Bye bye to Newman Tavern and happy welcome to Dickie Fitz, a new Australian restaurant with a fusion of Japanese flavours. A beautiful transformation from the classic bar look to a more fancy modern theme composed of yellow comfortable lounge chairs, dimmed light and big spherical balls of fairy lights. A nice relaxing atmosphere.
Truffle 'macancini'
This was highly recommended to us the moment we were handed over the menu and after devouring them I can understand the excitement. Thin crispy coating of tasty truffles making away for a lovely filling of al dente macaroni and cheese. The combination of texture and flavour were perfect. Forget all those generic fried mac and cheese as this is an obvious winner.
Beef tartare
A fine example of the classic dish. Fresh silky beef, full of bounce and flavour. The seasoning was balanced without being overwhelming, allowing the sweetness of the beef to shine through. The egg yolk was dotted around adding colour as well as binding everything together. Garnished with the addition of radishes and rocket for a more complex bite and flavour.
Tuna tataki
The texture was mouth melting, bathing in a lovely citrusy ponzu with added avocado purée for extra creaminess and flavour. The simple garnishes of daikon and salad leaves added a nice contrast of texture.
Oysters kilpatrick.
A new creative take on preparing oysters using bacon to season it and adding a whole new depth to the flavour, finished off with breadcrumb for a nice opposing texture.
Seabass carpaccio
Fresh and thick, incredibly silky and tender, uplifting the flavour with an orange marinate. It was creative of them to season it with fresh bush lime and tempura batter at your table, adding a nice zest to it and the batter adding some crispiness to the softer texture that slowly melts in your mouth so it doesn't steal the show.
Grass fed 28 day aged rib eye steak
This was locally sourced from Cumbria. A very sweet juicy cut with a lovely bone marrow sauce mashed with herbs to add another level of flavour. Sadly it was very chewy and tough being full of fibrous tissues making it very hard to fully enjoy.
Rib burger
A great composition for a burger. Brioche bun fluffy yet held well, patty thick, juicy, packed full of flavour and pink, packed with melted jack cheese giving depth, sweet onions for more flavour and gherkins adding a punch of tang and crunch throughout the whole burger. Delicious!!
Fries, chicken salt
These were amazing. Just adding a bit of chicken powder gave it umami depth, flavour and not just salty. They were fried perfectly, crispy and fluffy.
Wet mash
Sounds enticing already. Made with butter and cream made it incredibly creamy. It was full of flavour and depth. Just give me a bowl of this any day as I can just have it comfort food.
Kaffir lime Panna cotta
Never imagined ever tasting eucalyptus and especially not in panna cotta. I can be honest and say it felt like eating hand cream at first especially with the gelatinous creamy texture and aroma. But as soon I adjusted to the taste I really enjoyed it along with the elderflower sorbet giving it a floral zesty finish. Creative and brave composition but it works.
Chocolate fondant, salted peanut, burnt marshmallow.
The fondant itself was incredibly thick that it was hard to differentiate the thin layer around it from the rich molten dark chocolate from the inside. It was very smooth, high quality chocolate being able to appreciate the taste of the cocoa. The sweetness and the nuttiness of the peanut brittle added a nice contrast to the bitterness along with the melted coconut marshmallow that added the creaminess to it without the sharp coldness that ice cream gives.
Dickie Fitz is definitely not a cheap option with mains ranging from £11 to £32 and that's not including sides. It seems quite hidden being a small restaurant in a pretty dead area. But if you do stumble across this restaurant, maybe working in the area, or after shopping through Oxford Street, then the selection of dishes definitely won't disappoint. Each dish like you never had it before, paired with unusual ingredients, full of creativity with a lot of Japanese influences. Makes everything seem new and exciting. A nice refreshing change. Glad to have discovered it. read more