One of Canberra’s premiere function venues – Functions at Federation – transforms into a restaurant when it isn’t holding functions. Aptly named Versatile Restaurant, the restaurant makes the gorgeous venue and excellent food available to the general public.
The restaurant sits on the top floor of the same federation style house which is home to the popular Adore Tea. It’s a deceptively expansive room surrounded by a large deck, which caters for a range of functions including cocktail parties, school formals and weddings. When it’s dotted with tables, as a normal restaurant, it’s hard to imagine the transformation it undergoes so frequently, as the room is so cosy and inviting, with its fireplace, dim lighting and couches.
Glancing over the menu, I’m struck by the delicate flavour balance in each of the dishes. The value also seems exceptional, with a set price for 2 courses at $45 and 3 courses at $55. We begin with homemade bread with infused olive oil and spiced salt, and settle on the Knappstein Riesling from the Clare Valley from the concise but well-chosen wine list.
We begin with three stunningly presented entrees – pan seared scallops, accompanied by cauliflower puree, grilled chorizo and fine herbs, braised pork belly served with sour apple chutney, fennel and coriander salsa and salt and pepper quail served on a bed of wombok salad, crispy noodles, pinenuts and soy. The scallops were juicy and tender, and the cauliflower and chorizo made for a perfect contrast of flavours. The pork belly – a staple on most menus, with a tendency to be overdone – was crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside as it should be, and the sour apple cut through the richness. The quail, served with an asian-inspired salad was all flavour. There was a stylish symmetry to each of the dishes – morsels centred on a long plate decorated with their garnishes.
We move onto our mains, which are large servings full of flavour. The day’s special – a stuffed pork cutlet on a bed of creamy potatoes is full of spring flavours. The truffled wild mushroom and smoked cheese risotto is a complete indulgence of undulating flavour in each bite – the richness of the smoked cheese balanced out by the softness of the mushrooms. The barramundi was fresh and zesty, and surrounded by seasonal vegetables. Each dish was superb, but our favourite of the night was the prosciutto wrapped beef fillet served with a scallion hash brown, onion chutney and red wine jus. The beef was well cooked, and the combination of the onion chutney, red wine jus and prosciutto made each bite both salty and sweet.
The mains were enjoyed with some sumptuous sides – crumbed bocconcini served with semi dried tomato on a roquette salad, green beans glistening in butter, served with capers and toasted almonds and crispy kipfler potatoes served with housemade barbecue sauce.
Completely full, we pondered the dessert choices. Though awfully tempted by the pistachio ricotta fritters and the pear and maple frangipane tart with caramelised fig ice cream, we ended up settling on the chocolate torte with amaretto gelato and bitter chocolate gunpowder, which was sprayed dramatically across the plate. Each mouthful was divine, and I wish we had the appetite to try each dessert.
Versatile is just that – a unique venue for any occasion. Whether for an intimate midweek dinner, a group celebration or a full-scale event, the food has a refined prowess that doesn’t break the budget.
