Supper hour is an hour that goes largely uncatered for in Sydney. If you have a hankering for something late at night, most restaurants will have their last orders around 9.30-10pm and aim to have you out by 11pm. So for the supper loving or those the choices usually involve a trip to Chinatown to partake of some BBQ King or Mamak. Tastevin in Darlinghurst however keeps Night Owl hours opening their bistro until midnight and their wine bar with snacks until 2am.
Tonight Mr NQN and I are dining at a more “normal” time for my birthday dinner with Teena, Gina, Philippe and HotDog. When I get there I accidentally walk into Spice I am next door before I realise I’m in the wrong place. It’s tastefully decorated in a Parisian apartment chic style (oh how I love thee!) and we’re seated at a banquette, which they assure us is the best table. They know it’s my birthday and they’re very sweet and accommodating. Lighting is of the “romantic” kind (i.e. dark – especially the bathrooms where we almost feel our way about!) so please forgive the photos.
As I’ve been eating all afternoon I opt for a couple of entrees so we order a good range of things from the menu.
Bread selection $12 for 3
The bread selection is nice and fresh. There’s a seeded bread with fennel seeds and a fresh white baguette. I prefer the white baguette although the amount of French butter so this serve is minuscule with a small 2.5cms diameter round slice (we don’t get three times the amount of butter which we should have given that we’ve ordered three lots of bread).
Rock Oyster with Champagne vinegar and cracked black pepper $3 each
Gnocchi a la Parisienne, sauteed mushroom and white truffle mornay $16
My Gnocchi a la Parisienne is delicious. Tiny potato gnocchi are interspersed with pieces of soft mushroom and this is all coated in a creamy mornay sauce with cheese with a lightly scented truffle oil. I eat every last drop of this, scraping the plate with my spoon.
Endive salad with Roquefort mousse, citrus and candied walnut $16
Mr NQN’s endive and pear salad certainly looks impressive. I usually steer away from endive as I find it too bitter but this one isn’t at all, with the sweet balsamic dressing and creamy Roquefort mousse assisting in this regard.
Pithivier of Escargot with beetroot $17
I love Pithiviers (little pies) and this one has escargot (snails) encased in a little igloo shaped puff pastry pie. The escargot when encased in a pie aren’t particularly distinct tasting, in fact they could be mushrooms or something similar and it’s mostly puff pastry rather than filling, but it is delicious, particularly with the sweet beetroot emulsion.
Confit of Duck $29
My husband’s confit of duck is delicious and as you’d expect, it comes away from the bone with ease.
Spatchcock $28
Lemon Sole $28
The lemon sole is moist and soft with most of the lemon flavour on top. It’s a whole sole so the serve is generous and it is accompanied by peas. I usually adore peas but these are underseasoned.
Beef $29
The beef is deliciously tender although Teena and Gina say that they prefer a classic Bernaise to the rich Roquefort which they feel overwhelms the beef.
Apple Tart with Honey Almond Nougat icecream $13
The apple tart is a thin layer of very buttery pastry with paper thin slices of apple accompanied with a lightly crunchy honey nougat ice cream. The tart is delicious, very freshly baked so that it is crisp and the ice cream is a delicious accompaniment and a nice alternative to vanilla. And since it’s my birthday it comes with a sparkler and a song!
Chocolate Cake with vanilla bean anglaise $12
Sadly, the chocolate fondant is a disappointment. The flavour seems almost watered down for what should be a deliciously rich dessert.
Creme Caramel de Maman $11
On the other hand, the Creme Caramel which is sublime and moreish. I adore this and the custary eggy texture and scoop up every drop of the delicately wobbly custard edged with caramel.
We didn’t have time or inclination to visit the bar but it looked inviting.
And because you know I love lighting fixtures…
Tastevin Bistro and Wine Bar
292-294 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 9356 3429
Open 12noon-2am
Closed Tuesdays
http://www.tastevin.com.au/
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34 Comments | Add your own
Happy birthday! What a wonderful treat–a tart and a song!
I would go there just for that gnocchi and creme caramel! They look gorgeous, you’ve made me very very hungry right now
I’m drooling over the white truffle mornay and the pithiver. Pity about the fondant! That’s so great that it’s open until 2, going out regularly for supper is something I miss about Malaysia…
Happy Birthday, food looks very delicious!
How do you get to eat such amazing foods all the time? that gnocchi bake stands out to me, but every dish looks so droolworthy!
I’ve always been curious about Tastevin. Thanks for a great review. Will definitely get a group to go the next time we are in the area.
what a great birthday pick! looks cosy and intimate (and warming and tasty). sounds like you had a lovely time there
It definitely looks romantic in there! That apple tart looks fantastic, reminds me of something my aunty baked for me in Paris! So pretty
I wish I could visit your country. The restaurants over there seem to be very adventurous with their recipes.
Happy Birthday!
