BOSISTO'S LIQUOR BAR

318 Bridge Rd, Richmond - ph: 94286888

Bosisto's is my new favorite local restaurant. I heard good reviews about its cocktail menu and cured meats a couple of months ago and have been trying to find the restaurant ever since whenever I walk past.

I can tell you Bosisto's is not easy to find. Their front sign is hidden by large umbrellas that carry the name of the coffee brand they serve, so it's a bit confusing. So make sure you keep the street number in mind when looking for it and you'll be rewarded with a lovely meal.

Front bar with cured ham and sausages

Assorted meats

Bosisto's forte is their small sharing plates. We were in a large group when I took the pictures, so we ordered most of the sharing plates they had in the menu :)

Some bread to start

First plate was prawn frites, or deep fried prawns with aioli. It's kind of like chips; you just keep going for one more, than another one, than another... something tasty and salty to nibble on.

Crispy school prawn frites & smoked paprika aioli ($15)

Next came roasted chorizo sausage, which was the highlight of the night for me. The sausages were moist and tender, chickpeas gave the dish a great texture and the sherry and goats curd gave it a slightly tart edge to it. I would highly suggest ordering it.

Roasted chorizo sausage, mushrooms, chickpeas, fino sherry & goat curd ($13)

Zucchini flowers were next in line. I have to say I think the flowers are more something to look at then to eat. They do look amazing. The dish tasted good, more due to the stuffing than to the flowers themselves.

Zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta, mint & lemon ($14)

Moving to the mains, quite a few of us ordered the same things. Mussels were served with chips and a pot of beer. One of the girls didn't like it that much; thought mussels were not so fresh, but chips were good. The other ones liked; well seasoned, but nothing too special.

Steamed mussels, white wine & fresh herbs with pommes frites & a pot of Becks ($26)

The rest of the group chose the chicken schnitzel, which to me is a winner and our favorite dish. Chicken was crispy and tender and the coleslaw salad is delicious!

Parmesan & lemon crumbed chicken schnitzel, Moroccan coleslaw ($22)

I ordered one of the specials of the day: homemade pasta with mussels. Unfortunately, I have to agree with my friend who thought the mussels were not that fresh. The dish tasted great and pasta was really nicely cooked, but the mussels did smell a bit 'fishy'. I was a bit disappointed.

Pasta special with mussels

Although the mussels were a bit of a disappointment, I still recommend this place and will certainly be back. It's a great place for cocktail / drinks, service is attentive and relaxed and the whole atmosphere of the place just feels really nice.