Stewart’s at Brookleigh

Sometimes you just have to eat your humble apple pie and admit that you are wrong. And I was. I had to re-​write this review after visiting Stewart’s at Brookleigh for the second consecutive night.
You see… it goes like this. The first night (a quiet Wednesday evening), I was all smiles with high expectations having read some fabulous reviews. It had all the right lead-​ins amid an awesome setting. Better still, we were only staying at the luxury apartments 300 metres away, so thankfully drink-​driving issues were not a factor.
But the writing was possibly on the wall when we walked through the door. The bar top was covered with used and dirty old plates and glasses which I found kind of odd and disconcerting as there were barely three tables eating at the time. Nonetheless, we were greeted very quickly by the friendly manager and shown to our table. He promptly brought chilled water that was surprisingly good (ie not heavily chlorinated tap water) and we ordered a glass of red wine each.
The next surprise was that one of the fridges had died which meant we could not order some «heroes» on the menu (ie no fish and no duck), but I wasn’t upset about that because it was Wednesday curry night. Tonight’s special was Thai chicken curry and being that I love to cook and eat Thai food, I never flinched and ordered it. My wife ordered the Caesar Salad and a side of broccolini.
When the Thai chicken curry arrived it was in a large rimmed bowl, but it looked uninspiring and tasted as such. Gone were the fresh herbs or garnishes, kaffir lime or galangal flavours. It was basically chicken soup with coconut cream, a tiny bit of zing and a papadum (that I felt was more befitting of an Indian curry than a Thai one!).
The Caesar Salad was better: crisp cos lettuce leaves that were not drenched in dressing; a decent portion of bacon and parmesan cheese. But the croutons were damp and not crunchy. The side order of broccolini was cooked to perfection.
I left somewhat deflated. The plates and glasses were still on the bar. It didn’t stack up: great reviews; not such great food. So I decided to return for a second opinion… and second night.
I told my wife that I love to be proven wrong and well done Stewart’s for doing just that. You turned out the best meal I’ve had all year. The Braised Lamb Shank was to die for. I’d travel to the Swan Valley just to have it. The mash potato was also light and fluffy and amazing. I seriously wanted another plate. Even my wife who opted for the Scotch Filet Steak looked aghast. She too wanted more!
So the moral of the story is to never judge a book by its cover! If chapter one is hard, give it a chance.
There can often be a fairytale ending.

Stewart’s is a lovely restaurant in the Swan Valley. Their food is beautifully fresh and delicious. The portion sizes are perfect, not too little and not too much. We were so happy with the small and large plate choices. They were happy to substitute fresh steamed greens for creamed. This I find fabulous and very refreshing. I love the setting its gorgeous. My only grumpy bit would be I think the tables & furniture could do with a bit of an upgrade as they are getting a bit shabby (but not in a chic way). And in addition, table placements need to be arranged differently, perhaps bringing the lovely outside feel together with the inside more and making it more intimate and private. This way the beautiful food would be more complimented by the surroundings. Lovely overall experience, with impeccable table service.

A very good dining experience. The flavours in the lamb are exquisite. The gnocchi are light and soft well pared with wild mushrooms and wilted spinach. A real gem in the swan valley well worth visiting. Parking is easy as there is plenty of space just watch for the multinovas on the way up.

Such a great setting that complimented so well with the food and the occasion that I was celebrating.
Though staff are few, they are attentive and always were helpful when needed.
Food was delicious, amongst some great flavors and standards of top class restaurants!
Ordered the pork belly entrée and mushroom risotto main, I was incredibly happy with what I received! Beautiful! Just beautiful!

One of our favorite romantic restaurants. Seasonal menu with some really great dishes. Fine dining at it’s best.