The Gidley
Recently we enjoyed dinner at the fabulous The Gidley for my birthday. It’s a we-have-to-go-back-there-again-soon kind of restaurant. It was that good.
Luckily for us, it was an easy 30 minute walk from our place to its location one level below King Street. We like to walk to restaurants because well, we NEED to walk back home, because - OVEREATING!
The Gidley has been described as an American-style steakhouse but I certainly didn’t get that impression. The menu is not extensive as you’d expect at an American grill. I’d say it’s more New York supper club - a little posh, a little fancy, even a little rustic - and a lot impressive. To be admitted, you press a buzzer at the nondescript doorway, walk down some stairs and enter an elegant, very dimly-lit bar area. There are plush velvet upholstered banquettes, round marble tables and old school wooden chairs facing a dark wood-panelled galley-style bar filled with glowing bottles and drinking paraphernalia. It looked very warm and inviting!
So what’s the low down?
We were greeted very warmly, asked to do the COVID thing and register our attendance and were ushered to our seats.
We ordered our drinks. I had the delicious Aviation - a mix of gin, creme de violet, maraschino liqueur and fresh lemon juice and Gary had the robust Grand Julep with rye, mint stem brandy and creme de menthe. I believe their Martinis come deconstructed – a silver tray includes three ramekins filled with garnishes so you can make it how you like it: lemon rind for a twist, pickled onions for a Gibson, or green olives. We were happy with our picks.
Our table was ready sooner than expected and we were ushered to the dining area - again decked out in old-school charm. We sat side by side on a plush, floral velvet-upholstered banquette, facing a timber panelled round table. I have to admit I was eyeing the plush booths upholstered in a divine chartreuse colour - the perfect blend of green and gold. Maybe next time...
Let’s get to the food, shall we? The menu is tight with steak taking centre stage. After all, the Gidley is the sibling restaurant of the equally-meat focussed Bistecca. At the Gidley the delicious Riverine Black Angus Rib Eye is the hero. It’s served three ways - chargrilled on the bone, as a standing prime rib roast, cut thick or thin, and as a spinalis steak. The spinalis is the cream of the crop. It’s the rib cap of the rib eye. Cooked medium-rare, it's rich, melt in your mouth tender, decadent and packs a flavour punch. How could it not with all that juicy flesh and caramelised crust? It’s served with a small wedge of lemon and trust me, that’s all you need.
What did we order? Well, for starters we had the Gidley Burger to share. It was juicy and delicious. The buns and beef patty were melt-in-your-mouth scrumptious. With a slice of Cheddar and a couple of slices of house pickle, it was just the perfect combination of flavours to savour each one. This was followed by the Gidley Cut Prime Rib - all 700 grams, the Spinalis - how could we not, roast potatoes, garlic mushrooms and Waldorf Salad. Little did we realise that house-made bagels, threaded on sticks, were also to arrive at our table unannounced. The Spinalis was one of the best pieces of meat I’ve ever eaten - without a doubt. The roast potatoes served with sour cream and tobiko, which I learned is Japanese fish roe, were crisp and tender and bursting with flavour. I passed on the garlic mushrooms (not my thing) but Gary’s facial expressions conveyed that he was eating something delectable. And the Waldorf Salad was THE BEST I’ve ever eaten. The mix of bitter leaves, apple, grapes and pecans was flawless.
Can you see why we needed to walk home?