Lunch time lookout
If you are a fan of peace, quiet, tranquility, and great scenery, then no doubt you’re familiar with Mt Glorious, less than an hour out of Brisbane. I actually don’t really give a damn about those things which is why I choose to appreciate Mt Glorious for its fantastic curvy roads, which my motorcycle loves to eat up. But whatever your motivation for getting to the top, if like me you’re looking to add food to the mix then you’d be hard pressed to go past Mt Glorious Restaurant & Café, which has alfresco dining with some of the best views you’ll find.
There’s something about eating on top of a mountain that appeals to me. Perhaps it’s the megalomaniac in me that likes to dream that all I can see is my domain and that the poor bastards at sea level are to be pitied. As soon as I look out over the landscape I have conquered, whether it be by foot, bike, or chairlift I feel transported from all of my concerns. It’s as if I left them at home in the city and they are too afraid of heights to come after me.
The restaurant has a deck that looks right out over the valley to the sea and you can sit back on comfy furniture and just let it all soak in. Fellow patrons are doing the same and everyone seems wary of talking too loud for fear that it might take away something from the picture. But enough of waxing lyrical about the clouds and infinite shades of green, what about the food?
We started with some drinks, a double shot flat white in a mug and a hot chocolate. Both met our expectations without exceeding them, and we sat back to enjoy the afternoon. Not to get all sentimental, but after a few minutes staring out and enjoying the sound of nothing I did indeed feel relaxed and peaceful. My hunger quickly brought me back to reality and in such cases, examining a menu is always going to take priority over a big shiny landscape, no matter how picturesque.
The menu is compact and is oddly weighted towards pies (?!), like steak and Guinness, pumpkin and asparagus, and Mediterranean vegetables and pesto ($14.50-$23.50). Also featured are chicken filo ($22.50), seafood lasagna ($25.50) and fettuccine. I settled on the Thai pumpkin soup ($11.50) as I was only after something light and it’s been ages since I’ve had a good pumpkin soup, while my companion chose the smoked salmon rolls ($12.90).
Service seemed to be a little slower than I would have liked, but was consistently polite, warm and friendly.
My soup was delicious; creamy pumpkin with a slight tang, served hot with soft bread and butter. The ginger, chilli and lime flavours combined to really bring the dish together and transform it from pumpkin soup into something special. I would have no hesitation ordering this again and again.
My companion’s smoked salmon rolls, however, were a bit disappointing. Three rolls, consisting of a smoked salmon and ricotta cheese mix wrapped in puff pastry, were very salty and the puff pastry wasn’t crisp. I would not be surprised if they had come from the freezer, as the pastry had the texture of that used in the sausage rolls you find in the freezer isle at Woolies.
Accompanying the rolls was a salad splashed with a refreshing, slightly sour dressing which was good, and an odd dish full of sauce in the centre of the plate. The sauce was particularly thick and required spreading and the flavour just didn’t seem to mesh with the salmon rolls. A glance at the menu told me it was dill, djion, capers, and cream, but it really didn’t add anything to the dish. If anything it further added to the saltiness of the rolls.
For dessert we shared a piece of orange and almond cake ($9.90) served with cream and saturated in syrup. Again, it wasn’t quite up to scratch as the syrup turned an already moist cake into something rather unwieldy. None the less, the flavour was good and the cake still disappeared off the plate.
Overall the food was a bit hit and miss, but considering the prices I don’t feel like I have too much cause for complaint. The only other comparable restaurant with a view that I can think of has significantly higher prices and is somewhat renowned for poor food and service.
Mt Glorious Restaurant and Café is a great place to chill out and spend a lazy morning or afternoon. They also have a brekky menu on offer till 11:30am, and if appreciating wide open spaces just isn’t your style there’s an indoor dining area as wel,l which looks like it would be the place to be on wintry mornings.
Mt Glorious Restaurant & Café
1816 Mt Glorious Rd
Mt Glorious map
07 3289 0145
Fully Licensed
M-F 10am – 3:30pm
S&S 9am – 3:30pm
Visited: Saturday, 30 May 2009
