Glebe Point Diner (Glebe)

Retro-review from July 2010 by St

I always struggle trying to find a restaurant that will astound Timmy. I decided on GPD because it was on The Gourmet Traveller’s top 100 list and I know Timmy hasn’t heard of it so the surprise element was heightened (proportionate to a possible disappointment factor too....). 

As you know, there is a plethora of restaurants on Glebe Pt Rd just off Parramatta Rd. I expected GPD to be around here but you must drive all the way down towards the harbour and it’s nestled between residentials. Adopting the name, the diner is fairly small (seats ~40), modern with a chilled, smart-casual vibe.

Thirlmere goose liver pate with onion jam and toast $18

Birthday boy Timmy chose this cos he likes his pates. (Pate transports me back to year 4 when my mum used to make strong pate sandwiches for lunch almost every day… my stomach is screaming illllllll.) Like their pasta and butter, the bread is made on site and this toast was crispy and great for slathering on the pate. Onion jam was superb and went well with the pate which wasn’t overwhelming in taste or smell.

Macleay Valley rabbit braised with pearl barley, pancetta, chestnuts and sultanas $30

Hearty hearty stuff matey. Timmy says the rabbit tastes like chicken. A bonus for the dietitian was the nutritional value of the stew- pearl barley, chestnuts, sultanas. A different main to what we usually order but he thoroughly enjoyed it describing it as heavy and wholesome, drawing a similar comparison to a risotto.

Coorong angus scotch fillet with red wine butter, hand cut chips and cavolo nero $35

Hold the press! Let it be known that I am the biggest sucker for any mains that comes with chips. And that is also my downfall. The scotch fillet was satisfying, cooked medium rare to perfection but it was like any other fairly good steak. All along I thought I was eating spinach but actually it was cavolo nero, also known as black cabbage- great for accompanying meat/fish. You could also pay an extra $5 for some truffle supplement.

Watching the room, many people were ordering the Winter pie for their mains (roasted pumpkin, goats’ fetta, onion lyonnaise and sauteed cabbage). It must have been really good or else every second diner was a vegetarian. Something else I should have tried (but it didn’t come with chips!) was the roasted Burrawong chook (sautéed brussels sprouts, bread sauce and pancetta). I read the desserts are great here too but Timmy and I were going to head back up the road to Badde Manors for some good coffee and apple rhubarb pie and cannelloni!

Funnily, when Timmy walked into GPD, he thought it reminded him of Cumulus (http://wokyoutalkingabout.blogspot.com/2010/10/cumulus-inc.html) in Melbourne. This was echoed in the bathroom as they too had Aesop soap! Nb- I’m sorry diners, I love good food but also love clean, polished amenities that go that extra mile. The Aesop theme strikes again. Now, if only I can get Aesop to sponsor this blog, sigh... my life would be complete :p 

GPD did have one chef’s hat in 2008 and 2009 but lost it this year. Having read a few reviews on it, I know many people adore the place and it’s easy to see why. Ingredients are sourced locally and fresh (some grown in the GPD’s backyard) and most of the food is organic. Also, for any north-shorers, GPD just opened in Neutral Bay in July. 

I’m positive my rating would be higher had I ordered the pie or chook for my mains.
Wokking rating /5: 

Glebe Point Diner
407 Glebe Point Rd
Glebe
9660 2646

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