I need to apologise in advance here folks! A rookie photographic error (incorrect aperture setting for those who care about such things), combined with dim lighting has resulted in a set of images that are less than average 🙂
The meal though? It was great!
It’s the first time in a few years that we’ve eaten at The Mill. We had very fond memories, and were hoping the experience could be repeated.
The Mill is one venue that seems to get very mixed reviews. Perhaps it’s the style of dining that opens them up to more criticism than other more traditional venues? When you’re serving up a dozen or more small tapas-style dishes the law of averages says that you’re going to have more ‘misses’ than your traditional restaurant, and people do tend to let the world know about it when they get a bad meal!
A little less ‘intimate’ than I remember from our last visit, but still nice
While not every dish we tried was awe-inspiringly incredible, all (bar one) were well prepared and very tasty.
The best dish on the night? The honey caramel popcorn sundae in hokey-pokey ice cream!! I love Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs and this was the perfect homage. Clusters of sweet popcorn glued together by the sticky butterscotch sauce and immersed in soft velvety ice cream. Just sensational!
The char-grilled prawn was definitely the pick of the savoury dishes. Â Only two mouthfuls, but the freshness and flavour were simply amazing, making you wish you’d ordered half a dozen!
The worst dish? Sadly, the mussels. I absolutely love mussels, but these were overcooked enough to introduce some unwanted chewiness to each mouthful, and to top it off the broth was super salty. You always need seasoning, but this was mouth-puckeringly ridiculous!
Shaved jamon (with an ‘H’)
House made corn chips with shredded paprika chicken
House made corn chips with spanner crab, mayo and chives (very nice!)
Char-grilled prawn
White anchovies (the photo is atrocious, but they tasted fantastic!)
Soft-shell taco with pulled pork, chipotle peppers and apple sour cream (not bad, but lacked ‘punch’)
1/2kg of Spring Bay mussels, chorizo and sherry vinegar
Lemon salt and pepper squid legs with white miso vinaigrette (exquisitely soft meat, but the texture of the exterior was a little gluey)
Mini wagyu beef burger, bacon rasher and Emmental cheese (good, but not great…the paucity of ingredients made for a burger that felt incomplete)
Goats cheese semolina gnocchi, pesto and tomato puree (this was one of the biggest surprise packets of the night…thoroughly recommended!!)
Caramel and hokey pokey ice cream sundae, and chocolate ice cream with chocolate brownie and hot fudge sauce…mmm…
Our conclusion?
If you enjoy your portions small, but numerous, then this is the place for you!
While perhaps the ambience wasn’t quite the same as we remembered, the consistency in both flavours and presentation was commendable. The range of menu options is really impressive, with something for everyone; carnivores, vegetarians and sweet tooths alike!
The Mill on Morrison crosses social boundaries admirably, presenting themselves as the type of venue that you could just as easily visit as part of a larger group, as with your significant ‘other’ for a great night out.
Taste – 3.5/5
Menu – 5/5
Atmosphere – 3.5/5
Service – 4/5
Value – 4/5
Overall – 3.5/5