crossroads bar and restaurant, swissotel

Continuing our quest to eat as many Fast Festival Feasts as possible this month, Caliban and I went to Crossroads at the Swissotel before seeing David Sedaris at the State Theatre (sidenote: David Sedaris is just the coolest person ever).

Seated at 6.45, we had our meals (grilled Atlantic salmon on bean and citrus salad) by 6.55. To some, this might seem worrying, but we had to haul butt to the Theatre in less than an hour, so we took it as a welcome development.

The Stoneleigh sav blanc worked so well with the salmon, which was perfectly pink. The crispy skin lacked the flavour we saw at the Garden Court earlier in the week, but it was still good. I loved the bean and citrus salad - segments of grapefruit, orange and even lime were mixed with fresh, crunchy green beans and tossed in a basil and shallot dressing. Great summer fare.

Like all good customers, we also ordered a side of roast potatoes with garlic and rosemary. I love potatoes, and these were among the best I've ever had. Scratch that - they were the best. Tiny new potatoes that were fondant-like on the inside and crispy on the outside. So damn good. Luckily for Caliban, the meal was so filling that I had to forgo some of my little nuggets of starchy bliss. He ate them willingly.

We got the bill quickly and expected our Ferrero Rocher chocolates to come with it. We pointed this out to the waitress.

"Oh, we don't have any left. I can see if the chef will make you come petit fours. Would you like that?"
We agree that yes, we'd like the dessert we're entitled to, and I notice other people around us getting bread before their meals. You know my drill - treat every customer with the same respect. Don't get me wrong, it was a beautiful meal, and one we thoroughly enjoyed, but it would have been nice to be treated like the other customers at the restaurant. Add to that the fact that the waitress had just forgotten about our chocolates...and, well, I was less than pleased with the service.

I do realise that I've spent the better half of the last two posts complaining about service - which possibly makes me look spoiled and ungrateful. Sorry. I do intend for this blog to be a place to rave about food I love, so I promise this will be the exception, not the rule. Apologies in spades.

Crossroads Bar and Restaurant
Level 8, Swissôtel Sydney,
68 Market St, Sydney
02 9238 7082