The Manse

Be warned – should you be lucky enough to sit down to table at the Manse for their five course tasting menu with matched wines, it is very unwise indeed to have a pre-dinner drink before the meal. The staff at the Manse are extremely generous when it comes to their “tasting” glass serves of wine. After a pre-dinner drink of champagne my dinner partner struggled to survive his four generous glasses of wine with dinner, and this was before the dessert wine and the glass of port at the end of the meal. As a pre-confessed lightweight I could only watch and admire and feel for his head in the morning. Don’t whatever you do, drive to dinner here!

With that warning aside it is time for all who have the chance to book a place at this restaurant before the secret gets out. We believe the Manse is one of the Australian restaurants that deserve a Michelin star if only they were awarded in Australia.

The restaurant is based in a beautiful old Adelaide mansion on Tynte Street in North Adelaide. It feels very intimate dining here as guests are scattered throughout the different rooms and there were only about 4 other tables in our “dining room”. The decor includes dramatic black wallpaper and a white leather banquette along the wall. Each table was simply decorated with a pale pink rose on the evening we visited.

The food we ate that evening was quite simply exquisite, and at $95 for a 5 course degustation menu surprisingly reasonable. Our meal was creative and imaginative and technically impressive. There was perhaps a bit much foam and I was chided for not eating my liquorice “air” but otherwise I loved every bit of it. The presentation was outstanding as well. Highlights included a sublime sauce decorated with intense basil jelly and tiny succulent marron (an Australian freshwater crayfish). There was a heavy emphasis on superb local ingredients including great goats curd and some superb lamb neck. Service was friendly and efficient and (as mentioned previously) generous!

The Manse scooped the best fine dining award from the SA Restaurant and Catering Association as well as best pastry chef in 2009. We’d recommend you go while it’s such a good deal and before the staff get poached.