I had the pleasure of dining at Little Truffle in Mermaid Beach with my girlfriends recently. We had a wonderful evening of indulgent food, fine wine and stimulating conversation. The sleek wine bar/fine dining restaurant is a rare find on the Gold Coast, especially amongst a non-descript row of shops on the Gold Coast Highway .
I ordered the pan fried barramundi fillet with sand crab tortellini, sweet potato puree, figs and bacon crisp. It was amazing. A truly wonderful combination of flavours; the creamy fish and tortellini, the sweetness from the potatoes and fig, and the salty crispness from the bacon. The flavours and textures danced on my tongue, and unlike other ‘fine dining’ restaurants I wasn’t left starving from an ‘artfully constructed’ petite portion; there was well and truly enough on my plate. I shared my dessert - warm chocolate pudding, caramel, double cream and honeycomb. It was everything you want from a sweet – decadent and delicious.
The service was attentive but nothing exceptional. The restaurant has two dining rooms: modern or classic. I opted for the classic dining room when I booked, however in hindsight I wish we had eaten in the modern area. The restaurant is split level; the lower area is ‘classic’ (cream palette, chandeliers and mirrors) whilst the upper area is ‘modern’ (dark sensual colours, subtle lighting and a feature bar). The ‘classic’ area wasn’t all I had envisaged, it was a little cramped and slightly clinical, whereas the ‘modern’ area appeared to have more personality and, that ever important, ambiance.
Overall, full marks for food but the atmosphere and x-factor needs a bit of work. 4/5
Where: 2444 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach QLD 4218
Bookings: essential
Phone: (07) 5526 5033
Where: 2444 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach QLD 4218
Bookings: essential
Phone: (07) 5526 5033
Photos by Krissie.