Having visited Central One a few year back (in the David Higgs Days) I was still impressed with the open designed canteen feel and the view! The updated is tasteful but I did miss the vertical plant wall.
Council and I completely forgot about the booking so had to build the excitement quite quickly. We were greeted at 7:00 by a very eager hostess who has been stood up by 2 6:30 booking, suggestion, the confirmation sms should have a direct line to call if you are unable to make the booking. #useitdontuseit.
The wine selection was not great but we made it work, our 1st choice of a Thelma Cab sav was not available so we settled on a standard Guardian peak merlot.
Ill be frank, while service was polite it was confused, scattered and slow.
I eventually ordered the beef Carpaccio, the pork belly and the sticky toffee pudding. Each dish was beautiful presented. The Carpaccio was the best of the bunch well-tempered and well paired with the accompaniments. The cold potato ball was unneeded. The pork belly was tender and succulent and the pearl barley beautifully al dente, close to perfection but call me a purest when I order pork belly I expect the chef to show off with the crackling, in this case there was none. #leftwanting. The sticky toffee pudding – a sweet sticky end to the meal delivered exactly what it should.
Council decided on the tomato soup, the homemade gnocchi and white cholate frozen parfait. The soup was simple but sublime. The truffle embraced the gnocchi with the right amount of luster. Not over powering and nowhere near insipid. The white cholate frozen parfait was moreish yet there was so much. Council defiantly won this one #orderenvy
A nice mix of restaurant week patrons, some hotel guest and larger corporate tables added to the vibe for the night. Im going easy cos this was the 1st nigh – 3/5 light bulbs for ambiance/ interior and vibe. 2/5 apron on service and 7/10 forks for food.
Looking forward to the rest of the week.
Regards

We dined at Central One - dinner Friday, 1st November. The service was nothing short of fantastic. Our dedicated waiter Emmanuel and his support staff welcomed us with warm smiles, quickly and efficiently hung our coats and seated us. When I spilt my wine, they quickly cleared the spill and refilled my glass of their own accord. A fellow diner was having difficulty remembering the ingredients of a cocktail she had previously enjoyed at the bar, which was no longer on the menu. Without prompting, our waiters brought the bartender over for a discussion. When the first cocktail wasn't as expected, a replacement was brought at no additional cost. This dedicated service continiued long after our bill was paid, and we didnt feel pressurised to leave, despite being of the last guests remaining.

The food was slightly disappointing. While the risotto, and seafood linguine were delicious, the chicken salad and tomato soup were dull, the pork dry, and the chocolate dessert far too rich and the portions too large (and I am a big dark chocolate fan!)

Overall, enjoyed the experience, but this was mostly due to the service and views.