A great location can be a restaurant’s ultimate double-edged sword – used properly, it can be one of its greatest assets, but taken for granted, the slippery slope to its downfall. A great location sets the scene – it puts diners in a positive frame of mind and when the food and the service match up the dining experience soars to new heights. The trouble starts when the restaurant becomes complacent, relying on the sun glistening off the ocean to distract you from that slightly overcooked piece of snapper or not-quite-on-the-ball service.
Waters Edge, situated in prime lakeside territory at the regal Commonwealth Place, tucked under what looks like a giant grassy skateboard ramp, has certainly cleaned up location wise. It was established in 2004 by James Mussillon (he’s also the head chef/owner of Civic’s esteemed Courgette) and is somewhat of a local institution. While it’s certainly still fighting fit seven years on, there are a few cracks showing in the armour.
Inside, it’s conservatively elegant, if a little bland – spacious with high ceilings, white table cloths and comfortable plush high-backed chairs. Glass walls on two sides make the most of the water views.
If, like me, you’re prone to judging a restaurant by the quality of its bread, then Water’s Edge fails at the first hurdle. Airy, school formal-esque dinner rolls at a restaurant of this calibre are no match for the satisfyingly chewy sourdough at Aubergine or the pillow-like wedges of rosemary foccacia at Italian & Sons.
In keeping with its waterside locale, seafood is focus of the head chef James Titheradge’s mod-oz menu. Faith begins to be restored by the first entree – three plump blue swimmer crab-filled tortellini, nestled together in a puddle of sweet squash puree and pulled together by a rich shellfish foam.
A second entrée is equally redeeming. Nuggets of spice-crusted kingfish – perfectly medium-rare – are dotted artfully along a long, rectangular plate in that posh restaurant kind of way. They’re interspersed with delicate piles of sweet and sour cucumber topped with saffron and tomato salsa, and a thin line of mild wasabi mayonnaise runs along each side. It’s a fish that doesn’t need much help, but that little bit of sweet, little bit of tang and little bit of spice really bring it to life.
From the mains, a roulade of Atlantic salmon is lovely and golden on the edges and flaky and pink inside, though it always seems a shame to serve salmon without that crispy skin. Accompanying it is a smear of cauliflower puree and a mound of scallop mousse, topped with creamy fish emulsion foam. It sounds indulgent and could easily be all too much, but in these capable hands it works.
The dish of the evening is the beef fillet, which is nicely charred (though cooked to a very definite medium rather than the recommended medium-rare), dotted with sweet, slow-cooked-to-melting-point garlic cloves and drizzled with a rich jus. The highlight is beef brisket ‘cigar’ – golden, crispy pastry encasing tender, falling-apart meat. Sides of ultra-creamy mash potato and snappy steamed green certainly don’t do it any harm, either.
For dessert, it’s great to see native ingredients used so thoughtfully in a strongly lemon myrtle flavoured brulee, topped with a wattle-seed praline and served with a scoops on an intensely bitter dark chocolate sorbet. Though, other than for aesthetics, it’s hard to see the point of a long strip of date puree running through the middle.
A scoop of bubble-gum-like strawberry sorbet that comes with a super-rich slice of chocolate terrine also seems misplaced. A second scoop of orange blossom sorbet is a better fit, though still too sweet, but a third scoop of milk sorbet hits the mark. An accompanying chocolate and pistachio biscotti adds a satisfying, contrasting crunch.
The expansive wine list features local and European drops in equal number, with a very decent selection around the $40-$60 mark, then reaching to the sky from there. Service throughout the night is polite, but a little haphazard – super attentive early on, then dragging as the night progresses, without longer than expected waits between each course. You’d barely bat an eye at you neighbourhood local, but when you’re paying this kind of premium, it should be spot on.
Waters Edge has long held its own in the top echelons of Canberra restaurants and its prime location has no doubt served it well. A few little tweaks could help ensure it stays there.
Commonwealth Place, 40 Parkes Place, Parkes
Ph: (02) 6273 5066
info@watersedgecanberra.com.au
Lunch: Wednesday – Sunday, 12pm – 3pm
Dinner: Tuesday – Sunday, 6.30pm – 11pm
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