Stewarts at Brookleigh Reveal Stunning New Winter Menu

There’s always a slight worry when returning to a restaurant which you loved so much the first time that it may not be so good the second time. Mr. Spittoon and I had dinner at Stewarts at Brookleigh in the Upper Swan back in 2013 and loved it! Last week our soon to be new neighbours suggested we have dinner with them at Stewarts on Friday night to try out their new winter menu and we simply couldn’t refuse. But would it live up to our absolutely fabulous first visit in 2013?

The short answer is: Pork Belly. Seriously if a chef can cook pork belly to perfection then you’re away laughing!

As per our visit in 2013, I still love Stewarts as a comfy restaurant venue in the Swan Valley. There’s just something about those thick wooden tables, large sofa in front of the fireplace and gorgeous hanging lanterns around the room that screams ‘relax and indulge’.

The service was top-notch, every whim we had was catered for and the drinks and meals came out in good time. The last thing you want after a long day at the office is to start bickering with your dinner guests because you’re experiencing hangriness (hungry-angry).

The wine list, naturally is always my favourite part of any meal. I like the wine list at Stewarts, it covers all the bases and the prices are reasonable for a restaurant. You can get everything from bottles of Pol Roger Champagne at $120 to sparkling red to Spanish Cava if you’re after bubbles. The white wine list is very much locally focused with many Swan Valley and WA wines as well as a couple from NZ and a Pinot Grigio from Italy. There are 3 roses to choose from and there is an absolutely fabulous hand-picked selection of reds from locally made to South Australian, NZ, France, Italy to Spanish Tempranillo. There is also a nice selection of dessert wines, fortified wines and liqueurs to choose from. I can never go past the Talijancich 1961 Solero Muscat to end a meal. There is a good selection of by the glass wines which start at $7 a glass and bottle prices range from $28-120 per bottle. Something for everyone.

The new 2015 winter menu seems to cover all the bases to suit many different tastes. I was very close to choosing the gnocchi as it sounds absolutely divine, but hey you just can’t go past pork belly when it’s on a menu, right?

So in the end our table ordered:

Entrée:

• Mixed marinated olives, chorizo, feta and toasted bread for $12

• Smoked Chorizo and Manchego potato croquettes and roast paprika aioli for $12

Mains:

• The special of the day – seafood pie for $25

• Caramelised pork belly, boulangere potatoes, choucroute, sweet potato puree and apple cider sauce for $37

• Roast duck breast, saffron potato rouille, garlic buttered spinach and orange jus for $37

• Chimichurri lamb cutlets, sweet potato bravas, eggplant puree and Spanish green beans for $38

The dessert menu looked so good but I was just so darn full that I literally could only fit in a sneaky glass of Tali Muscat at the end. Looks like I’ll definitely have to go back! Mr. Spittoon and I enjoyed a lovely bottle of the Upper Reach Reserve Chardonnay with our meals at $42. An absolute stunner and I didn’t even take the time to write a tasting note – I just wanted to drink it and enjoy every last sip.

Everyone really enjoyed their meals, I loved my pork belly but I think my ultimate favourite dish of the night was those potato croquettes – I was totally gutted I had to share these with the others. I definitely could have devoured them all!

So in the end, my already high expectations of Stewarts were again met. I am definitely looking forward to my next visit and I’m going to try to not leave it so long this time. Actually I think I need a visit to their day spa followed by lunch (I hope Mr. Spittoon is reading this!).

Find out more about Stewarts at Brookleigh:

Address: 1235 Great Northern Highway, Upper Swan WA 6069
Phone: (08) 9296 6966
Email: [email protected]
Opening times:
Wednesday through Friday
Lunch from midday to 3pm | Dinner from 6pm
Saturday and Sunday
Weekend Brunch from 10am | Dinner from 6pm
Website: www.brookleigh.com.au/stewarts-introduction.html

Check out more Swan Valley spots to visit right here.