Ad Lib, Double Bay

15 June 2011, 01:35


It’s so purdy at Ad Lib (21 Bay St, Double Bay) with crisp white tablecloths and sparkling glassware, the naturally bright, airy room is everybody’s dream restaurant and with to-die-for food.


Duck Liver Parfait, Onion Marmalade ($17). Smoooooth oh so smooth! The paper thin slices of bread accompanying the parfait was deliciously crisp but definitely not enough and when I tried to portion my parfait and slather it on the toast I inevitably broke it, sending a shower of crumbs onto the table oops. Loved the jar but when I reached the bottom I was dying to shove a piece of soft bread into it to wipe up the remnants. Cos I’m classy like that.


Steak Tartare (small, $22). Just as I have had a crazy obsession with Reuben sandwiches and chicken/duck parfaits for the past coupla months, Noods has been getting this crazy glint in his eye whenever he hears about steak tartare. It’s amusing because he hardly ever gets excited about food unless it’s a giant steak. Or a ramen challenge.


Mix, mix away! Yeahhhh! ♥♥♥



Spring Bay Mussels, Champagne, Cream, Leeks ($28) arrives piled so high we stare in awe at the mountain of mussels. Seriously check that out yo! Mountain! Mount Mussel! The boy let out a chortle before diving into the mountain and reducing it to a pile of shells in mere minutes. I couldn’t resist and had to nick a mussel even though I am of the non mussel fan club and yet I fell in love with the super soft and juicy bivalve covered in a light sauce that was made even more addictive with the side of fries the waitress so successfully up-sold to us.


French Fries & Mayonnaise ($10). Perfectly salted fries but could’ve been slightly crisper, would’ve loved aioli instead of mayo but they did the job of soaking up the mussel juices (hee Gilmore Girls reference)


Braised Rangers Valley Beef Cheek, Creamed Potatoes ($32). You know what’s perfect for this crummy weather Sydney has been having? The beef cheeks! And oh boy were they incredibly rich and filling! I don’t know what other synonym I can use to convey that it was JUST SO TENDER! Like, angels blessed it with tenderness! The potatoes, not so much, I mean yeah they were creamed but they had a weird crust like it’d been sitting there for too long and before you say it no I didn’t take ages with my photos! I’m of the point and shoot and hope for the best category heh


Oh hello sir, feel free to give me a bigger scoop of dessert!



Our Chocolate Mousse ($12). I’d heard stories about Ad Lib’s chocolate mousse. “They scoop the mousse at the table from a giant platter and it’s amaaaaazing.” And it was. Like, perfectly chocolatey and the lightest chocolate mousse you can possibly imagine. Light clouds of chocolate. Chocolate clouds. Lined with chocolate shavings. You know, just to tip you over into oh god its soooo delicious if I were to die right now I’d be happy. I still have dreams about this chocolate mousse. It’s on my top 5 favourite food dreams alongside sleeping in a bed made of cheese. Did I mention there was also a very generous scoop of double cream? And chocolate wafers? Perfect ending to a perfect meal.


Ad Lib Bistro on Urbanspoon

 

 

  1. “Like, angels blessed it with tenderness!”

    Now that is gold!
    ps. I prefer your prosciutto blanket dream.

    — Helen (grabyourfork)    Jun 15, 02:03 AM    #

  2. Oh baby this looks so good! Super bivalve love! I’ve been wanting to check this place out for ages, esp that choc mousse. Wonder if they’ll take kindly to being tackled for that big ol’ bowl?

    — Karen | C&C    Jun 15, 02:41 AM    #

  3. We scored some online vouchers to this place and I am so having the beef cheeks!! Thanks for a great review Suze.

    — chopinandmysaucepan    Jun 15, 06:14 AM    #

  4. Ooooh, I do love Ad Lib, but have only tried the Pymble one. Good to see what the Double Bay one is like. Thanks for the preview!

    — Andrea    Jun 15, 08:56 AM    #

  5. oh i love ad lib! had a really wonderful meal here with friends! didnt try the mousse though :( will definitely have to go back!

