Remembering eating out – Sage Dining Rooms – Braddon – Canberra – Australia – October 2019

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ACT, Australia, Braddon, canberra, dining with friends, Sage Dining Rooms, three course degustation

Ah…the good ole days of eating out!

This week I was working out how long its been since I have eaten out and the answer was ” it’s been a while”; not just for me of course but for everyone and I know how difficult it is for restaurant owners and staff – so I hope for their sake (and mine) that restaurants open soon.  Then came some good news a couple of days ago that restaurants and pubs here in Canberra are opening with limited patronage…yay!  Only ten people allowed inside to ensure adherence to social distancing but that’s fine as it allows me to go out and enjoy a meal with friends.So…back to this post.  Last October my friends Ray and Natalie invited me to Sage Dining Rooms located at Gorman House in Canberra for lunch to celebrate Nat’s birthday.  Sage has an interesting history. The whole complex used to be accomodation for interstate public servants comprising small individual bedrooms with a series of lounges and a dining room.  The hostel was decommissioned in the 1970s and the communal dining and living rooms were refurbished to create Sage.  Sage is definitely one of Canberra’s best fine dining restaurants and has won many awards over the years.  The wait staff are extremely well versed with the ingredients of every dish and as they are serving, they provide that information.  The decor is lovely; fresh flowers on every table, linen tablecloths and napkins, cute chair and bench coverings and the place is spotlessly clean.We ordered the three course degustation with mine being vegan to cater for my dietary requirements.  There is also a five course degustation but I find it’s just too much food as the restaurant provides an amuse bouche with our first drinks (lovely glass of champagne) and then a complimentary small dish is also offered between each course – all delicious tiny mouth fulls but when you have five dishes and tiny bites between each you get very full very quickly!All dishes are beautifully presented and food is absolutely delicious.
And desserts are fabulous too…And then came a lovely surprise for Nat…I am so looking forward to Sage Dining Rooms re-opening…