LOCATIONThe Four In Hand is situated in the back streets of trendy Paddington, about ten minutes from the city and a short walk from Oxford Street.
DETAILSFour in Hand's sexy bistro-style room offers an intimate dining experience. The Dining room accompanies a local Paddington Bar which holds a solid reputation amongst locals and visitors alike. The restaurant combines French cuisine with a well chosen winelist full of old-world gems and Aussie treasures. The four In Hand dining room also prides itself on its eight course degustation menu with matching wines.
FOODColin Fassnidge (formerly of Banc and Le manoir De Quarte Saisons) cooks with a strong focus on fresh seasonal produce. His respect for ingredients means he sources the best of Australian products, and uses them in traditional French techniques with a contemporary twist. Now settled in for the long haul, he is proving he has the talent not only to maintain but to enhance this restaurant’s solid reputation.
FUNCTIONSThe Four In Hand Dining room houses a private dining room for social and corporate dining. An intimate function room is positioned upstairs and provides a great atmosphere for any sit-down event. The Private Dining Room sits up 26 people with the option of a set menu tailored to suit specific needs. The Four In Hand Restaurant Manager can assist in devising options of either 2 - 3 courses or degustation menus. Please call or email the restaurant to enquire.
Profiled by de GrootsThe crisp pig’s ears are nothing like the dog treats, they are just more evidence Four in Hand’s deft handling of less popular ingredients must be tasted to be believed. The main of roast pork fillet, braised neck and crisp ears is like a study in swine, the three different cuts served with tasty squares of lemon thyme gnocchi. The crisp ears are almost unrecognisable, cut into matchsticks, salted and fried – the taste not dissimilar to crackling. If you’re yet to visit a French bistro in Auvergne or Bordeaux then this cosy dining room in the bowels of Paddington will get you halfway there.
Surprisingly the rustic menu doesn’t translate to large dishes, but by the end of the meal you’ll find the polite portions are more than satisfactory. A crisp Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is a superb match to the caramelised onion and buttermilk curd pie, though a few more roast potatoes wouldn’t go astray. Another provincial ingredient is introduced with the entree of seared scallops and roast sweetbread (i.e. roasted thymus glands of calves, lambs or pigs). I was completely won over by the dessert menu, in particular the fresh figs served with lavender ice-cream and dots of wild honey. One piece of advice: do not refuse the cheeseboard. It is truly one of a kind.
Jennifer Miller, April 2007