The Banjo Paterson Cottage Restaurant, Gladesville

Once a jolly swagman...

We joined in the celebration of Ms Einstein's '21st' birthday at the Banjo Paterson's Cottage Restaurant. Dinner begins with a history lesson. This cottage was the old residence of the renowned Australian author and bush poet Mr Banjo Paterson, whom you may know from his famous works: Waltzing Matilda, The Man from Snowy River and Clancy of the Overflow.

Side view of the cottage

Sunset on the pier at Banjo Paterson Park

Uncle G and I arrived early, with time for a stroll down to the pier. If you do come here for dinner, I strongly recommend coming around sunset and walking down to the park area. You can probably tell from the photos why I recommend this.

Mini cottage exhibition while you're waiting to be seated

Our private dining room

The restaurant was converted from an old residential cottage. So it comes as no surprise, the dining areas are scattered over a number of rooms. If you have a larger group (we had 15 people), you may be lucky enough to get a private area all to yourself.

Pumpkin Bread

Surprise! Piece of pumpkin in the bread.

The waitress kindly arrived with a basket of warm bread. We were told there were only 3 pumpkin rolls lefts which were offered to the ladies at the table. I was one of the lucky 3 and I soon understood why they were running out. Besides the decorative pumpkin seeds, these rolls had chunky pieces of pumpkin rolled within. This probably helped retain the moisture of the bread and added a wonderful sweetness. Thumbs up for the bread!

Sydney Rock Oysters w Gochujang Aioli $23/37 (half/whole dozen)

The oysters were lovely, briney and fresh. My friends were quite excited about the Gochujang Aioli. I'm personally not convinced about raw oysters and a creamy sauce (as opposed to tempura oysters + aioli), so I happily enjoyed them with just a squeeze of lemon. Hmm... still delicious!

Pan Fried Gnocchi w Oyster Mushrooms, broccolini and Cashew Crumb $21/28

The restaurant is great if you have a number of vegetarians amongst your guests, offering a number of choices on the vegetarian menu. The pan fried gnocchi was one of these. I personally prefer the gnocchi charred a little more. But my friends seemed to love it. I'm just hard to impress with gnocchi I guess.

Seared Scallops w Pumpkin Mousse, crisp zucchini flower and Hazelnut crumbs $23.50

These were lovely, cooked perfectly and the zucchini flowers added a delightful crunch. With such perfect accompaniments I only wished there were more!

Soup of the Day - Prawn bisque

Soup of the day - Seafood broth to be added to the prawns

Upon seeing the soup, I wish I had gotten the soup of the day too. I tried some of Ms Einstein's and was instantly envious of the light yet flavoursome entree. It was especially well balanced to bring out the sweetness of the prawns.

Beef Tenderloin w braised spinach, porcini and potato puree,
red wine jus $39

Barbequed deboned Spatchcock w corn and cauliflower polonaise,
chicken chorizo and cashew crumbs $38

For my main I went with the Barbequed Spatchcock. I didn't taste a variety of dishes that night, as Uncle G and I chose the same main. The spatchcock I found was ok, there were a few fatty bits, and the chorizo and cashew crumbs were somewhat bothersome to collect with the fork.

Lamb Loin - Zartar spiced w Babbaganoush, tabouli,
yoghurt and sesame dressing $38.50

Sesame and parsley crusted yellow fin tuna
w pickled cucumber, avocado and Yuzu aioli $39

Seared Kangaroo w broccolini, soft quail egg, fried basil,
horseradish and onion cream $38.50

Overall most of the guests were satisfied with their mains. There weren't any spectacular standouts but it was a well presented and decent meal.

Sides - Shoestring Fries $11

Sides - Paris mash $11.80; Rocket, pear and Parmesan salad w red wine vinaigrette $14.80 

I have to say I really enjoyed the sides. I guess how can you go wrong with fries, mash and rocket salad eh? But it's the simple things in life that really hit the spot! Oh and don't get me wrong, if this was a wedding or function I would be more than impressed with the mains.

The Birthday Cake

Cake-age - served with vanilla ice cream, seasonal fruit and raspberry coulis  

At this point I think the service at this restaurant really warrants a comment. We found our waiter/ress(s) delightful! Particularly the Indian waiter who attended to us most of the evening; the man was hilarious! The service was most attentive, from ordering to the cakeage and it made a real difference to the atmosphere and experience of this place.

Petite Four on the house

Banjo Patterson Park

And there's a final few snapshots of the views. We weren't here for a wedding but I can imagine this would be a terrific function venue. Perfect for a small wedding with space for the ceremony and reception.

I probably wouldn't return for a casual dinner but definitely a destination I would head to for a special occasion.

Sunset in the outdoor dining area