One thing all Merivale establishments (haha) do well is the decor – you walk down some unassuming stairs on the side of Abercrombie Lane in the city and suddenly you’re back in prohibition-era New York, with lazy jazz playing in the background, taxidermy pigeons in medicine cabinets and a long, long list of whiskeys to choose from. The underground space is also rather large, so it will be good for groups at the long bar tables, or you can snuggle into a small corner table with a couch.
The food is casual, well-priced and aimed to be shared – there is also a short blurb about Jewish cooking during the prohibition and how the menu is a selection of Yiddish dishes…not sure how that works with the salami-filled charcuterie platter, although matzo balls are on the menu.
- What we ate:
KZ, DS and I shared four plates which was just enough to fill us well. We had the charcuterie plate for 2 ($18) which consisted of several varieties of salami, pickles and other preserved vegetables, a small knob of fresh cheese and olives. The mac and cheese ($9.50) is definitely comfort food more than anything – simple, not overly seasoned, and it does its job. We also had meatballs in a thick tomato sauce with pickles (approximately $10), and chopped liver with egg and pickles (more like a thick liver paté, also around $10).
We went for an early dinner so unfortunately didn’t get into the drinks much – perhaps next time.
Palmer and Co
Abercrombie Lane,
Sydney 2000
http://merivale.com.au/palmerandco
