Recently, we received an invitation to Vin’s Restaurant and Bar, a TTDI restaurant with a bit of a name in the neighbourhood. So my husband, my children and I headed there for a midweek dinner. My children had a couple of sports days under their belts so they were tired and hungry, which could have been a recipe for disaster, but luckily for us we struck family gold with Vin’s.
We arrived early, which was perfect for the kids, and as our evening wore on the few diners were transformed into a humming restaurant – which in itself is a testament to a good restaurant and good food.
Vin’s offers an international theme for their menu, and of their ingredients they say, “Our food is wholesome, organic and sustainably produced.” What I really liked was their assurance that all stocks, rubs and spice mixes were made in house without artificial flavours and preservatives.
There was something on the menu for everyone. The food was fresh and piping hot when it reached our table, and there was a good selection of mocktails and juices for the children to choose from. We, on the other hand, were excited to see a European influence with the beers. There is an extensive drinks list available at Vin’s, from cocktails through to single malt whiskey and a good wine list.
Food at Vin’s
Tomato Confit Bruschetta – Fresh home baked bread with sweet tomato confit and a dash of ricotta cheese to take the edge off the sweetness. This little savoury treat was gone in a minute!
Italian Lamb Meatballs – These were wolfed down by my children with a fight to the last ball. Interestingly, the ‘The Food Company’ butchery and deli in TTDI is also owned by Vin’s. Which means for this particular dish Vin’s used fresh Australian lamb shoulder minced in-house to make the meatballs. They also use organic herbs in this dish. I did manage to get a bite of this and was pleased I did. The lamb was lamb and not mutton as is sometimes served, and in the words of my eldest dished up in “a very good sauce”.
Bourbon Beef Ribs – We are, indeed, a carnivorous family and my youngest and I could not keep our hands off the ribs and mashed potatoes, the meat fell from the bone and melted in your mouth. This dish is all geared up with a fresh tangy green salad and sweet charred pineapple. Because of the size we had to pass it on to my husband to finish off. This was a big hit.
Provencal Ling Cod – The cod comes fresh from New Zealand, and where you can buy frozen in ‘The Food Company’, it is cooked fresh in the restaurant. It was delicately cooked and is served with a creamy chipotle sauce which had a nice kick. Interestingly, this worked well as the sauce didn’t overpower the fish.
Genovese Pesto Fettuccine – I would like to say that I got a good chance at the asparagus but again I only managed a couple of bites, which I had to plead for, as my children again wolfed it down. Decadent creamy pasta with a full basil flavour and what I had of the asparagus, well, it was delicious.
Decadent Treacle Cake Pudding & Luxurious Toffee Banana Pecan Pie – Believe it or not we still found room for dessert, but only just and I am ashamed to say there was a gnashing of teeth and a battle of spoons to beat the other family members out of the way. My youngest and I shared a love of the Pecan Pie while the other two battled over the Treacle Cake Pudding. All in all the desserts were heavenly.
Servings are large and plentiful. We are a family of four relatively large eaters, and even we had more than enough by sharing a couple of starters and mains; we only just had room for pudding. There are a good selection of pizzas and an interesting selection of tacos. But for our next visit, having spied a rather juicy looking hamburger, my youngest told me she would be ordering that. I, however, will have a tougher time pulling myself from the ribs to try something else on the menu, but I will try. Needless to say dinner was a big success. I’m always happy when my children have eaten well and make favourable comments about the food. In fact, so favourable that they were planning their next visit.
Vin’s is a great TTDI restaurant, and while the clientele on our evening were a mix of groups and couples, Vin’s was very accommodating to our family, with a good selection of food for all. However, Vin’s pricing is on the high side, but this could be forgiven as serving sizes are generous and produce is fresh.