The gnocchi sounds amazing!! that’s too bad that the chocolate fondant wasn’t as rich as you were expecting…also it’s funny to hear that there’s a store in chinatown there known as Mamak..must be malaysian food right?…cuz here we refer to our 24hr stalls that sell indian muslim food as a mamak stall…they are great roti canai or tandoori after a long night of drinking…hehe…
This food all looks amazing! Happy birthday!
It’s a shame the escargot pie wasn’t as exciting as it sounds. The gnocchi sounds beautiful with cheese and mushroom, and the panna cotta is making me jealous!
Oohh yayy nother place to hit up during those midnight cravings
OOhh I’m having a huge snail craving since I’ve been reading Jay Rayner haha mmmm piiiee XD
Happy Birthday! I just walked passed this place last Friday on our way to Victoria Room and realised that there’s a new restaurant there. I love the lighting too
and the creme caramel looks really yummy 
from my previous experiences with Escargot, each time it reminded me of mushrooms too lol
This place looks fantastic as well as the dishes you had. Happy birthday!
i want an apple tart adorned with a sparkler for my next birthday–what fun deliciousness.
Happy birthday!!!!!
Happy Birthday, NQN! Great post – though I enjoy the interviews, etc, I love your impartial restaurant reviews most!
The gnocchi a la Parisienne looks phenomnenal!
Hi Blond Duck-Hehe thankyou!
Hi Anita-They were so good! Oops sorry-but they’re open until 2am so you could do almost any time!
Hi Steph-yes I am a Night Owl so I love late night places-even shops!
Hi Dorcas-Thankyou so much!
Hi Sophia-I wish I ate like this all the time
Hi romaverona-Cool, you’re welcome! I hope you guys like it
Hi shez-Thanks! It was the perfect choice for the night. We did indeed!
Hi Betty-I loved the decor
Yes like a ultra thin galette!
Hi Julia-You can! You’ll eat very well here in Sydney too
Thankyou!
Hi Alexandra-I know, we were hoping for something really gooey and rich but it was quite watered down in taste
Yep you’re right, it is Malaysian and they do great roti! 
Hi Cakelaw-Thankyou so much!
Hi Arwen-It was nice but not very escargo-ey if you know what I mean
I would love the recipe for the creme caramel!
Hi FFichiban-yup it’s for the night owls amongst us! Yes best of both worlds right?
Hi foodie-central-Thankyou! Yes it’s only a few months old! I guess that’s the SYdney restaurant scene!
Hi Yas-Hehe yes they could just use mushrooms and we’d be none the wiser!
Thankyou so much and Happy Birthday to you too! 
Hi grace-You can have one my dear! You can!
Hi Nachiketa-Thankyou so much!
Hi Nia-Thankyou! You are so sweet to say that!
Hi maris-Oh it was, I was literally scraping the bowl with my spoon for any extra bits
the beef looks delicious and who doesn’t love fresh and crisp apple tarts embellished with sparklers! happy birthday!
Hi Mei-Thankyou so much! Sparklers made everything so…sparkly!
Thanks 
Happy Belated Birthday
happy belated birthday! The gnocchi with white truffle mornay look absolutely delicious and I love the sparkler on your dessert!
OOOh, Looks like you had a mojito! I seem to have those quite a lot recently. But I make them myself with Sugar cane Rum we got from Mauritius. It changes it slightly and is delightful.
I just love Oysters, but I haven’t had them in years :/
Just discovered your blog via the Twitterverse. As a fellow food-lover, I love your blog. The photos are to die for and the food looks delicious. Thanks for sharing your birthday treats!
Silly girl, did you pay to eat SNAILS?? Due to all the rain we’ve been having I have a few fat fellas playing hookey in my garden, I might bake them into a pie
Hi DeLaCour-Thankyou so much!
Hi 5 Star Foodie-Thankyou!
I would love to recreate the gnocchi at home -perhaps one day!
Hi ArtemisIII-Ooh that sounds like a nice rum indeed!
Oh really, why is that? I love them too 
Hi MrsDesperate-Fantastic, thankyou! You are too kind, thanks again for your lovely comment
Hi Ridves-Haha good luck with that. Let us know how your garden snails taste ok?
What a great way to celebrate a birthday. There certainly aren’t enough supper places here. Hope you were suitably pampered for your birthday
Hi Y-Thanks so much. I was indeed-if only every day could be a birthday
Well I haven’t had oysters in years mainly because there has been no occassion for them, plus the “other half” doesn’t like them. They just aren’t a single person thing.
Hey there, happy birthday!
I just had mine in May as well, dined out at Hurricanes =D I was wondering what drink you bought, in the 3rd shot?
Hi Artemis-I am an addict I’m afraid and nothing stands between me and oysters although I do agree that it’s nicer if both of you like them!
Hi mae-Thanks! Happy Birthday to you too! It was a Chambord Mojito with mint
Yummie,those coctails look delicious! Especially now when its 35 degrees outside and youre in an office with no airco cause its broken!
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