The Montpellier Public House, Randwick

We decided to have lunch at The Montpellier Public House with S as a last hurrah before she moved to Melbourne (so sad!!).

Ever since Balzac closed, I’ve been most keenly interested to see how Montpellier stacks up.

Warm Sourdough Bread with Olives

I absolutely adore warm bread – even more I love warm sourdough, or any sort of artisan bread for that matter! There’s something in its homey simplicity that just soothes the soul. Meanwhile, the fresh olives were quite nice – not too sharp with flavour.

Selection of Small Plates

I’m a bit fuzzy on the selection of small plates, but I think it consisted of Prawns, Mayo & Lemon, Pickled Beets, Goats Curd, Orange & Walnuts, Snails, Oxtail & Parsley, Baked Beans with Pork Belly, Oysters and a small plate that totally eludes me (sorry).

I’ve never had snails before and found it to be surprisingly tasteless – most of the flavours came from a very rich broth inside the shell with some tender oxtail meat.

It was the pork belly, however, that I felt was the star of the small plates; I loved its fullness of flavour and succulence. Though I must say the pickled beets and goats curd came a close second – it was so refreshing and sharp!

8 Hour Braised Shoulder of Lamb with Roast Truss Tomatoes

The lamb was unbelievably tender – it quite literally fell off the bone! I also couldn’t believe just how generous the serving size was and was impressed that A managed to polish it off.

Whole Roasted Ocean Jacket, Fennel and White Beans

R thought the dish hit all the right notes. The ocean jacket was cooked to perfection; it’s crispiness just right.

Montpellier Pork Sausages with Bubble and Squeak

I had the pork sausages, which I struggled to finish, but I couldn’t leave it well alone. The sausages were packed full of flavour and the bubble and squeak (i.e. fried vegetables) were wonderful, well-seasoned accompaniments.

Dessert Platter

The dessert platter was, we thought, the perfect finale to a most delicious (and filling) lunch. We definitely had the Eton Mess and Buttermilk Pudding with Blueberries, but I’m not sure about the names of the other two desserts: one was something that was akin to a thick hot chocolate shot and a mango semifreddo with a coconut sorbet on top.

While the eton mess was deliciously creamy, we debated which was the best dessert, but it was quite tough. In the end, we agreed that the chocolate shot was intensely and darkly decadent, the semifreddo summery and refreshing with a hint of creaminess, and the buttermilk pudding creamy smooth contrasted by the sweet-dryness of the blueberries.

With Montpellier came a snazzier look and a more casual atmosphere; the service is still attentive and so friendly, while the food – fresh and delicious as ever.

The Montpellier Public House
141 Belmore Rd,
Randwick, NSW, 2031
Ph: (02) 9399 9660
Web: http://www.montpellierpublichouse.com.au/

12 Comments

Simon Food Favourites
January 24, 2012

I like the look of that small plate which seems to have a bit of everything — not so small perhaps
Simon Food Favourites´s last [type] ..World Square Shopping Centre: Chinese New Year Free Food Fair, CBD Sydney (23 Jan 2012)

Reply
Tina@foodboozeshoes
January 24, 2012

Loving the more casual vibe here – looking forward to lunch downstairs as you have here
Tina@foodboozeshoes´s last [type] ..Year of the Dragon – Happy Lunar New Year

Reply
Vintage Macaroon
January 24, 2012

So many places to go, so little time (and money), Montpellier has been on the list for months. I must make a plan to get there soon. The food definitely appeals to me.
Vintage Macaroon´s last [type] ..Homemade Preserved Lemons

Reply
joey@FoodiePop
January 24, 2012

Love bubble and squeak! And even better with bangers!

Reply
Miss Piggy
January 24, 2012

We had dinner here a few Sunday’s ago on the TravelZoo deal and it was wonderful. Your platter looks different to ours – we had duck sausage roll for example and no prawns. Our desserts were different too. Nice to see they’re mixing things up a bit.
Miss Piggy´s last [type] ..The Artisan’s Apprentice, Parramatta

Reply
Rita (mademoiselle délicieuse)
January 24, 2012

Having not tried Balzac, I had lunch here for the first time towards the end of last year and was amazed at the serving sizes. Definitely enjoyed the casual, relaxed vibe.
Rita (mademoiselle délicieuse)´s last [type] ..Chinese New Year 2012

Reply
shez
January 24, 2012

I’ve been itching to head over to the Montpellier House since Balzac closed last year – after two birthdays in a row at Balzac I couldn’t wait to see what new treats the dining room had on offer. Looks super tasty.

Reply
Piggiepoo
January 24, 2012

I was the one who had the ocean jacket actually….and the chocolate shot was definitely my favourite. The other thing on the small plate I think was pork….ribs maybe?

Reply
Dee @ foodinhand
January 24, 2012

Totally gutted I didn’t see this offer! Need to actually read all those stupid emails
Ooo they have snails (this seems very posh for downstairs though?

Reply
Anna @ the shady pine
January 24, 2012

Isn’t it funny how all that wonderful food can be laid out yet that bread stands up proudly. What a feast!

Reply
KT
January 24, 2012

I went with my family last week using a Travelzoo voucher for dinner and between us six, we weren’t too impressed unfortunately. Some dishes were the same as yours but others not. It’s unfortunate your first time trying snails were such bad ones, ours were tasteless too, but they definitely shouldn’t be! Overall the portions were decent, but the food just didn’t hit the mark for us, I wonder if they had a bad day the day we went?

Reply
Vintage Macaroon
January 26, 2012

I finally got to this place this week, your post pushed me to go. I thought it was outstanding. I think I will be frequenting this place. They have a super lunch menu too!
Vintage Macaroon´s last [type] ..Stuffed Courgette Flowers

Reply