The Butler is a vibrant restaurant and bar in Potts Point, known for their iconic view of the city skyline. We’ve been here a few times (twice for a la carte, once for drinks only, twice for the set menu) and it’s always a lovely spot for a big crowd.
But you came here for our critical perspective and what we’ve noticed in this recent visit was a decline in drinks (cocktail did not taste like it had any alcohol and on the overpriced end), and the set menu leaving us hungry. The service was wonderful, and the view is lovely, but in this recessive market, a view is not enough to get us out of the house.
Set menu was $79 per person. Dined 2 weeks ago.
But you came here for our critical perspective and what we’ve noticed in this recent visit was a decline in drinks (cocktail did not taste like it had any alcohol and on the overpriced end), and the set menu leaving us hungry. The service was wonderful, and the view is lovely, but in this recessive market, a view is not enough to get us out of the house.
Set menu was $79 per person. Dined 2 weeks ago.
Butler's Banquet
We started with the Spencer Gulf kingfish crudo with citrus, cucumber, shiso, hibiscus. This was a very small portion, shared between 4 of us. We all got one slice of fish each. Flavour-wise, it was a sweet and citric balance of fresh fish.
The pan seared sea scallops with garbanzo bean cream, habanero, salmon roe salsa, chickpea cress was tender. It had a wonderful umami aroma with fresh bursts of roe. The scallops were okay, moderate bounce to the bite, not that fresh or creamy. We got one each.
This chicken & kale taco, salsa verde, brown butter crema was on the milder and blander side of seasoning. It also got soggy fast as we ate, making it hard to manage.
This was Colombian cheese empanadas, charred habanero orange salsa. It was bland and not memorable. We got one each.
The main was a lamb Barbacoa. This was 1200g lamb shoulder that had been slow cooked for 12 hours in adobo & avocado leaf, white onion, cucumber, olives, soft herbs. This was good. The meat was very tender, with a smokey savouriness and a mild gamey taste.
The eggplant was delicious! Roasted and soft with pomegranate, red chile miso, lime togarashi, this side dish was one that was gobbled up fast.
This was the salad: cucumber, radichio, smoked guajillo oil, tahini. It was okay and not memorable.
Review
I think Butler has faded into the background of the Sydney food scene, going from an iconic Friday night out spot to just another average backup plan. This is our last visit to Butler, never again.
Happy eating.
Happy eating.
