Poached pear… with caramel praline custard and hazelnut dacquoise. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Veal’s liver… smoked bacon, Lyonnaise onions. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Roasted half-shell scallop… with potato crumble and pickled fennel. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Escargots… with café Paris butter. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Hazelnut éclair… filled with a creamy chicken liver paté. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Black Angus beef… 600 grams cooked medium rare with green beans, Paris mash and a salad fresca. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Ile Flottante… fig and Grand Marnier custard. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Deakin is blessed to have Ondine European Brasserie as a local, providing easy access to French classics, writes dining reviewer WENDY JOHNSON.

ONDINE invites you to settle in – no rushing customers out the door. 

Its banquet menu is $79 per person for six dishes. The regular menu is divided into snacks and bites (to tantalise the tastebuds), entrées, mains, dishes to share between two, and luxurious desserts.

The roasted half-shell scallop was sensational, and we loved the crispy crunch of the potato crumble and the zing of the pickled fennel ($8). Another snack was the unique hazelnut éclair filled with a creamy chicken liver paté ($6). 

We are big on sharing, so ordered several entrées, each delicious. The escargots were gorgeous with café Paris butter – rich and triumphant ($19 for six and $35 for 12). Terrine lovers will adore Ondine’s duck, port and pistachio version, a wonderful texture ($22) and served with a perky endive salad. 

While not everyone can handle liver, I recommend giving it a go in a quality restaurant where chefs know their stuff. The two pieces of veal’s liver ($23) married exceptionally well with flavour-packed bits of smoked bacon, Lyonnaise onions and another simple, but satisfying salad ($23). One of our party felt the veal was just slightly overdone.

Ondine’s five mains ($38 to $45) are intriguing, but we had already spotted the beef from the “shared between two” section. We shared between four, which was perfect given we wanted to leave room for sweets. 

The impressive 600 grams of Black Angus beef (marble 4 score) was melt-in-the-mouth and cooked medium rare. Crunchy green beans were served along with Paris mash (yellow with loads of quality butter) and a perfect salad fresca. The beef came with both Béarnaise and more decadent café Paris butter. It was well worth the $105.

Six desserts are on the menu. We shared three and appreciated that none were sickly sweet, as some desserts can be. The chocolate mousse ($17) was creamy and light, and we dug deep into super tasty maple ice cream. The brandy snap was a nice touch.

Another winner was the coherent poached pear, caramel praline custard and hazelnut dacquoise ($18), a dessert that made us smile. And last, but not least, was a lovely Ile Flottante, fig and Grand Marnier custard ($18) another dish celebrating the talent of the kitchen team. 

Ondine’s wine list gets top marks, including several magnum wines and regional labels. We shared the dry Rameau D’Or rosé from Cotes de Provence ($115), followed by a Debussy Reverie Grenache ($62).

Staff are knowledgeable and professional, keeping an eye on our table but never interfering. Ondine’s sophisticated décor features a long wooden bar, a rich blue colour scheme and soft, flowing curtains.