Just be Cos
This quaint restaurant has become something of an Adelaide icon for the quiet but serious business lunch. Cos Restaurant is located on historic Leigh Street, an easy walk for most CBD business people
Restaurant:Cos Restaurant
Cuisine: Modern
Location: 18 Leigh St, Adelaide, South Australia 5000
To make a booking:
T: (08) 8231 7611
F: (08) 8231 7644
E: [email protected]
Highly recommended: For a business lunch
High point: The fillet mignon - cooked to perfection!
Low point: Having to rush back to the office - Cos is the perfect place to spend several hours
Reviewed by: Bruce M Linn, CEO, Finlaysons
The ambience is understated but classy, the friendly and courteous staff are very attentive but not in your face, the food is excellent but not flashy, and the wines are outstanding. Above all, it's the little things, such as being greeted at the door by name, that make you feel like a valued client and really make this restaurant stand out.
The lunch menu has adequate variety for a business lunch. The decor is traditional with fairly plain walls, timber floors and white tablecloths. The restaurant has a certain sense of history about it, but it also has a buzz and is clearly one of 'the' places to be.
My guest and I were on a tight time budget (which was appropriately accommodated), so we only had time for a main and coffee - but that is exactly what a business lunch should be these days when the battle of the waistline threatens the extinction of lunch!
The restaurant has an extensive and varied menu, ranging from roast free-range barossa chicken galantine filled with basil and seeded mustard mousse on zucchini and parmesan pudding with roasted olives, fresh peas, confit garlic and warm tomato and shallot vinaigrette, to jumbo prawn cutlet laksa with spiced coconut broth and egg noodles. However, we both ordered the fillet mignon, a special of the day, and a Caesar salad (one of the restaurant's signatures), which I chose to have 'American style', ie served before the main, which was no problem for the staff.
The waiter, whom I know from his Wine Underground days, was also asked for a recommendation on a wine for lunch. A great call as it turned out - he recommended a lesser known McLaren Vale Shiraz, not overpriced, which complemented the fillet perfectly.
The Caesar arrived, barely interrupting the conversation - a well presented salad made in the traditional style, with the restaurant's namesake (cos lettuce) as the main ingredient. The crisp cos lettuce hearts, roasted bacon, croutons, shaved grana padano, with the chef's homemade Caesar mayo and poached egg made for a tasty start to the meal.
In what I thought was a nice touch, the waiter came over about 10-15 minutes after our salad was cleared, to inform us that the fillets were a little thicker than usual and that the chef needed a few more minutes to ensure they reached the medium rare level we had requested.
The wait was well worth it - the fillet was one of the best I have had. Served on a bed of garlic mashed potato and with a side of spinach, the dish was pleasant in appearance but certainly not pretentious. I am particularly hard to please with steak, but the fillet delighted me.
Unfortunately, there was no time for dessert, but not for lack of selection - the restaurant offers some delectable sweet treats to its patrons, ranging from the double chocolate fudge cake with berry sauce and cream, to the more exotic Tunisian orange and almond torte with orange caramel and marscarpone cream and even a lime leaf crŠme caramel with pineapple and mint salad - an old favourite with a refreshing twist.
