I know I’m slow on the uptake getting to The Chelsea, especially since it’s been described as “A slice of New York City’s Lower East Side in Brisbane’s sunny – and equally trendy – Paddington”, but with lastminute lovely Louise visiting Brisbane from the big smoke of Sydney, I take the chance to tick this trendy restaurant, off my ‘to dine’ list.
The chic little restaurant is situated in the lively Barracks precinct in Paddington, Brisbane. The ambience is warm and the fit out gives the appearance of a classy bistro that’s not too fussy. Our group of four feels very trendy taking up our booth.
lastminute lovelies Louise and Kirk
Patiently waiting for us to get over our post-work chat, our waitress is friendly and happy to talk us through the all-important wine and food options. We decide to trial some Freycinet Riesling to help us make our tough decisions.
At the end of the “wine trial” we decide on another bottle of the wine… and our food line-up looks like this:
Starters – Charred breads, pistachio dukkah, lemon & garlic dressing. A great little filler since we’ve taken so much time (and wine) to decide on food. The bread is soft but crunchy on the outside and I can’t get enough of the pistachio dukkah.
Sasha with the winning bottle of wine
Mains – I choose the slow-roasted lamb shoulder, Moroccan pumpkin puree, spinach & pomegranate. I love a slow roast and this one is just as I’d hoped and dreamed. Tender and succulent and mixed with the pumpkin puree it’s a delight. The spinach and pomegranate not only add flavor they look great and make me feel like I’d won the ordering competition. And since I’m writing this review that means I DID. Woop!
lastminute lovelies Louise and Sasha share the Lebanese roasted sumac chicken, nut rice, labna & date and lemon chutney. It’s a dish for two and they describe it as equally as delicious as mine. In Louise’s words “Succulent chicken with delicious earthy Moroccan flavouring. The lemon chutney add a fresh zing. Perfect share plate for two.” If you suffer from food envy then this dish did look like a real winner.
Another lastminute.com.au blog star Sam is a late ring in on the evening and enjoyed a Pappadelle, Calabrese sausage, mushrooms, pecorino, truffle oil. Straight from the horse’s mouth, Sam describes the dish as, “An extremely delicate freshly made Pappadelle paired naturally with the bold truffle oil and Calabrese sausage. The buttery taste of the Pecorino finished the dish perfectly.” Then he added, “Pappadelle derives from the verb ‘pappare’, or to gobble up…. And that I certainly did!”
Not ready to leave our little nest after the mains, but too full for dessert, we finish up with coffee and tea and roll out of The Chelsea, four happy diners.
The Chelsea lends itself as a great little bistro for any time of day or occasion: the food combined with the relaxed, while ever attentive nature of the service lives up to their reputation. Who needs New York?
