Hibernating for winter? The Finch’s new dinner menu will entice you out of your cosy nighttime nest.
For three years now The Finch has been a reliable favourite for a weekend brekky or a quick midweek work lunch, with their claim to fame being Fonzie Abbott coffee, delicious salads, and of course their bánh mì.
With a couple of new chefs on board and a foray into dinner service, the food at The Finch has just kicked up a gear, and you’re going to want to check it out!
We were invited to sample the dinner menu recently – keep reading to find out what we thought!
Share-style family food
The dinner menu looks deceptively simple with only a few main meal options. But there’s nothing simple about the flavours, and the way it’s all been crafted to work together so beautifully.
The chef explained the menu takes its cues from Neil Perry’s Rockpool restaurants – family style dining that’s designed to be shared across the table, with food that’s not over complicated but simply delicious, expertly prepared. The Finch’s dinner options are built around quality, and where possible local, proteins, with a selection of complementary sides and snacks.
Thanks for our dinner guys! (left) Apprentice Odin Stanley with (right) chef Bryan Nielsen.
Our experience
Dinner at The Finch starts with noticing how different the space is at night. By cosy candlelight and with some chilled acoustic tunes in the background the venue is more relaxed and intimate than the daytime service. There was a family across from our table in for an early dinner with the kids, and a group of ladies enjoying a bottle of wine and some appetisers and the space hummed with contented conversations.
We start the eats with the snack menu: marinated macadamias served warm and coated with – cumin, smoked paprika, lemon zest & chilli ($14). This was a delightfully flavourful little bowl.
Our next choice was a healthy-sized platter of burrata, prosciutto, heirloom tomatoes, rocket and balsamic ($18), accompanied by a generous amount of crusty bread to mop it up with. The salty, whisker thin prosciutto and creamy burrata were a perfect match and would be great served in abundance on a summer night with a bottle of wine to match.
Moving on to mains I chose the confit duck leg, du puy lentils, apple & spinach salad ($34) while my friend went for the rib fillet, house salad, shoestring fries, béarnaise sauce ($36). And because I’d peeked into the kitchen and seen the bowls of fries waiting for another table I added a bowl to my order too. Fries go with everything, and they were gooood.
Burrata, prosciutto, heirloom tomatoes, rocket and balsamic
The Finch duck confit
While the mains are designed to share, we were so happy with the flavour situations happening on our separate sides of the table that we opted to keep our dishes all to ourselves. I can confirm that the steak was pronounced as excellent, while my duck was falling apart and perfectly cooked. The rich duck flavour was complemented by the lighter sides; it was such a hearty meal but, balanced, so I wasn’t left feeling too full.
Which is great, because we all know dessert is the most important part. My choice was white chocolate brulee with burnt white chocolate & raspberries ($12) while my friend went for the passionfruit parfait with Eton mess ($12). The passionfruit parfait was the prettiest dish of the night, and I snuck a taste and got instant food envy – that parfait was an absolute highlight! However, my white chocolate brulee was smooth, creamy and had that satisfying crack happening. The raspberries were freeze dried and added little explosions of flavour with every bite.
Our desserts
A closer look at the prettiest dish of the night, the passionfruit parfait
The verdict
We rolled out of there two hours after we arrived, very full and very happy. We loved everything about dinner at The Finch. The food, the ambience and the service hit every mark. It’s a casual, relaxed dining experience with an elegant edge; as equally perfect for a family meal as it is for a celebration, or a night out with friends.
They’re open for dinner from Thursday to Saturday 6pm to 9pm, bookings are recommended. The restaurant is BYO, so bring your own wine, or if you forget, just duck over to The Office where The Finch dinner guests can get a discount when purchasing a takeaway bottle.
Visit The Finch on Facebook, Instagram and find their menu at www.thefinch.com.au
Many thanks to The Finch for providing this experience. My opinions are honest and my own.
