Ester

Ester Restaurant Review:

When a restaurant’s name means “an organic compound,” it’s a good clue that the place, in this case Ester located in the inner-city, cares about the sort of produce it uses and how the components of each dish are combined. Chef Mat Lindsay knows that his diners are concerned more about the prominent wood-fired oven than they are about fancy décor, and there is a comfortable feel to the small space. Menu descriptions are economical, preferring raw kingfish / burnt nori / bonito butter, and snapper fillet / ginger and shallot, or pineapple pull-apart to more flowery descriptions. Anything that comes out of the kitchen (or the wood-fired oven, for that matter) will be flavorsome and wholesome. For those who trust the kitchen team (and everyone knows they can), there is a set four-course menu. Wines lean towards more esoteric European drops, balanced by reliable Australian wines.