What a fabulous restaurant!
We came in for our wedding anniversary, and enjoyed the Asado set menu along with a cocktail and glass of wine each.
Atmosphere:
The restaurant is dark, moody and sets a fabulous vibe. The music fits the restaurant well and it was warm enough to enjoy in the middle of winter. A testament to this restaurant was the fact that it was fully booked out on a Sunday evening.
Service:
We were greeted by the maitre d' who was pleasant, friendly and took us quickly into the restaurant. Our primary waitress was Nat, who was brilliant! She was funny, kind and professional. She wished us a happy anniversary, explained the set menu dishes to us well and talked us through the drinks menu. She doted on us just enough, balancing letting us enjoy the food well. We were also served by Wendy, who was also very friendly.
Drinks:
We ordered a cocktail each, the Gomita Limon, which was well balanced and refreshing, without being overly sweet; and the Palermo Sour, which was sweet, decadent and fruity. Both excellent. We also ordered wine - the La Celia Reserve Pinot Grigio and the Masseria Borgo Dei Trulli Primitivo. The Pinot Grigio was fantastic, light, fruity and clean. Unfortunately, they were out of the Primitivo, but Nat was able to suggest similar wines, and we opted for the Braida 'Montebruna' Barbera D'Asti, which was, quite simply, one of the nicest wines we've ever had. Deep notes of plum, cherry and strawberry, with an excellent full-bodied nature that went beautifully with our meal.
Food:
We opted for the Asado set menu, as it allowed us to try a large range of dishes. This is the middle tier set menu at Palermo, and the only one that does not contain seafood. The portions were excellent, and we left very full.
The first course was focaccia and empanadas and it set the mood for the rest of the evening's food - a primarily Argentinian palate with a flair of Italian. While the bread was lovely, it would have benefited from being served warm - and needed salt. The empanadas, made with smoked cheese and bolognese, were excellent and went surprisingly well with the complimentary chimichurri.
The next course of beef tartare, was excellent. Beautifully seasoned, well balanced beef with horseradish cream and lavosh crackers. Every element was done brilliantly.
The next course was homemade chorizo, which was smoky, cooked to perfection and moreish. Excellent. It was served alongside the provoleta, which is grilled melted cheese, topped with an antipasto mix. The cheese was very rich, but the antipasto cut through it brilliantly. Once again, the chimichurri and salsa paired well.
Our mains were quite simply, phenomenal. The steak is served medium-rare, or as per your request. We asked for it rare, and were not disappointed. The steak was charred well on the outside, a benefit of what must be a very hot Parilla, and beautifully pink in the middle. Seasoned simply with salt and pepper, this was by far one of the best steaks I've had in a long time. The slow roasted pork that accompanied it was excellent - succulent, soft and well seasoned. The salad and charred cauliflower sides were also excellent. The "Coliflor Fioretto" was delicious, served with crunchy pops of quinoa and a creamy puree.
To end the evening, we enjoyed their signature creme caramel flan and dulce de leches shortbread biscuits. Absolutely delicious, the salted peanut praline that attended the flan was a wonderful, almost savoury counterpart to the creamy, moreish flan, and lended an almost campfire flavour to the dessert.
Summary:
An excellent high end restaurant in the heart of Melbourne, perfect for a special night out with your loved ones. We will certainly be back and will continue to sing the praises of this establishment for some time to come. Well worth the price tag. read more