largely familiar flavours done (and
delivered) damn well. The Vincent wagyu
rump lingers in the memory, as does the
charredcosandtempurabarramundi.
Next door to Vincent is the open and
breezy cafe stylings ofLittle Bird,where
breakfast is king, servings are large, and
thehamandpotatocroquettesarea
must (though hold the avocado, thanks).
Another favoured early-morning-through-
brunch set-up isMaple+Clove–busy
on the Sunday of our visit, though not
enough to stop us being seated quickly
andforstafftobeontopof(necessary)
coffee orders and water refills. Aim for
the spelt waffles and ideally a spot on
the terrace if it’s not winter, overlooking
RealmPark,thecoreofcontemporary
BartonandwhatistheRealmPrecinct.
It’shere,too,thatyou’lldiscover
LiloTang– a feted Japanese diner
thatsomehowmakessenseofurbane
concrete and manga wall graphics
againstScando-inpsiredlighttimbers.
To enter here is to immediately sniff
outwhattheplaceisabout–thewaft
ofbinchotancharcoalgentlylicking
whatever’s placed on the central robata
grillawelcomesignpost.Ex-Nobuchef
Shunsuke Ota experiments with flavours
withouteverdroppinganchortoofar
from what most locals have come to love
aboutJapanesedining–thoughpoints
here for presentation, which is unique
andexquisitelystaged.Giventhatgrill,
head for the likes of tender scotch fillet
(withJapanesesevenspiceandherb
miso), robata chicken and grilled
cauliflower–butthenalsomakefriends
with what is an impressively sophisticated
sashimiplateofkingfish,snapper,
scallop,calamari,tunaandyellowtail.
Elsewhere, tea-infused duck breast with
tempuraeggandshiitakemushroomsis
tenderandsubtleinitsaddedflavours,
all washed down by a crisp 2017 Mount
Majurapinot gris.
Burbury Hotel and Apartments
(burburyhotel.com.au)putsyouinthe
middle of all things Barton. There’s
something quite engaging about slipping
the car into an underground carpark and
leavingitthereforacoupleofdays
–exploringtheimmediateareaand
aforementioned eateries on foot, while
also walking a little further (15 or so
minutes) to Parliament House, the
National Gallery, the High Court and
along the promenade linking Lake Burley
Griffin and its waterside highlights.
Contemporary flourishes adorn
the4.5-starhotelandapartment
accommodations – the latter a mix of
studio,one-andtwo-bedroomofferings.
Those two-bedders mean space, with
bedrooms at opposing ends, an ensuite
andmainbathroom,andalengthyand
spacious lounge/diner with a capacious
kitchen replete with full-sized fridge,
Nespressomachineandenoughcrockery
tomakethisadecenthomeawayfrom
home, even if cooking for guests.BEST OF THE REST