HOUSE RULES

This hearty new eatery serves up malt in your mouth moments without the price-tag

THE KITCHENS, ROBINA TOWN CENTRE

Book it: 5593 0638

Open: Daily from 11am until late

MALT House may have the soul of a pub, but that’s where the resemblance ends. The fresh addition to Robina Town Centre’s foodie hub boasts a fitout any trendy restaurateur would envy.

It’s particularly impressive when you arrive with no expectation as I did, stumbling on the sizeable space as I trundled my trolley out of Woolworths.

It’s the lounge bar that catches my eye first, funnelling into the restaurant’s heart and the most open of open kitchens.

Soaring ceilings and glass frontage flood the dining floor with light, rugs softening its industrial edges. There’s a private dining room and chef ’s table, too.

It looks pretty fancy but, happily, Malt House is not one of those gastropubs that uses its gourmet airs as an excuse to downsize hearty pub portions.

Here you get quality and quantity.

Grilled haloumi with roasted capsicum and balsamic ($8), salmon and caper croquettes ($10) and grilled Moreton Bay king prawns ($18) are all good places to start.

But there’s nothing more welcome on a dreary, rainy day than the braised lamb and veggie pie ($22).

Served in an oversized bowl, the golden, buttery cap of shortcrust pastry is pierced with a lamb shank. It’s deposited on the table with a disclaimer – they’re happy to pack up leftovers for us to take away, and that’s exactly what we did.

Queensland snapper battered in the house beer ($20) and panko and parmesan crumbed pork schnitzel with slaw ($22) are other wellexecuted classics.

Sprawling from baby beetroot salad with the delicate crunch of pine nuts ($12) to chargrilled steaks (from $22) and a Sunday roast ($20), the broadly appealing menu strikes the right balance between comfort fare and culinary currency.

The service was bright and attentive, although the level of expertise fell slightly short on its own promise.

The menu prompts diners to ask their server to suggest a wine and beer match, but mine came up dry when I did so.

No big deal; I wasn’t expecting a sommelier given the eatery’s accessible price point and her assessment – “everything is good” – may well be proven right with more time to test it.

I found my own way to the very decent house brew and a gorgeous lemon honey iced tea, made with a little help from another of The Kitchens’ residents, Bee One Third Neighbourhood Honey, but there’s plenty more on the beverage front on offer.

I’ll be putting Malt House on my nice list when it comes to group dining options – it’s definitely a crowd pleaser.