PRESS FOOD & WINE, Adelaide
Press continues to be one of my favourite places in Adelaide. It’s simple contemporary Australian food done really well and it’s consistently good. It’s handy to have restaurants that you can be confident in recommending to others. Downstairs is more casual with shared wooden benches – a great place for a meal, a snack or just a drink, and it’s great that the kitchen stays open all day. You need to book for the upstairs dining area which is a loft-style space, a little more formal, with white tablecloths.
The menu is a nice size with good variety, from raw fish to offal, pasta to steaks. Everything is fresh and tasty. Food is categorised under ‘raw’, ‘smaller’, ‘wood grill’, ‘offal’ and ‘bigger’. There are also a few sides, a whole suckling pig with trimmings for a minimum of 10 people (24 hours notice required), and a tasting menu. I’m a big fan of the tasting menu. At $68 per person it’s excellent value, and it means no decision making! I really must book in for the suckling pig soon – I’ve been talking about it for way too long.
The standout dish for me is the crab pasta – House-made pappardelle, blue swimmer crab, tomato, cream, chilli, garlic – it’s simply the best crab pasta dish you’ll get. My friend who’s a crab pasta aficionado agrees. Such a well-balanced dish – silky smooth ribbons of pasta in a delicious sauce, not too creamy and just the right amount of chilli. I have to order it every time I go. The steaks are also always enjoyable.
The service is always professional and slick. The wine list is an interesting one with wines from around the world, including some older vintages. Press has been open for a few years now and hasn’t waned in popularity – it’s still difficult to get a table, even on a Wednesday night. That’s what happens when you get the formula right – consistently good food and good service at reasonable prices.
Good review Jacqui, Press is a favourite in the Reynolds household too.
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