Antoine's, Parnell

Herald rating: * * * *

Chief Executives, entrepreneurs, MPs, celebs, the well-heeled and lovers all share a fondness for the relaxed elegance for which Antoine's is known.

Tony and Beth Astle opened the doors of this Parnell cottage for dining in 1973 and have remained as owners and custodians of the kitchen and dining room, surviving the haughty clientele of the early years, the late 80s sharemarket disaster and the preference in the 90s for more casual dining.

When we dined there, David had been dreaming for days about eating tripe in cream sauce — his mum used to cook it for him but I haven't yet ventured there. Astle is now the provider of this savoury and textural offal dish.

I am grateful to not have to handle the stuff and happy to leave the art of cooking the cream-coloured mountain of wriggling tripe to the master.

For those who hanker for other old favourites, Antoine's Nostalgic menu offers a collection of its most popular starters and mains. Classics such as French onion soup topped with grilled cheese; raw spinach salad with sauteed chicken livers, bacon and hot vinaigrette; fresh Italian mozzarella and vine-ripened tomatoes with prawns and citrus olive oil and balsamic dressing; and, of course, the tripe with cream, sherry, onion and green peppercorn sauce.

The Nostalgic mains include a traditional duck l'orange, roast duckling with orange and Grand Marnier sauce; oxtail simmered in red wine, baby onions and mushrooms; and ox tongue simmered in madeira and green peppercorns with the modern addition of bok choy.

I chose the millionaire's starter of soft-boiled egg on warm creamed leeks topped with sevruga caviar, for $39. The egg was perfect, the leeks were gently coaxing, but the spoonful of sevruga was just not right. I've enjoyed caviar tastings with the producers of Black Pearl beluga, osetra and sevruga, and these fine-grained greenish black beads lacked the expected briny nectar explosion of grade 1 and 2 caviar. They were gooey and lifeless.

However, my partner's squid-ink risotto, with tempura softshell crab, kina and salmon roe cream, delivered blow-after-blow flavour and provided plenty of foreplay for the courses that followed.

My bone-free roasted quail was filled with earthy wild mushrooms and served on top of sauteed duckling livers moistened with a porcini essence — tender and aromatic.

The boy is also fond of a bit of game pie, so ordered the large blanquette of rabbit, veal sweetbreads, mushrooms, and baby onions with a flaky pastry lid.

We asked for the remainder to be parceled for Tequila, our golden retriever, but it must have been snaffled by another dog owner.

We finished the bottle of spiced and velvety '94 Elderton Merlot (a $6000 bottle of Chateau Petrus 1982 Pomerol lies in the wine cellar) while we lay in wait for our chocolate souffle.

The 30-minute delay was worth every second and the hot, delicately crusted top-hatted puff of chocolate air left us moaning with pleasure.

Unfortunately, the service was a little amiss on this occasion. That aside, we hope Antoine's doesn't break with the tradition of silver service, making us feel welcome and special, as its reputation is built on such things. Why else would I put on an elegant dress, carefully apply makeup and wear slingback high-heels, if not to do my part?

WHERE: Antoine's Restaurant. 333 Parnell Rd, Parnell, ph (09) 379 8756

OUR MEAL: $405 for two (including two glasses of bubbly, one bottle of wine); entrees $18 to $39; mains $39 to $45; desserts $18 to $20

OUR WINES: By the glass $10 to $16. By the bottle $40 to $120; French wine list on request, bottles $150 to $200.