johnpondworld.com

Our review is of the Balcone@TheJunction Restaurant on Level 1 of the Tea Gardens Hotel, the unassuming entrance belies what lies at the top of the stairs.  We were very pleasantly surprised at the decor and general ambience.  The restaurant was divided into three basic areas, a balcony eating area, a rear garden court with a roaring log fire and a most attractive indoor area that had a separate lounge area with oversized chairs and lounges. We decided to sit inside and our order was taken by our pleasant waitress. 

As a starter we ordered salt & pepper calamari to share, the size was very generous, and although an entree portion, could have easily sufficed as a main meal.  For mains my partner ordered risotto with chicken, spinach and mushrooms.  I chose the 300g grain fed aged black angus scotch fillet from the large selection of steaks, served with a choice of creamy mashed potatoes, vegetables or chips.  There was a large selection of side dishes to compliment all the meals.  This restaurant has the largest selection of different types of steaks, all aged and grain fed.  For dessert we shared a lemon meringue pie with ice cream on the side.

All our servings were very generous and enjoyable.  My only complaint was that I thought the menu was too extensive, offering a huge selection of meals in many categories, allow an extra 5 minutes to read the menu.  There were steaks, pasta, pizza, salad, tapas, daily blackboard specials and much much more.  Lunch selections were from $14 that included a gourmet Black Angus hamburger with fries and mant topping. (I will be back to try that). Many of the mains were in the high twenties, but considering the quality and portion sizes I found this establishment great value for money.  The Undercover Diners.