We love feel-good stories, so when we were invited to dine at Denham Kitchen + Wine Bar by the team at Two Before Ten, we were both intrigued and thrilled. Located in Canberra South side’s Denham Prospect, the restaurant has become a regular for locals and they are keen to get the word out.
Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted and shown to our table. The décor is industrialist and cozy, and it makes us smile – the contradiction is not lost on us. The menu, like the décor, is a mixture of gastropub food, with some twists. The chefs are focussed on sustainability, offering nose-to-tail dining and Monday night is ‘Pantry Night’, where you will dine ‘mystery box’ style. We ordered one of the most popular menu items, the deconstructed Eye Fillet Wellington, which was tender, full of flavour, and beautifully arranged on the plate.
The Crispy southern fried chicken burger with coleslaw, swiss cheese and creole aioli was well-seasoned and generous. We did wish we had some extra creole aioli to dunk our chips into, and in hindsight should have asked.
We couldn’t resist trying the market fish special of the week – Tonic & Lime battered Silver Dory. The fish was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, served with golden fries, apple slaw and a chilli aioli.
All dishes were generous in taste and size.
The drinks menu aims to be as local as possible, including a range of batch-brewed beers. We paired our meals with local red wines and were complimented by the staff on our choices. We were encouraged to try their namesake beer, the Denham Bitter, which they had specially brewed for the locals who missed having similarly named Bitter on tap.
Continuing the Two Before Ten ethos of being part of the community, The Denman Kitchen + Wine Bar will evolve to meet the needs of the suburb that is growing around it.
What you need to know
Denman Kitchen + Wine Bar is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner with daily deals from Schnitty night and Sunday is family day with under 18s eat at half price.
They are located at 1 Felstead Vis, Denman Prospect. Bookings not required but preferred to avoid disappointment.
