Flinders Inn
Editorial
The orange door that welcomes diners into Flinders Inn is the precursor for the coming experience – elegantly quirky, welcoming and stylish. While boasting so many of the usually favoured restaurant elements – dark wooden floorboards, white-set tables, modern chandeliers, a funky bar and lots and lots of mirrors – the area radiates with a character of its own. This is perhaps because of its more authentic elements, such as a giant white-frosted window which lets the muted-down lights of passing cars, busses and emergency vehicles dance across tables and walls. Or it may have something to do with the service, which comes with a generous dose of humour and earnest hospitality. Whatever it is, there’s an embracing feeling of comfort to complement the impeccable style of this Paddington eatery.
And the feeling isn’t exclusive to the decor, but extends to the modern “French neighbourhood bistro” cuisine. Chefs Simon Latham and Morgan McGlone have composed a wonderfully concise menu of five entrees, five mains and five desserts which includes stellar dishes such as chicken liver parfait, cornichons and toasted sourdough, and the ever-popular Flinders daube de boeuf with parsnip, turnip and mustard cress. Diners are also enticed with specials vibrantly written (in tones of red lipstick) on the restaurant’s mirrors. Similarly scribed in an elegant hand (in French, no less) beside the specials are food wisdoms such as “a meal without cheese is like a beautiful woman without one eye”. And although I don’t do this often, I need to mention the toilets. They are spectacular! To compensate for the fact that patrons need to go outside to use the facilities, the only thing missing from the candle-lit, perfumed, immaculately-decorated bathrooms is a soap attendant.
Agnes Gajewska, July 2009
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