Anise
697 Brunswick Street
New Farm, Queensland 4005
w
www.anise.com.au
e
queries@anise.com.au – all bookings by telephone
t +61 7 3358 1558
f +61 7 3358 1855
open Breakfast Saturday and Sunday, Lunch Tuesday to Sunday, dinner Monday to Saturday
WINE Yes, you may well suspect by the positioning of wine at the front of this review that there is more emphasis on wine than food at Anise.
Anise is based on the old concept of the local French bistro, sadly so uncommon in France today. Their admirably young age demographics are an indication of what a new generation of drinkers and diners want and a good lesson for other establishments with diminishing clientele. A tiny restaurant with just 22 seats, 16 around the bar and a few more around the window Anise has a funky, intimate and refreshingly rag tag feel. Wine lovers will think they are in heaven.
Owner/manager/sommelier Guy Edensor clearly has a passion for wine and his ever-changing wine list is seductive.
Flights are all too rare in restaurants, and the opportunity to try eleven wines whilst actually only consuming about three standard glasses is indulgent and appreciated. Flights are at the whim of Edensor who instantly senses the level of interest in wine and clearly enjoys the process. It is the nature of this little restaurant that service is informal, but the level of knowledge and attention to the important things such as glassware and storage of wines by the glass are well attended to. This is an excellent establishment for anyone looking for a table of 16 often refused by better restaurants. Anise offers a degustation menu with matched wines for just $120 x16 (the minimum charge or more) depending on how indulgent the wine choices. The restaurant is yours for the night and privacy ensured. Their everÓchanging full wine list and menu can be viewed on their web site
FOOD Food is the homely French cooking of yesteryear; Snails with Paris butter, French onion soup, Tripe with peas and Crème Brûlée. The soup was the star and could have walked straight from the pages of Elizabeth David’s French Provincial Cooking or the kitchen of my favourite local in Paris. The snails needed more garlic and butter and no cheese. The tripe, which was not honeycomb, whilst delicious, lacked wetness and would have been better with fewer and fresh peas swimming in a buttery rich chicken stock. Australians have a passion for Brûlée but don’t understand why there is the classic shallow Brûlée dish. It expands the crust, so that every mouthful has a paper–thin shard of toffee, but most importantly it warms and softens an otherwise fridge cold custard. This Brûlée was too deep and as a consequence too cold and solid.
Were we unhappy? Not at all, and sitting at the kitchen end of the bar there
was ample opportunity to view plates going out and coming back. The empty plates
were certain expression of approval from other clients who are probably less
picky. Anise’s small menu, whilst not amazing is well suited to wine
and the whole experience very good value for money. To be fair there has been
a change of chef since we visited Anise in 2007 and local friends insist the
food is greatly improved.
A great place for Lone Travellers
OWNERS — Guy and Alix Edensor
CHEF — Jonathan Bryant
RESTAURANT MANAGER AND SOMMELIER — Guy Edensor
