May 26 2008
‘The Mess Hall’ Review
The Mess Hall has been thriving up at the Paris of the CBD for four years now. It has had to compete with some venerable icons such as the Cellar Bar, Pellegrinos, The European to name but a few, all within a block radius.
In that time it carved out a great reputation as a hip, bohemian café specialising in a traditional home- cooking style. I did so well it was sold on about 10 months ago with the baton passing to the new owners. Could they keep the great name going and maintain the high standards of the early years?
Justin, armed with his trusty camera and I went to find out!
Service Quality - 5/10
Now don’t get us wrong, we went in and were served at the bar, where all orders are taken. The service was great in fact, and very knowledgable in picking out our lunches. I went for the Calamari salad special; Justin the slow-cooked lamb shanks (he just couldn’t help himself!).
But shortly after sitting down we had the rather unwanted sight of one of the waitresses being corrected by the manager on some point or other of service. Frankly, all such discussions should be out of sight and mind of the paying public, no matter how much the manager might feel it was warranted. Hence the downmarking – it’s purely for the boss.
Service Speed – 7.5/10
The service was fast and efficient; it took about 10 mins from ordering for the food to turn up – those wanting a fast lunch shouldn’t be disappointed!
Food Quality – 8/10
The good news is, the food itself is still great. Justin’s slow cooked lamb was 3 hours in the making, beautifully moist and fall-off-the-bone tender. It also had gained tremendous sweetness from the vegetables it had been braised with in the oven, and certainly won Justin (our lamb shank connoisseur) over!
My calamari was also good quality, not too oily and with a light batter. The dressing it was in with the salad complimented it out nicely.
On the way out we grabbed coffees and a chocolate tart to go. Their coffee is actually quite decent, and well worth stopping by for a take-away cup even if you’re not hungry. Even better was the chocolate tart, not too rich and balanced off by the pastry. If the tart is anything to go by, the rest of the selection of cakes and frainds are well worth trying out.
Ambiance – 7.5/10
The Mess Hall vibe has still got all it’s charm, even if it doesn’t seem quite as hip as it used to the last time I was there (almost two years ago). It’s still quite easily the most bohemian and grungy looking restaurant on it’s block. It just didn’t seem as lively in past times as the place was relatively empty when we eat there.
Disabled people should note that there is seating access available on the ground floor, but no disabled toilets as they are up a flight of stairs on the first floor.
Value for Money – 7/10
Most mains are in the $14 – $18 price range, which is quite reaonable for the quality and quantity of what you get.