First visit to Attica in May, 2025 for an anniversary. Overall happy with the food but the dishes were uneven and wildly unbalanced at times. The good was great and bad was horrendous. Sometimes concepts don't translate to taste , but I'm still glad for the experience. Service was friendly with a low key & cosy dining atmosphere.
On a side note, I love the name of the dishes. I've copied them below from the menu.
The First Foods: wattle dahl wafer, ribery tart, native fruit & blue mussel skewer, sprig of saltbush
Saltbush was crispy similar to a piece of chip. Dahl was flavourful. Tart was tangy & creamy.The Edge of Reason
Described as 'Ben's obsession with lasagna'. Bolognese tasted like a good bolognaise. Crispy pasta edge. Intense tomato & parm sauce. Really nostalgic & fantasticSaltwater Souva
Souva is emu. It was my first time trying it and definitely set the bar high. Juicy, tasty & paired great with the charred breadMadenii & Lemon Myrtle Jube
'Magic' Mushroom
Not pictured. We got brought out to the pastry kitchen and served 'jube', tiny pieces of citrusy jelly. Then we went through an art installation in the garden that was like an overgrown disney forest. The magic mushroom was choux pastry filled with mushroom creme. There was also a fizzy pineapple drink. Both were good.Thinking of Australia
Snapper crudo in the shape of Australia with native ingredients from each state dotted on. Tasmania was salt & pepper. Very strong & bordering on too fishy, perhaps it was aged? And that's coming from someone who loves seafood.'It's All Just Noodles & Pasta'
The grain pasta was bitter and overwhelmed the tomato consume. Probably my least favourite dish of the night.The Tea Is Alive!
Wish I got a photo before the 'tea' got poured in. It was a variety of radishes in a mushroom/bonito broth. Great texture & umamiWA Marron with Red Champagne Fingerlime
Slow cooked marron in a rich butter sauce. The fingerlime really carries the dish and adds brightness. Definitely my favourite of the night.
Bread was sourdough focaccia with a very crispy fried edge. I think it was fried in cultured butter? So delicious.Roo Satay
Kangaroo satay with saltbush. Sticky-ish rice with quandong fruit. The taste was nice but I found the satay sauce too overwhelmingSugarbag Honey & Cream
The sweet dishes were all great but this one was my favourite. It was a pana cotta topped with sugarbag honey. Compared to regular honey it was very acidic but delicate. Another fave
Surprise cake
Got a complimentary celebration cake. It tasted exactly like honey joys if you've had one before
Frosted Strawberry Gum
Meringue filled with jam & spongeA la(red) Cart
To be honest I don't remember most of the petit four. The skull had Vegemite caramel which was pleasantly interesting
by awaybutton
3 Comments
Is the lasagne edge just a massimo copy?
Have been a couple of times plus did their retrospective 19 years of Attica last year
I understand some skepticism towards their latest menus and some dishes that underperform, albeit I still think this is the best restaurant in Australia as far as performing on the world stage
Basically any other top-end fine dining in this country is emulating other forms of dining elsewhere, and not quite hitting the highs of Europe or the best of the US.
Attica plays on its own terms which I very much appreciate, the whimsical and irreverent approach on both food and service best represents Australian dining from my perspective as well. Compared to a place like Amaru where they clearly were trying to emulate European Michelin dining service but it came off as inauthentic
Appreciate that some prefer less rough around the edges and more “luxurious” dining at these prices, but from my perspective it’s just more enjoyable creatively and for the singular experience than places like Vue De Monde which are great but ultimately playing it very safe
This was my favorite restaurant in Australia by a mile. I had visited 3x.