Veranda Bar and Grill (VBG)

By GRAHAM REID for viva

How's this for rude? The middle-aged gentleman politely left his table to talk on his cellphone so as not to disturb his friends - but came and stood right by ours to natter away at volume.

Perhaps it was my frown and narrowed eyes which alerted him to what he'd done. After a while he ambled off through the restaurant to the bar, carrying on his conversation.

To be honest, though, he hardly disturbed the ambience because at 8pm on a Friday night the venerable Verandah Bar and Grill in Parnell had few patrons to be ambient with: just Phoneman and his three friends, another couple and us.

Certainly it filled up later, the table of half a dozen Prada people - including "Mr Prada" I was told - being the most exotic.

And according to our cheery informant, a number of yachties and designers make the VBG their regular as a welcome break from the Viaduct.

We had no reason to doubt this because our young and enthusiastic waiter was not only friendly but some might say overly familiar. We didn't mind this but could see some might find it disconcerting that he sat down with us while taking the order.

To his credit, he picked his targets and said he enjoyed serving the Prada people because it allowed him to offer "full waiter service" - interpret that as you will, but we felt we got it from him as well.

We had been at a political reception so felt slightly over-dressed in VBG's "smart casual" atmosphere.

We arrived early to have a quiet drink in the bar before dinner. But seeing our table - and the rest of the place empty - we took our glasses to our table, and were given a genuinely warm welcome by our waiter, who left us to chat when we said we were in no hurry and were happy to enjoy the rough-hewn timber beams and easy ambience.

Because we'd nibbled canapes at the reception, we kept our order modest, starting with bread and dips ($3.50), then shared an excellent entree of scallops on squid ink risotto ($17.50) from the uncomplicated menu. The scallops were deliciously soft and sensual, and warmed through delicately.

There was a good cross-section on the short menu, from Thai chicken curry, bangers and mash, chicken, and lamb shanks, to duck with glass noodles, all mains from $22.50 up to the venison at $28.

My partner chose the fish of the day, which was snapper prepared with saffron ($26.90) and she announced it was excellent, although the saffron imperceptible. The bit I stole when she was distracted by the arrival of the Prada people confirmed her opinion.

I had spiced pork on a creamy polenta with shitake mushrooms and garlic salad ($24.50), which was beautifully presented and, aside from the pork which I found a little overcooked, thoroughly enjoyable. The side dish of sauted vegetables was the perfect accompaniment.

Before our mains we ordered two more glasses of wine but our waiter forgot about them. When I mentioned this to the young woman who seemed to wait alternately on us, she was hugely apologetic, and when they arrived we were told they were complimentary. A nice touch and most unexpected.

We passed on desserts but my partner had a coffee, and we left with a bill of $103.

VBG is one of the long-running institutions in Parnell - almost two decades now - and we were surprised to see it so empty on a Friday. We found the food sound and satisfying, the service friendly.

And a tip for the guy with the cellphone: when you go out to dinner, turn it off.

Open: 6pm to 3am Monday to Saturday

Owner: Andrew Bell

Chef: Neven Letica

Food: A standard range of dishes (fish, chicken, venison) which includes three steak selections.

Vegetarian: Hmmm. Is the fresh asparagus with poached egg and orange hollandaise enough? The good news is they also do them on request.

Smoking: Smoking area designated in the restaurant, permitted in the bar.

Wine: Good selection of local and international by the bottle and glass. Their own chardonnay ($9 a glass) is very palatable. Good bar for post-dinner drinks before calling a cab.

Noise: Polished floors are always going to be a little noisy but VBG, when it fills up, has a pleasantly boisterous ambience so noise isn't an issue. Very quiet the night we were in.

Cost (mains for two): Around $50

Bottom line: VBG offers the comfort of the familiar and reliable in pleasant surroundings and boasts a bar which often attracts the beautiful and, these days, the nautical. Don't expect miracles but do expect to leave satisfied.