The Thousands

Perched regally at the Goodwill end of the freshly re-invigorated South Bank Parklands, The Stokehouse promises big and follows through like a champion.

It’s a gorgeous riverside haven, fitted out with taste and restraint, and the dishes follow suit. Well, the appetisers do – I didn’t get to the mains because, when faced with the delicately sharp beef carpaccio with horseradish cream, capers and truffle vinaigrette or the kingfish and ruby grapefruit crudo, it’s kind of hard to remember what steak is. In case you’re really good at remembering things, Ben, The Stokehouse’s sommelier, is literally paid to make sure you get sloshy on the best wine and oyster combination your little tastebuds can handle, while managing your budget like a third-term Australian Liberal government.

Book ahead to nab a spot here, because The Stokehouse’s reputation is fast exceeding its capacity. You can have a cracking meal on a small amount of money, but if you save your dollars you can splash out like a fancy man and impress the hell out of a sparkly-eyed date. And in that spirit of the highest of eatery criteria, The Stokehouse surely passes, by which I mean that it might just get you laid.