the grove

i had 9 dishes tasting menu. every dish is so dedicate, you can tell they made these dishes from the heart. price is a little bit high however totally worth to try.

myself and a colleague took a potential supplier to the grove for lunch.  i was aware that it served "good tucker" but was thankful that my colleague's credit card was to be deployed and not mine.  notwithstanding, i was struck immediately by genuine and not plastic service.  front of house staff actually listening and not just being mannequins.  i ordered a piece of smoked eye fillet that was served with marrow, baked egg plant (aubergine for those from wem - eew - air - wa) etc etc etc.  yum.  so yum, that when i was back in the office, i flicked an email to the troops at the grove saying how much i had enjoyed the whole experience.  i got a response.  some dude called ben bayly.  he thanked me and noted that i should let him know when next i was in the area as he would cook for me.  "yeah whatever."  i did and he did.  wow.  tamsen and i were ushered to our table - the sommelier recommended a wine - he poured and then introduced himself as the owner michael and thanked us for our email to ben.  ben did cook for us.  absolutely superb.  tamsen does not like seafood - an aussie - go figure.  ben served up a surprise seafood terrine.  tamsen loved it.  it was stunning.  the main was divine.  the whole experience was magic.  i have had the pleasure of dining in 3 michelin starred restaurants in europe and hong kong.  and yeah they were superb.  but you know what?  ben bayly is a legend, a superb chef with his feet firmly planted in the right place.  and a good buggar too.  the grove is a must visit.

a simply awesome restaurant. i had the five course degustation and it was an incredible meal. the staff was great, too. they were booked out the night i went, but i was traveling solo and they managed to find me a "bar" seat. definitely one to book in advance!

great food. ambience a+. service - great. recommend the five course degustation. perfect size portions and fresh ingredients. will definitely be back.

a fantastic meal. the degustation is a great fusion of complex flavors and textures that are a delight to the senses. for us the entrees were more memorable than the mains. the fish dish was a great way to start but for me the bresaola was the standout dish of the night. the duck was then excellent but the lamb lacked the flavor experiences that we had received in the prior courses. the veal dish was then hood and we then splurged and had two desserts, the strawberry soufflé and the mango lasagna of which the mango stood out. service was excellent but make sure you check your bill as i cannot understand how we could have 3 times our 2 desserts added to the bill. all in all a great experience and we would definitely go again.

based on a review we read in the paper we went to the grove for an anniversary dinner a couple of days ago. we chose the five course degustation ($79) which offers a selection of amazing sounding dishes. we went for the bresaola, grilled baby leeks, ravioli of crayfish, lamb rack, and cheese board/fruit lasagna. all dishes were appealing and delicious with complex elements and subtle flavours. the attention to detail with the plating and the balance of flavours was superb - the creamery butter with chives & truffle oil with the bread rolls, the wasabi sorbet with the bresaola, the tiny cucumber balls with the ravioli, the ricotta dumpling (with its burst of lemon and vanilla) with the lamb, and the flat breads with the cheese board. we also had the matching wine with some dishes, and the veuve cliquot rose with the bresaola was well worth mentioning. the staff were all very attentive and knowledgeable and explained every dish and the provenance of the ingredients. similarly the wine choices were fully explained. overall a fantastic experience, and one we plan to repeat next anniversary.

thanks for making my birthday dinner special. always amazing food and experience here. thanks to michael & team for your great service. from moment we walked in we had full water glasses, wine glasses with an array of recommended wines to match each dish. each dish came out and surprised us with a party in our mouths.

went there for my bf birthday. he's quite satisfied with the wagyu. the pigeon is unexpectedly nice and tender. but the sprats is too fish smelly. i like the mango lasagna except the sour cream.

the dessert tasting menu is to die for. could not finish the many courses offered because it was simply too much to handle. if you are a dessert lover: this is the place to be!

tucked in st. patrick's square, this rare gem should never go unnoticed. as soon as you enter, you'll be greeted by friendly staff who'll offer to hang your coat for you, then lead you to your table amidst classy interiors. you then find your menu in soft leather, open it and are presented with a myriad of choices to tempt the most discerning palate. then you get your pick of gorgeous food that tastes absolutely glorious that it brightens your day. it gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "reward yourself". the entree'- i ordered the tuna - tasted fabulous and by the time i finished it had me looking forward to my main. the main - wagyu - exceeded my expectations. and, the dessert failed to disappoint a discriminating sweet tooth like me. i would've given a 5 if not for the serving size. it would have been nice to get portions that were a little bigger.

after being to baduzzi earlier this year, i was very eager to get to the grove and a birthday was the perfect excuse. i had read many reviews and heard great things, and i can honestly say we were both blown away with the food as well as the service.

we were seated at the back of the restaurant, overlooking albert street. our waitress was awesome, so genuinely friendly asking what we were celebrating and helping us with drink choices. we started with a mojito and a manhattan. both were very strong which was good as it lasted the whole meal. as we were drinking, we were brought out warm bread with lewis rd creamery butter - such a good start to a meal!

we opted for the three dishes for $69. every dish we ordered came out with an explanation about flavour combinations and the waiters were all so enthusiastic. i started with the white asparagus, which i had beer had before!

for my main i had beetroot tortellini stuffed with goats cheese. it was very rich, and the colour was just beautiful. the bf ordered the best end of lamb which also came with anchovies. he said it was something he would never think of but it went together perfectly. we also shared a plate of kale which was devoured in seconds.

for dessert, i ordered the passionfruit soufflé and the bf ordered a pear dessert with warm spicy sauce. the soufflé was very rich, i'm glad we shared it as it would have been too much by myself. the pear dessert was very warming, the sauce tasted like mulled wine!

after we had finished, on of the waitresses brought over a plate with 'happy birthday' written on it in chocolate sauce with candles and a pastry chimney. i'm so impressed that she remembered this small detail, and knowing she would have had made an effort to get it organised. it truly made it a fantastic dining experience and really unforgettable. i will honestly recommend the grove to anyone - even if you need to save up for it, it's worth every dollar!

we paid $79 pp for 5 courses. this is fine dining at its best. the pigeon ravioli was to die for with the white asparagus. the smoked kawhai broth with kingfish was so yummy i wanted to lick my bowl once done. all ingredients were fresh and each course just highlighted this. definitely worth the visit for that special occasion

absolutely worth a visit. we did the 5 course menu and were blown away by the quality of the food. the hardest part was choosing what meals to sample. the staff were friendly and on top of everything and the meals came at just the right time.

best ever , really impressive with the unusual menu . the staff was really good , i had ask them to help me out with special requests for my date and they set up the table , and did everything exactly i asked for . the food so delicious with excellent choices of flavors from the chef . personally i had the best out of the common food in this restaurant so far. even 5.0 is too low for this place .

my fiancé surprised me with dinner at the grove on a rainy friday night. it's the most memorable dining experience that i've had to date. i've not been to many fine dining establishments so i don't have anything to compare it to but everything on that night was exceptional. we decided to go with the 9 course degustation and had the chef choose the dishes for us. each dish was beautifully presented and all the different flavours worked so well together, i really enjoyed each and every dish! there were a few that stood out in particular, the terrine, tuna and roasted quail. the service was excellent, couldn't fault it at all. they were very attentive without being over-the-top. we arrived at 8:30pm and finished around 11:30pm, left feeling very stuffed and satisfied. if you're looking for a place to celebrate a special occasion or just want to treat yourself or someone else and don't mind splurging a bit then i would definitely recommend the grove!