Chalk

Young families seem to have earmarked this spot for casual weekend dining. Why they’ve picked it is open for debate, but certainly the spacious alfresco area, a ready supply of high chairs and ample parking serve as contributing factors. The menu of Eurocentric dishes doesn’t hurt either. The rich seafood bisque is hearty in taste with just a hint of spice; the duck salad makes for a delicious mouthful of bitter, sweet and sour, its slices of duck on crisp rocket leaves dressed with a raspberry- and dill-infused citrus sauce. A bowl of carbonara, with a generous serving of bacon, prompted the suggestion of a lazy afternoon nap before the dessert sampler – a divine combination of sticky date pudding, panna cotta, crème brûlée and apple cobbler with cinnamon ice cream – made it a dead cert.