Perched at the top of Red Hill with stunning views of Canberra, is the iconic Onred Restaurant. It’s the perfect venue for a special occasion with packages available for weddings and events. Onred is currently offering a special lunch deal from Wednesday-Saturday. You can choose a 3-course meal for $53pp or a 4-course meal for $63pp. So if Onred is on your ‘to eat’ list, or if you’re overdue for another visit, now is the time to book a table.
The large glass windows allow the natural light to flood the room during the day, and you’ll be treated to the spectacular view of the stars and city lights during dinner. The menu features modern Australia dishes with a focus on seasonal, local and Australian produce. There’s also a selection of gluten free and vegetarian options.
One of the things I enjoy the most about dining at restaurant like Onred, are the little surprises that aren’t mentioned in the ‘3-course meal’ (or however many courses you’ve committed to). Think freshly made bread, amuse-bouches, snacks, petit fours and palate cleansers…. In this case, fresh crunchy bread rolls that are warm and soft on the inside with a side of spiced butter topped with dukkah is delivered to our table before our first course arrives.
In addition to the fresh bread, gorgeously plated giant oysters that have been lightly baked and topped with a parsley, rocket and parmesan emulsion. We wonder how many chews this oyster will take…. I love oysters but any more then 5 chews is pushing it for me. The oyster was baked so the texture of the oyster is firmer than usual, making it very enjoyable for its size. What a way to start the meal!
We were engaged in conversation so we didn’t leave much time to peruse the menu. When the friendly waiter asked us if we had made our decision, or if we wanted the chef to select the dishes for us, we didn’t hesitate to go with the latter. Leaving the choice up to the chef is a risk I’m always willing to take, especially when I’m feeling a little indecisive. We planned to share each of the dishes and in my opinion, that’s the best way to eat because you can try more dishes.
I started with a glass of Mount Majura sparkling wine. A glass of sparkling wine or champagne is one of my favourite ways to start a meal (another is a cheese and charcuterie platter)! The drinks menu is currently condensed however they do feature a good selection of Canberra region wines and beer. There’s also a range of non-alcoholic options.
Chef selected the chicken breast roulade with cumin and corn, red bell pepper jam and coriander oil, and the pan-seared mackerel, tomato chutney, capers, and dill foam (GF) for our first course. Both dishes were presented beautifully but I preferred the mackerel. I was surprised he didn’t choose the pumpkin velouté, truffle mushroom ragu and rustic croutons (V) as it’s currently truffle season in Canberra. However we were still pleased with the dishes.
Our second course was the 5 spice duck breast, blue lentil puree with orange and brandy reduction, and the red wine marinated pan-fried kangaroo, honey roasted pumpkin puree, spicy hazelnut, and blue berry glaze (GF). The kangaroo was the standout dish of the two. The kangaroo was cooked perfectly and the sweetness and contrast of flavours from each element made every mouthful a delight to eat.
Two courses down, now on to the 3rd course. The basil and chilli marinated salmon fillet, saffron and lemon mash, buttered asparagus and tomato butter (GF). The dish featured a perfectly cooked piece of salmon with beautifully cooked vegetables and a subtle but flavoursome sauce.
Now on to my dish of the day, the sous vide wagyu beef rump, pumpkin and mushroom pudding with honey glazed Dutch carrot and shiraz jus. The beef was so tender with a gorgeous sear and it was cooked to perfection. You can’t beat a quality piece of beef that has been sous vide and finished off with a sear, resulting in a well-browned crust that seals the delicious flavour in the beef. Yum! The shiraz jus was thick and flavoursome and the pumpkin and mushroom pudding was really enjoyable. It was the perfect dish to finish the savoury part of our meal.
The final dishes were the yogurt and strawberry cake with whipped ganache, strawberry, and champagne sorbet, olive oil powder and berry basil gel, and the molten chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream and raspberry coulis. We recommend the molten chocolate cake. The centre is gooey and chocolatey and the ice cream and coulis cut through the rich chocolate perfectly. Watch our video on Facebook or Instagram to see the gooey centre!
Make sure you give yourself some extra time to check out the views from the lookouts at Red Hill when you visit. We’ve also dined at Onred for dinner and the views are equally spectacular in the evening. Head up there to watch the sunset before dinner for the perfect start to a great evening.
The special lunch offer won’t be around for long so book your spot to make the most of it. Onred will be releasing a special truffle menu soon so check them out on social media to find out more when they make the announcement.
Details
Website: https://onred.com.au/
Lunch: Wed to Sat 12pm-3pm
Dinner: Tue to Sat 5:30pm- late
Address: 50 Red Hill Drive, Rd Hill Lookout, Red Hill
Phone: (02) 6273 3517
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onredredhill/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onred.restaurant/
Eat Canberra dined as a guest of Onred. All opinions are the author’s own. All photos are owned by Eat Canberra and were taken by Amelia Bidgood.
Amelia Bidgood
Amelia is the Founder and Editor of Eat Canberra and the Founder and Managing Director of Eat Canberra Food Tours. She's a qualified journalist, presenter, freelance writer and also runs a boutique communications agency working with small business owners on all things social media, content creation and marketing. She's taught cheesemaking classes, judged hospitality and tourism awards, completed the WSET Level 1 Award In Wines, loves to cook and has travelled to 23 countries. She's also passionate about mental health and has recently started studying to become a Counsellor.