geronimo aperitivo bar and restaurant

this is the fourth time i had dinner at geronimo. i had good experiences before but i am very disappointed with the recent 5 small dishes plus a mainmenuset up. it is understandable and it appears that a lot of local restaurants go into set menus due to financial challenges presented by covid. however, for 2people, the portion of 5small plates plus a main can be too much yet the 5small plates plus a dessert would be too little. it also feels that they are doing so that they can also better manage stock for the day and sell the dishes as takeaways.

starting with small plates, the beef tartar and croquettes were great with well-balanced flavors. however, some others like the grilled tiger prawns and octopus appear to be cheap asian street snacks with expensive price tags. the grilled octopus on skewers were hard for anyone to eat elegantly in a restaurant. we thought the prawn and chicken dumplings were an asian fusion done alright with an interesting hint of herb, yet a bit dry.

for the signature main we had the lamb shoulder. surprisingly, it came in a massive three dishes of couscous, lamb, and salad leaf. the portion was overwhelming for fine dining, which makes anyone lose interest before finishing half. the lamb was too salty and must be served with a mix of couscous to blend it out. the salad leaf is very unrefined. the flavor ends up being very boring and force a whole table of people to eat the one same main.

overall, we think the portion is quite off, and the dishes are less refined than before. dishes used to be strong, refined, and memorable and now they seem to have lost their focus. i think i can find better meals in a melbourne pub than the signature main we had. and for this price, i expect food more than asian street food. they used to have a great pate with nuts i would order every time and unfortunately, it’s not on theirmenuanymore. i remember we used to pay less for a better experience at this restaurant. i hope they can return to the previous fine standard at least and focus back on the dishes. we will not recommend and return unless themenuchanges. service was not bad.

themenuis well designed and the flavours are well paired and sophisticated. the main dish was lamb rump with hazelnut pesto and grilled eggplant - worth the price tag and it was a generous serving. i added a side dish, which is good for 1 person but not really designed to share as it was only 3 small slices. otherwise, again the pairing with the yoghurt and hazelnut was very refreshing and went very well with my lamb. will be back again.

love the decor and atmosphere! i would recommend coming in groups of people that way you can order lots of dishes off themenuand taste everything. loved the small dishes variety more than the large dishes. house made bread was yum! oysters were nice and fresh and the sorbet dressing was amazing! thumbs up for the scallop, ribs (!!!) and beef tartare!

i have been here 3 times now, most recently with a group of 8 people. the service is always spot on and themenuis quite sophisticated. the wine list is one of the best i have seen in tassie, with a good mix of tasmanian as well as international wines.

on our first night in launceston we discovered geronimo's purely by chance. they welcomed us in despite having us having no booking and they being quite busy to our surprise on a monday night. the staff were friendly whilst still being very professional. our waitress took us through theirmenuand offered some recipe variations to cater for my wife's vegetarian diet. we both enjoyed a monkey mule cocktail (you need to try this!) and partook of the freshly baked rosemary and sage bread rolls while we waited for our mains to arrive. i selected the pork belly which was accompanied by some small jowl dumplings and an onion soubise. this was just amazing. i can only imagine how delicious the rest of their offerings might be.
i'm not sure when we'll be back in launceston but when we do return we will definitely be seeking out geronimo's to hopefully repeat this wonderful dining experience.

ticks all the boxes for us - well thought out wine list,menushowcases the great local produce, and the service is both professional and friendly. highly recommend!