arkhé — Restaurant in Adelaide

I’ve never written a negative review in my life, but my experience was so rancid I had to leave a review. In my life I have worked in hospitality (FOH & BOH) for 4yrs, so I have some semblance of how things can run but my god my night was horrid.

Ambience & service The hanging lights were right in our eyes, the glare was insane. Glad we were able to move but I don’t understand how this would be pleasant 2nd the table was so unstable our water sloshed out of our glasses Staff made direct eye contact with us but ignored us; happened multiple times when we wanted water top up, the menu etc. When I told staff I had dietary requirements that I put on the online booking, they said they would check with the chef- they never got back to me and just served other people. Had to get the attention of another server Asked x2 for water top up, once by raising our arm, the other time went up to a waiter- never got our water I don’t know what system the kitchen runs on, but there was one chef that would clap intermittently during service. Was not the most pleasant experiences especially if it’s an open kitchen,vv disarming

Food Very long wait time. Waiter brought out hot plates and our cutlery and said that our mains were not far off. By the time the mains came out, all the plates were stone cold. Steak was unchewable, my mum couldn’t even swallow the meat. Steak knives blunt. Pork was served pink- unsettling as no one wants to get a food borne disease. My mum ordered the pickled walnut with her steak and there was no explanation, so she wasn’t unsure if that was the correct item. Waiter kindly offered to get the pickled walnut from the kitchen to make sure it was the same, when it was, he offered to bring out the quince paste for her to try- it never came

Bill REMINDER TO CHECK THE BILL On our first bill, the cauliflower was charged twice and 2 x 250g steaks ordered in which one was charged 0.88c more; how is this possible? — if this was due a minute weight difference it needs to be communicated and we have to consent to this before you cook it? 2nd bill that took forever to come - parfait was charged x3; we didn’t even order 1 parfait 3rd bill, you would think they would get it right by now. NO. The steak and pork which are charged per kg, overcharged by $5-10 each & the bone marrow dish was overcharged by $2; made sure we weren’t crazy by comparing it to the physical menu there . Went to tell the waiter, they said they would fix it up right away. By now it had been 15-20 minutes of us just waiting to pay the correct bill, we wanted nothing more than to leave. I had to go up and ask for the final bill one more time before they gave it to us. The server that said they would fix it up right away was busy serving other customers. I understand it can be busy but this was the 3rd time the bill was wrong, surely just fix it immediately and let us pay?! Why on the 3rd try, was everything not even checked correctly. Embarrassed for the management really. The server offered apologies and said that this errors were due to new staff, and changes to the prices on the menu. We were not the first people to pay that night, I can only imagine the previous patrons being charged incorrectly. I can’t deny I felt as a patron that Arkhe was taking advantage of people who possibly don’t check the $/kg on their bill or even the entree prices, in order to make a high profit margin. Yes, hospitality is a rough industry right now, but doing it in a way that is duplicitous, shame; I wouldn’t have this take away usually but this was the THIRD time the bill was wrong, you can’t be wrong this many times, at least have the initiative to double check now.

Overall, I don’t know if our expectations were too high, as we have heard great things from this place from friends but if you are paying a certain price to have a nice meal out, there is a certain expectation for good service, quality of the ambience, service and food. I have and will be telling everyone I know to stay clear and...

