V Rating: V-ware
Where: 275 Pitt Street, City
When: Lunch: 12pm - 3pm. Dinner: 6pm - 10pm.
Tel: (02) 8399 1124
Price: Entrees: $19 - $21. Mains: $27 - $32.

When I was growing up*, eating at a pub meant a counter meal of fish and chips, roast lamb, or schnitzel. Occasionally, the menu would stretch to exotic dishes like apricot chicken or chicken maryland, but that was not the norm.

These days a pub meal doesn’t have to be accompanied by beer stained coasters and endless TAB races on television. Some of Sydney’s top restaurants are in pubs, like Bistro Moncur at the Woollahra Hotel and est. at the Establishment. So when I had to organise a pre-Christmas fancy-schmancy business lunch I thought I’d give the Dome restaurant at the Arthouse Hotel a try.

Although Dome is tastefully decorated with polished wooden floorboards and long chocolate walls, it sitting on top of a pub (albeit a schmick one) helps it maintain a casual air. I liked this about the restaurant. It kept the lunch relaxed without compromising the quality of the experience. It also helped that the staff were particularly friendly and helpful.

Dome does not cater all that well for vegetarians, but then, that’s par for the course with most expensive, Modern Australian restaurants.

There was a single vegetarian entree, an artichoke with gruyere tartlet served with baby greens, and a single vegetarian main, handmade linguini with fresh peas, broadbeans, tomato & mushroom. Both dishes were pleasant. The main pasta was down-to-earth, hearty meal. The peas gave it a fresh strong taste, and the serving was generous. My only complaint, as per usual, was that there no choice for vegetarians, so I wouldn’t recommend it if there were multiple vegetarians in your party.

*I did grow up in country South Australia in the eighties.

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