the dish which is quite delicate including the crepe sauce. It was a fine dish but I wouldn't order this dish again because I've had more memorable and scrumptious lobster dishes as a main. As for the presentation, it was average and expected more creativity for the price tag and the reputation of this restaurant.
My partner ordered the David Blackmore wagyu steak which was listed on the menu. He requested for the steak to be cooked medium. Upon the arrival of his steak with no explanation of the steak so we assumed it was the David Blackmore wagyu plate, parsley and beetroot my partner ordered from the menu. The presentation was simple without any WOW factor. My partner said it was good steak but slightly too salty for his liking. I had several bites and was in love. In my opinion it was very delicious with a slight charcoaled outer taste and tender meat inside.
Along with the steak and lobster as our main, we had the Cauliflower, bearnaise sauce and gruyere.
We shared dessert and had the Pear souffle, Poire William and Champagne sorbet. Once again, presentation was average but the taste was amazing. The soufflé was soft and fluffy on the top and syrupy at the bottom with obvious sweetness from the pear. The champagne sorbet was perfect, cold, smooth and does not have that typical strong sweet or sour sugary sorbet taste.
The bill arrived for a much high total than we expected. It turns out there was a hiccup somewhere between the waiter and the kitchen or waiter and the manager. I won't go into specific dollars but I will say we were charged for an item that wasn't even on the menu and was more expensive. Luckily, my partner enjoyed his steak (except for the slight saltiness) so was happy to pay. Personally, I think there's a problem when between 3-4 people cannot get an order right.
Overall, the food delivers on quality and taste, but lacks creativity in terms of plating. So I can see how this restaurant is rated on their food but The Point Albert Park needs to work on their communication and customer service. The food is pricey but you will get quality produce. Whether it is worth the money, you'll have to judge it for yourself. Personally, I'll save my money for other places in the future because I don't believe in paying for fine food with not so fine service.
