Steamed maple syrup sponge… with tonka bean Chantilly cream. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Lobster bisque…large ravioli perched on French petite peas and stuffed with lobster tail. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Lemon and lavender crème brûlée. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod… premium, pond-grown cod married well with roasted cauliflower and a browned almond and caper butter sauce. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Smoked fillet of beef tonnato… with crispy capers and finger limes. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Pear and gingerbread crumble. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Restaurants are like people. They have good days and bad days, says dining reviewer WENDY JOHNSON after lunch at The Marion.  

THE Marion, at Regatta Point, now has an à la carte lunch menu and we were keen to visit having been treated like queens during our high-tea experience.

The service on this visit was the opposite, but more on that later. Let’s talk food.

Lunch is two courses for $65 or three courses for $75, Monday to Friday. Choose from four entrées, four mains and four desserts. Add $9 for sides, whether French beans, a salad or frites.

The menu is a lovely read and selecting was a struggle since so many dishes sounded delicious. 

The lobster bisque entrée (an additional $6) looked pretty on the plate, with the large ravioli stuffed with lobster tail. It was perched on French petite peas. One of our party felt the bisque wasn’t intense enough. 

I ordered the superb smoked fillet of beef tonnato. I was drawn to the crispy capers and finger limes, which I adore. The sauce was well-balanced and thin slices of red and purple radish and rocket adorned the dish. The shaved, aged parmesan rounded out the flavour profile.

Mains hit the spot, especially the herb-crusted lamb backstrap, juicy and tender. On the side was a traditional French pithivier (enclosed pie). The Sicilian caponata was bold and the labneh thick and creamy. The bit of basil oil poured on top was gorgeous. 

The Marion’s dishes are inspired by the globe and effort is invested in sourcing top-quality, seasonable and sustainable produce. That includes the Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod. This premium, pond-grown cod offered wonderful flavour and married well with roasted cauliflower, and a browned almond and caper butter sauce. Toasted almonds added texture. 

Desserts didn’t disappoint, although my lemon and lavender crème brûlée was too sweet for my personal taste. I should have stuck to the Canadian component of my palette and ordered the steamed maple syrup sponge. I stole a taste of my friend’s and it was lovely with the tonka bean Chantilly cream. Also gorgeous was the pear and gingerbread crumble.

The Marion showcases sensational views of Canberra all-year round. The restaurant is managed by the Grand Pacific Group (Sydney), which boasts it’s an iconic hospitality leader. The service was painfully slow from go to whoa and our waitress was wobbly on the menu (it was her first day). 

We waited and waited for every course and more than once went to the bar ourselves to order. Eventually, this was acknowledged, and we were told the restaurant was one staff member down and struggling to deal with the group in the function room. We were offered a free drink each, which we enjoyed while exercising more patience before desserts finally arrived.