“Corella is edgy but not pretentious. It dares to be different but in a considered way,” says dining reviewer WENDY JOHNSON.

CORELLA Restaurant and Bar is a must-visit for those who love quality wines and innovative cuisine.

The newest kid on the block in Braddon, Corella is edgy but not pretentious. It dares to be different but in a considered way. 

We began with one of the more popular dishes on the lunch menu, the prawn roll. It was a perfect package with the scrumptious prawn packed into a soft milk bun. The homemade chilli sauce added punch ($14 each). It’s an exciting little number. 

Burrata was our next shared choice but Corella had run out, so we chose the plum-cured kingfish ($19). The dish was pretty on the plate with pops of pink. Added ingredients are blood lime, chilli and chives chopped ‘just so’. It’s essential to combine all ingredients with each bite to get the full impact. 

Another specialty is the spatchcock ($20), with golden skin. The celeriac remoulade and the dollop of prunes and native desert lime were sensational. Some of the meat was a wee bit dry for our liking. 

We hadn’t ordered shoestring fries to go with the spatchcock but kept watching them pass by so flagged our desperate need with staff who were happy to oblige. They were hot and crispy and we loved dipping them into the creamy house-made native thousand island sauce ($10).

Vegetarians and vegans are cared for at Corella, including with the Jerusalem artichoke spaghetti. It wasn’t the most exciting-looking dish ($28) and, for us, not the most exciting on taste either. The creativity in the execution is there, and the bits of coral mushroom added welcoming texture. Seasoning was saltbush salt, although we felt there wasn’t quite enough.

Other mains include WA marron ($50), flank steak ($41) and native duck à l’orange with bunya nut purée, sunrise lime and jus gras ($44, another house specialty).

Corella’s wine and spirit menu is carefully curated and very impressive. Cocktails are a specialty ($20 and $22). White wines range from $15 to $28 a glass ($65 to $175 a bottle). Reds are $16 to $25 ($65 to $450 a bottle).

Staff happily gave us a little tasting of two whites and the winner was BK Wines Carte Blanche from South Australia ($15 glass/$75 bottle). It’s a fabulous blend of varietals.

We were too full for dessert but will return, perhaps for the burnt honey mousse or coconut panna cotta or cherry ripe (all $16). We ended with a complimentary mini sweet – two crackles which looked happy and made us happy (especially when we discovered they feature native mint).

Corella’s service was excellent, staff super friendly and the dishes nicely paced.