ADELAIDE- arkhé and friends Ben Williamson 5th December 2025. Laphroaig Tasting

Cocktail on arrival Islay B.O.A.T - Coconut-infused Laphroaig 10 YO, Spiced Pineapple, Lime, Orgeat Yum deep Smokey flavour of the Laphroaig Charred Carrot Tartlet, Smoked Labneh, Mandarin Kösho Wow Sweet carrot mandarin explosion what a start Coal Roasted Crab Tostada, Fenugreek, Salted Yolk, Lemon Leaf Crunchy delicious delight 2cm rolled Tostada with soft spider crab mixture. The fenugreek really goes well. Delicious. Laphroaig Tasting Paddle - Laphroaig 10 YO, Light sweetness medicinal like flavour. Very nice. Laphroaig 10 YO Sherry Oak Finish, Wow deep smoke sweet honey rich long lasting. The Sherry cast flavour comes through excellent. Surrounded my mouth. Delicious. Buy Buy. I love it. Nuttiness too. Last lasts and lasts. Laphroaig 10 YO Cask Strength Very serious drink. Loads flavour vanilla leathery spicy warm finish Chris Bolton Coral Trout, Kombu, Smoked Bone Garum, Horseradish Amazing the best coral trout I’ve ever eaten. I’ve eat thousands The bone Garum sauce is to die for. It’s so delicious and delicious. It’s so sweet and salty from the kombu. I just can’t say enough it’s so bloody delicious deliciousness. Charred Lebanese Cucumber, Ajo Blanco, Grilled Pea Shoyu Very nice. Cucumber wasn’t charred enough. But still very nice. 2023 Seppeltsfield Watervale Riesling, Clare Valley Nice some light citrus Ox Tongue, Malted Miso Hollandaise, Soured White Onions Miso sauce hello you delicious devil. Sweet white onions with succulent tongue wow. This is amazing. Seeded mustard glaze add sweet spiciness. It’s truly deliciousness. The way they have prepared the tongue is so soft yet with some beautiful crunchy bits on the edges. Ben told me it’s days in the brine, slow smoked for days then a quick smoke to add the crunchy bits This is heaven. Truly amazing. 2022 Seppeltsfield No. EC3' Touriga/Tinta Cao/Tinta Amarela, Barossa Nice red a bit lacking in punch Wood Roasted Pork Loin, Jus Gra, Kanzuri, Beer Mustard Sweetheart Cabbage, Calamansi Vinegar, Smoked Almonds, Tarragon Wow you succulent oink jump in my mouth squeal as I bite in you beautiful soft flesh with just perfect skin. Expertly cooked. The twin sauce s really blends wonderfully hot spicy with delicious caramelised against the yummy balsamic. Truly a match made for ME. Cabbage soft Smokey. Mango, Smoked Yoghurt Cremeux, Macadamia Praline I would try to explain how they hung peeled mango over coals for 12 hours. But I am still in shock. 12 bloody hours. Simply stunning. Sweet meets charcoal meats tanginess. A brilliant confusing outstanding complex wonderment. Give me a bucket full. The toffee taste is still on my tongue and teeth. Taury House - Laphroaig 10 YO, 2003 Seppelsfield Para Tawny, Cherry Macadamia Cocktail Just put this in a bottle and sell it for 50 I’ll buy a case. Sweet cherry light tawny on the tongue then bring home the finish Amazing Laphroiagh right and back end. Sweet Smokey delicious. What a way to end a night of true great flavours. Also I had great company we laughed...

Adelaide 520 （Chinese lovers day）Dinner at a “Pretty Restaurant” | Arkhe: A boar can’t appreciate fine bran

This place is called Arkhe, located in Norwood. There are quite a few 2P parking spots around the residential area, and it’s not hard to find parking on weekdays.

We spent around $150 per person without ordering the tasting menu.

Overall, it didn’t quite live up to expectations. You can tell the ingredients are high-end, and each dish showcases layered textures and flavors. But the combinations didn’t really suit me. Compared to Italian cuisine, this just didn’t hit the mark.

Take the roasted bone marrow, for example. I thought it would be rich and fragrant, but it came out somewhat cold, paired with scallions and a vinaigrette-style topping. It wasn’t flavorful or greasy—in fact, pretty bland. The bone marrow had no taste on its own, and the scallions on top tasted just like something you’d find in a regular home-cooked salad.

The desserts were disappointing. One was roasted pear with vanilla ice cream, topped with a pecan flavor. But combined, they were just barely passable.

The other dessert was a meringue with berry bits and a kind of sorbet. The meringue had a marshmallow-like texture—not what I expected. It had a blowtorched surface but ended up being overly sweet and cloying.

I was looking forward to the duck or foie gras tart, but sadly it sat out for a long time before being served. The caramelized crust had lost its crispness, and the liver inside had turned into a liquid state. The tart base was a buttery biscuit, which made the whole thing rich and greasy—not terrible, but just okay. Definitely had that “pretty food” vibe.

The oysters were quite sweet and paired beautifully with the Riesling—it really brought out the sweetness. But there was too much scallion on top, which messed with the texture.

The duck wontons were actually quite good. The filling was seasoned very authentically. The broth was light yet full of depth. The taste felt so familiar, like something I’d had before, though I couldn’t quite place it. Maybe a hint of black truffle oil? Or the essence of roasted mushroom soup? This was the only dish I’d consider “pretty decent.”

As for the mains, since we don’t eat seafood, we ordered wagyu and pork, both around 300g. I think we got lucky as the first table at 6PM—they had a tag showing how much of each cut was available that day. The open kitchen with glowing red charcoal looked amazing, but when the meat arrived, it was only lukewarm. Were they trying to mimic the temperature inside a cow? Bizarre. But fine, still acceptable. The wagyu came with a slightly tangy pecan sauce that paired well. The pork came with caramelized artichoke, which removed any earthy flavor, but again—caramel with artichoke? A very peculiar combo.

The red wines, though, were all excellent.

Anyway, I’d give this “pretty restaurant” a 60/100. Not awful, but not impressive either. Great...