REVIEW
In a city so packed with New York-style chophouses it's starting to feel like Manhattan Lite, Clam Bar's edgier riff on the genre is a welcome relief. Yes, you'll find the ubiquitous Josper-grilled steak, seafood staples and classic sides plus timeless cocktails and mostly French and Australian wines, but the face-value simplicity of it all belies the flair. Zucchini-flower empanadas get clever with a gooseberry hot sauce. A satin-smooth corn and Gruyère gratin tones down its richness by way of chilli and lime. The clam spaghetti hits more familiar territory with a garlicky white wine sauce, but it's cooked to such al dente deliciousness that it gives sister Italian restaurant Pellegrino 2000 a run for its money. As for the aesthetic, it's a strikingly original, slightly irreverent brand of "pool-hall cool": all veneer panelling, '70s-style palms and even a giant marlin on the wall. A step back in time, with an eye to the future.
ABOUT
Chefs Sam Galloway, Dan Pepperell & Michael Clift
Price guide $$
Bookings Essential
Wheelchair access No
Open Lunch and dinner Mon-Sat
Price guide $$
Bookings Essential
Wheelchair access No
Open Lunch and dinner Mon-Sat
This review was written independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide's reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way. To learn more about the process, head over here.
