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Good Food hat15.5/20Critics' Pick

Embla

Updated ,first published

December will mark the 10-year anniversary of Embla.
1 / 13December will mark the 10-year anniversary of Embla.Jason South
Heirloom tomatoes with pine nuts and oregano.
2 / 13Heirloom tomatoes with pine nuts and oregano.Jason South
Braised zucchini flowers with warm ricotta.
3 / 13Braised zucchini flowers with warm ricotta.Jason South
Chickpea pancake with witlof, hazelnut and preserved mandarin.
4 / 13Chickpea pancake with witlof, hazelnut and preserved mandarin.Jason South
Rainbow trout with fennel and tarragon.
5 / 13Rainbow trout with fennel and tarragon.Jason South
Soured cucumbers are a signature.
6 / 13Soured cucumbers are a signature.Kristoffer Paulsen
Embla’s cavernous dining room.
7 / 13Embla’s cavernous dining room.supplied
Chicken skin crisps with whipped anchovy.
8 / 13Chicken skin crisps with whipped anchovy.Justin McManus
Fried polenta with pine nuts and sage.
9 / 13Fried polenta with pine nuts and sage.Justin McManus
Roast chicken with sauce vin John.
10 / 13Roast chicken with sauce vin John.Kristoffer Paulsen
Creamed corn is a menu staple.
11 / 13Creamed corn is a menu staple.Kristoffer Paulsen
Charred blue eye and mushroom tartare.
12 / 13Charred blue eye and mushroom tartare.Justin McManus
Embla’s pork belly.
13 / 13Embla’s pork belly.Eddie Jim
Good Food hat15.5/20Critics' Pick

Embla

Contemporary$$

Wine cave takes on a whole new meaning.

Everything feels easy here. After-work drinks at the bar, celebratory meals, and most things in-between, take place in this unassuming space. Staff are unpretentious and welcoming, but have a serious eye on quality.

Abrolhos Island scallop is cooked in its shell to a plump pop and adorned with butter faintly imbued with aji chilli. Whole rainbow trout sits atop tarragon and fennel with fermented potato: decadent and simple all at once. Chicken is perhaps served with romano beans, braised almonds and basil.

Every dish is engineered to go with the fun and adaptable wine list, but cocktails, beers and other drinks are just as thoughtfully chosen. Embla is still as dynamic and essential as when it opened a decade ago – if anything, more so. Now it feels integral to who we are as a dining culture.

Must-order dish: There’s a good reason half the room orders the chicken breast: the kitchen works magic with the much-maligned cut.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.

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