Four in Hand Bistro, Sydney

Nestled in the quiet backstreets of Paddington, adjoining a pub, this restaurant is a great little find. Dark wood panelling on the walls give it a very European feeling, however, the large windows let in a lot of light from outside.

For a small restaurant, it has quite a diverse wine list, with lots of great French wines. The oysters were fresh and the duck egg french toast was great. The fish dishes were perfectly cooked, though the special pork dish, including a crispy pig's ear, was sensational.

The Four in Hand was disappointingly not busy for a Saturday lunch when I went, however, that ensured that the service was just perfect. The sommelier was able to spend quite a bit of time with us, and we certainly tried a variety of wines, including a great European dessert wine.

I will gladly return.

The Four in Hand Bistro is at 105 Sutherland Street, Paddington. Ph 02 9362 1999.

Gianni, Brisbane

This was rather an unexpected surprise. I had a wonderful night here with a couple of friends, on a beautifully warm Brisbane evening recently. Alfresco dining is the order of the day and the atmosphere is quite lovely.


One big surprise was the champagne trolley. What a wonderful idea! A trolley with bottles of champagne on ice, making it easy to make a choice - and I'm possibly one of the few women who don't ordinarily think highly of champagne. We enjoyed our pink champagne immensely and made an appropriate toast. The wine list also had a few gems on it, and the aged semillon we ordered was divine.


The food was also great. The foie gras was superb, and my friends were equally impressed with their choices of entree. Mains were lovely too, and we enjoyed our wine with the cheese we selected.

I enjoyed Gianni's very much and highly recommend it. I would gladly go back.

Gianni is at 12 Edward Street, Brisbane. Ph 07 3221 7655.