    — Gastronomous Anonymous    Jun 15, 09:05 AM    #

  6. I’m picturing this little fluffy angel cloud of chocolate mousse. And eating it all up!

    — Apple @Polkadotsandchopsticks    Jun 15, 10:11 AM    #

  7. Fries and mayo! OH MAN! that is so good! Agree that aioli would’ve been better, but mayo is better than NADA!

    — Mary@ohmykitchenaid    Jun 15, 10:43 AM    #

  8. Yum! This makes my sad leftovers for lunch seem even sadder. Wish they delivered to workplaces ‘Mussels and Fries then Mousse please!’

    — Shann    Jun 15, 11:35 AM    #

  9. Mmm… I was salivating as I scrolled down those photos. You guys chose the best dishes!

    — Gaby    Jun 15, 01:32 PM    #

  10. oooh I love how they presented the parfait! And that chocolate mousse… I think I might go there just because of the chocolate mousse! :)

    — jenny (minibites)    Jun 15, 03:17 PM    #

  11. Steak tartare looks so good!

    — L    Jun 15, 04:20 PM    #

  12. The food looks amazing! Its a shame about your mash :( good end with the mousse though.
    I use to work Double Bay – so nice over there

    — Nic@diningwithastud    Jun 15, 05:27 PM    #

  13. Giant bowl of mussels! Yum!

    — Maria @ ScandiFoodie    Jun 15, 05:52 PM    #

  14. i LOVE pate… mmh i guess i know where i’ll be..

    chocolate mousse.. i know i’d be egging the guy to give me an EXTRA big scoop haha

    — Dolly    Jun 15, 09:13 PM    #

  15. I don’t know if I could eat beef cheeks. I spent 3 months about ten years ago (I feel old) packing these into boxes along with other cuts of meat you don’t generally find at the butchers.
    And the beef cheeks certainly looked the ickiest. They’d want to taste really good to make up for how they looked raw!

    — Sonya    Jun 15, 09:57 PM    #

  16. I’d go to Ad Lib just for the chocolate mousse… it looks positively fantastical! Shame about the fries… I’m on the look out for a restaurant in Sydney that does truffle fries with parmesan, I’m addicted after having them in New York!

    — Keely aka The Richest Girl in Bondi    Jun 16, 09:16 AM    #

  17. The food looks great! Especially the beef cheeks and choc mousse. Missing Sydney all over again :(

    — Daphne    Jun 16, 04:30 PM    #

  18. When I went to Ad Lib and ordered the chocolate mousse, my eyes nearly burst with excitement when they brought out the giant bowl of chocolate cloudy goodness. Then when they scooped out my portion and took the bowl away I was devastated. I want the whole bowl dammit!

    — Edwina Storie    Jun 16, 05:03 PM    #

  19. Those mussels look so fresh and amazing and the mousse is to die for!

    — Bianca    Jun 16, 05:38 PM    #

  20. I love your descriptions Suze. I really want that mousse now now now! All looks delish, hope I will get there soon!

    — Lex (afoodstory)    Jun 16, 10:46 PM    #

  21. That certainly does sound and look like a dream restaurant! Oh I love beef cheeks, so perfect for this weather. And mousse, I’ll have the mousse :D

    — Chanel    Jun 17, 10:56 AM    #

  22. I once had a dream I was in a room of jelly and I had to eat my way out. It was orange jelly – yuck.
    This place looks amazing, and I’ve been wanting to go for ages. If no one takes me for my birthday for that mousse, I’ll scream!

    — JasmyneTea    Jun 18, 10:36 PM    #

  23. I want that cute pate jar! And perhaps some angels to bless me with tenderness would be good too =D

    — mademoiselle délicieuse    Jun 22, 12:12 AM    #

  24. Mmmmmm… beef cheeks!

    — Buggles & Squeak    Aug 3, 10:56 PM    #

  25. Hi Chocolatesuze,
    i have a question, a lot of the meals u show are quite expensive. do you get sponsor for these articles?
    Wendy

    — Wendy    Aug 31, 06:41 AM    #

  26. Hi Wendy, Nah i always state if a meal is sponsored at the end of the post. We went to Ad Lib because it was the week before my husbands surgery and wanted to splurge.

    — Chocolatesuze    Aug 31, 08:47 AM    #

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