Belvedere Bar & Grill

BELVEDERE BAR & GRILL HAS PERMANENTLY CLOSED AS OF 25 JUNE 2022.

Belvedere is Italian for lovely view and sweeping water, and sunset views are but one of the many charms of this chic Portside eatery and bar.

The spacious airy high-ceilinged room – furnished in wood and marble with bursts of colour from conceptual bar chairs and oversized cushions, has been divided into bar and restaurant by a stunning red fine chained curtain. Both open via bi-fold doors to a covered deck which lends itself to sunsets and summer nights.

The dining room in presided over by a fabulous 270 champagne glass chandelier and tucked to the back is a function-come-boardroom with its own sunny courtyard, projection facilities (this can be totally closed off for privacy if needed) and light fittings shaped like the Plumm glassware in use.

The dining menu, contrived by chef Marc Marik (who has worked with Neil Perry) is a mix of top shelf meat dishes(with ribs the signature) and seafood. Steaks come pasture fed, grain fed for 70 days or Wagyu (cooked to liking and in sizes 250 – 500g) otherwise main dishes include braised organic beef cheeks, baked gold band snapper, fish and chips or a delectable rib plate of pork spare ribs, beef short and lamb.

Entrees are Asian infused – think spanner crab dumplings, Szechuan pepper and salt soft crab shell, oysters tempura or the highly recommended prawn tasting plate of marinated, grilled and tempura prawns with a green paw paw salad and salmon pearls.

There's an exhaustive list of sides to accompany – everything from fried eggs with chorizo to baby cos salad or creamy polenta – and scrummy desserts – try the house doughnuts.

Over at the bar, the espresso and chocolate martinis are the hot favourites cocktail wise as is the Belvedere vodka, champagne and Peroni spritzer. If sitting down for one of the generous restaurant meals is not part of the plan, settle into the bar section for something light such as the Belvedere bar beef burger, chilli salt squid or fat or shoestring fries.

The menu may have changed since our visit.