Arena Bar and Bistro

Food

It's been a long time since my last meal at Arena, 2001 or 2 I think... I didn't enjoy the food at all then and had no incentive to go back. A lot has changed since then, and since work was going to pay for my meal, I wasn't going to pass this opportunity up.

We started with some warm bread with oil and dukka - not the best bread I've ever had, but it was soft and warm, and the dukka had a tangy zang to it.

The entrees (all $15 except for the oysters) were all appealing. My choice was a toss-up between the bloody mary oysters, kingfish and salmon caparccio, and Warm quail tart salad. I chose the quail since I don't like paying money to eat oysters at restaurants and I was getting seafood for main. And I am glad I did! All the entrees were very nicely presented. My quail arrived in small braised pieces, sitting on top of a pile of green vegetables, which had a seaweed texture and a sesame taste. All of that resting on a disk of great pastry with a jus reduction. And of course, it was topped by a quail egg, the york still slightly runny. This was one of the best entrees I've had for awhile. I tried a bit of Fan's Squid Ink risotto with calamari, which had overcooked risotto.

The mains (all $25 except for the steak) were more conventional. I chose the Hiramasa Kingfish, chorizo, tomato as I wanted to know what kingfish tasted like. The answer, very similar to swordfish. This was a good thing since I am a fan of swordfish's firm flesh. A huge hunk of fish arrived swimming in a tomato based broth. I wasn't a fan of the paring of chorizo and kingfish though. They both tasted quite good on their own but I didn't see any benefits in bringing them together. We ordered a lot of accompaniment too, worthy of notes are the mash, tomato with boccochini and olives, broccolini, rocket and pear salad are
very sinful!

At this stage I was getting full, especially after all the sides I had, but the dessert men, all $12, sounded too good to miss. The solution, get a plate to share of course! The girls shared a Banana and Honey Souffle butterscotch sauce which was very very sweet, even for me. I couldn't even bring myself to have more than a few bites. I also made Fazel share his Warm Fig Tart with muscat ice-cream which was executed better. I'm glad I filled up on the sides and didn't leave much room for dessert.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

Being situated at the "Entertainment Quarter" ensured that Arena, on a Wednesday night, was just about empty. We were just about the only one there, or the only ones making noise anyway. Arena has that Mod Oz restaurant look - you know, mood lighting, lots of dark woods and silver, a bar with ottomans and cushions, banquette seats, hanging lamps (which a few guys hit their heads on).

In summary, very nice but you can get the same anywhere else in Sydney.

Rating - 2

Service

For a restaurant with no people, the staff could be more attentive. I guess they were efficient enough, but nobody went the extra mile. For the most part, we didn't mind pouring our own water and wine. At least the food arrived promptly.

Rating - 3

C-factor

Hummm, I'm not sure if this is going to be a fair judgement, but having a free meal with plenty of alcohol, the management making a fool of themselves, and only a few days until my holidays, I really enjoyed myself. I would come back again even with my own money. Plus, I think they are in the entertainment book.

Rating - 1.5

Brownie Points - 14

Info

212 Bent St,
Entertainment Quarter
Moore Park
NSW 2021
Phone (02) 9361 3833
Website