Continental Cafe, New Farm

Soy lime chicken breast

A New Farm institution for the past 12 years, The Continental Cafe is not the place to go to for latest cutting edge cuisine.  Instead they pride themselves on offering the same house specials and simple comfort food that their regulars love.


Their menu is full of honest, unfussy honest food that is well executed known as 'Conti classics', complemented by a range of specials.


On their web site, proprietors Oliver Markart and Beau Downs say that it is their guests who 'own the restaurant' and on the times that I've dined there I've seen many of the same faces.  A comforting trend for restaurants in this busy and sometimes fickle market.


And for those who love it (definitely not me), Wednesday is 'Brains and other offal things' evening. They also offer vegetarian and gluten free options.

Here's what we had - Continental beef sausages, potato mash, roast tomato with caramelised onion jus; Pasture-raised veal osso bucco, saffron risotto, citrus gremolata; Soy lime chicken breast, coconut risotto, steamed bok choy, chilli; Risotto aux fruits de mer, roast tomato and garlic, local prawns, fish mussels and Duck ragout, vine ripened tomatoes, basil, sage, pappadelle pasta, shaved pecorino.

Continental beef sausages

Risotto aux fruits de mer

Duck ragout

For dessert we made do with Grand Marnier crepes with passionfruit curd and fig and pistachio baklava with honey soaked kataifit pastry and rose water yoghurt. It was tough - not!

crepes

baklava

It all lived up to expectations although did not dance across the palette, except the osso bucco and the soy lime chicken breast - the coconut risotto was divine.

We dined on the winter menu which may have changed by now.

Bottom line: Plenty of well loved classics and consistently good food.


Continental Cafe
21 Barker St, New Farm
+ 61 7 3254 0377