This is gonna be a weird review.
Here's the thing: St Albi isn't what I expected at all. I'd seen so many photos of the hip fitout that I had my assumptions about the menu, and those assumptions were way off. What St Albi is, secretly, but far more accessibly for the locals, is a gastropub. The menu is tried and true pub style, fancied up around the edges. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, and once my dining pal and I had gotten our heads around this, our meals were awesome. I'd go so far as to say my steak was the best steak I've had in Hobart. Yep, I'm gonna make that call. But having said that, I didn't head to St Albi that night expecting to eat a steak.
My friend and I started with an entree and a half each, because we both needed to try the chowder but also another thing each. The chowder was out of this world delicious, and I'm pretty sure it had some sage in it (or just the right combination of other herbs and spices that tricked me into thinking it was sage), but I've been back since just for the chowder and it didn't have quite that same flavour to it. I was a little disappointed, but the chowder is still super, super delicious and comes with an enormous prawn hanging out in it (entertaining but awkward to eat, nobody look at me please).
I won mains hands down with my steak, which I forced my friend to try as well (ok I didn't have to force her very hard). I chose the Cox coffee rub for it because I was intrigued. I chose medium rare because that's how steak should be cooked. And I chose some duck fat potatoes and honey brown mushrooms for sides because I couldn't not. Seriously, so good.
But so much food. Because this is a gastropub, not a fine dining restaurant. If someone had explained this to me before I went, maybe I wouldn't have had 1.5 entrees before my enormous main, leaving less than zero room for my dessert (yes, even my dessert stomach abandoned me) and giving me actual pains because I was so full (and yet still got most of my sides to take away and devour the following day with some scrambled eggs because I'm a genius).
I love you, St. Albi, now that I properly understand you. Maybe next time I'll know how to leave room for one of your desserts? read more