When I came to this restaurant in 2015, I fell in love with it immediately. I never thought it would take me another 7 years before I returned to this lovely place.

The Potting Shed is located in a beautiful space called The Grounds of Alexandria. The restaurant is housed inside a disused Four ’N Twenty pie factory last in operation in the 1920s.

If you head to the Potting Shed on a winter evening, you would be greeted by a flickering wheelbarrow fire pit with blankets for chilly knees and marshmallows ready to toast.

They’ve cultivated a cocktail list that’s dominated by sharpness and spice – chilli, ginger, mustard and veggie juices appear in almost every drink on offer. 

A produce-driven menu has been created by head chef Kahlil Rogers-Perazzo, who has spent time in the kitchens of Hugos, Tetsuya’s and Quay.

Shed Starters

Tapas sized starters for sharing among the table.

Fresh Oysters

Red wine & shallots

Freshly shucked NSW rock oysters. Creamy and fresh, but they were a bit tiny as we were out of season.

Potato Bread

Tapenade, zaatar, olive oil

Potato starch infused loaf of bread, the tapenade and zaatar dip provided the flavours.

Eggplant Fatteh 

Labneh, sumac, pine nut, pomegranate, herb oil, sesame bread

A vegetarian dish for our vegetarian colleague. I loved the sesame crusted pita bread though.

Buttermilk Fried Chilli Chicken Wings 

Ranch dressing

They reminded me of Southern fried chicken, but they were closer to harjeong chicken wings.

Shed Classic

Items that stood the test of time and shifting palates.

The Shed Platter

A selection of cured meats, marinated anchovies, salt cod, pickles, cheese, olives with fresh toasted sourdough, crackers

This was a classic starter since I first came here 7 years ago. The Shed Platter is a charcuterie board that featured the favourite items to nibble on while you sip your drinks.

Though it was sized for 3-4 persons, it would sufficient to share among eight persons if you have ordered other starters.

All their bread and pastries are fresh from the oven which they make them at the back of the restaurant in the bakery on the grounds.

Steamed Mussels

Fennel, cherry tomato, sherry, chicken chorizo, rouille croutons

One can never go wrong with seafood in Australia as I thoroughly enjoyed every piece of the fresh mussels washed down with the refreshing ice cold beer.

Shed Mains

Paddock to table – the selection of mains featured the best poultry and meat from the regional cattle farmers and butchers.

Pork Medallions 

Leek, apple, cabbage, sauce charcutiere

Kevin Bacon, the resident pig, was not harmed in any way in the making of this pork chop. What stole the show was the sautéed chopped leek, cabbage and apple. Charcutière sauce is a compound French sauce consisting of a base of onions, mustard, white wine, and chopped cornichons with a flavouring of chopped gherkins. Its literal translation is “sauce of the pork butcher”. 

Chicken & Veal Meatballs

Eggplant, fontina, salsa verde, garlic bread, yoghurt

That’s an idea for the home kitchen – an entire half of a baguette as a garlic bread. The Italian-style chicken and veal meatballs were delicious, just like how a Nonna would make them. Fontina is a cow’s milk cheese, first produced in Italy. It was incorporated into the tomato-based sauce with eggplant, which made it the perfect dip for bread. The salsa verde and natural yoghurt toned down the acidic of the tomato.

Steaks

Served with chips, bearnaise & garlic & herb butter with a choice of one side.

1kg Grain Fed Riverine T-Bone 

South Western NSW

The big and juicy Riverine T-Bone was a crowd pleaser. It was grilled to medium rare perfection.

Shaved Radish & Celeriac Slaw 

Pomegranate, pecorino, truffle oil

The unsung hero of the vegetable world, knobbly, odd-shaped celeriac has a subtle, celery-like flavour, with nutty overtones and fantastic crunch. This makes a perfect slaw when combined with radish and pomegranate. Pecorino Romano is a hard, salty Italian cheese made with sheep’s milk was grated over the slaw.

Chips 

Rosemary salt, burger sauce

Afterthoughts

This restaurant is a green oasis. Plants adorn every wall and nook while beautiful reclaimed wood furniture makes for a cozy interior. It’s like dining in a friend’s garden if that friend were a stylish horticulturalist.

The Potting Shed is a more relaxed gathering place where people can talk and hang out and do what friends and family love doing. If you’re thinking of coming here, definitely book ahead, and check it twice.

The Potting Shed at The Grounds of Alexandria
41/43 Bourke Rd, Alexandria NSW 2015, Australia
Tel : +61 2 9699 2225

Visited in Mar 2022