Clarke's Bar and Dining Room

Food:

This is the place to go for American diner food made with lovingly sourced produce – the way it used to be before the advent of fast food. The cheeseburger, made with beef from Bill Riley meat, and Trevor Daly’s golden, flaky brioche buns, is one of the stars. It’s also one of only two things on the menu served in the evenings. (The other is a vegetarian option, the veggie sloppy Joe). If you’re there during the day, however, the choice is decidedly trickier. Choose from sandwiches like the moreish pulled pork sub and the Reuben, made with Bill Riley’s free-range brisket, braised cabbage, emmenthal and blue cheese dressing on rye, or opt for the creamy mac and cheese with fontina, goat’s feta and gruyere, and the option of crispy bacon bits. The breakfasts are also served all day, and with dishes like pecan and raisin toast served with whipped maple butter and Nutella, and hash browns with toasted cauliflower, peppers, poached eggs, asparagus and hollandaise, they’re strong contenders. The scrambled eggs are light and fluffy and get the thumbs up from us. Desserts are similarly drool-worthy: try the sweet pie of the day or the hot fudge brownie sundae with a wheat-free brownie and caramel sauce, toasted nuts and peanut butter ice cream supplied by artisan producers, The Creamery.

Wine:

The winelist is only four bottles long - though they're not bad bottles - so go for Darling Beer and the Birkenhead if you’re a fan of craft beer. Alternatively, opt for a cocktail, or a serving of homemade Edie’s lemonade.

Service:

Clarke’s is something of a family, and service is consequently informal, though well-informed. The restaurant is often busy, but the brief dinner menu helps to keep things snappy.

Ambience:

White walls and angular tables keep things understated, with accents like oversized light bulbs and a profusion of pot plants that help to bring personality to this restaurant. Wear your skinniest jeans; this is hipster territory.

And...:

They don’t take bookings, so head through early or take a seat at the bar until a table frees up.

(Katharine Jacobs, April 2012)

Jenny Harris
27-Apr-2012

Zooty, fun, busy. We just had a cup of coffee. It was very good. Friendly waitress...

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Marianne Engvall
25-Mar-2012

Have been three times now. I just had to get that best burger in town... But - the burgers are quite average. There are lots of better ones in other places. And at one time they were out of that burger! A bit weird as this is the signature dish here. In fact I think the fries are the best thing here, skin on and really crispy. And the ice cream from The lovely Creamery.

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Stacy Renecke
9-Mar-2012

I guess we had high expectations after reading all the wonderful views . We where, however, really disappointed with the burgers. The patty itself is great but the bun was too oily. Overall the burger was really dry, not even adding some ketchup to it saved it. Clarke's saving grace is atmosphere and the drinks special. I would not eat another burger there.

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Timbuctoo
17-Feb-2012

I'm just saying this because I like the place. The Reuben needs work, and the Cobb salad is pretty overwhelming. Burgers and fries are awesome.

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