Barra on Todd Restaurant and Bar — Restaurant in Northern Territory

I went to lunch here on my last trip to Alice Springs, as it's the only remaining restaurant in the Northern Territory that still accepts Good Food Gift cards. Why they sell these cards in Darwin I don't know when there's nowhere in Darwin to use them!

Anyway, I've been to Alice Springs many times, never been to Barra on Todd, but with a gift card on hand thought I'd try it out.

Located in the Mercure Alice Springs Resort, less than a minute out of the CBD area, this looks to be a spacious restaurant, accessible through either the pool area or just next to the hotel lobby. Out of the dozens of tables, there were only 2 tables occupied, so I had my pick. This was during the work week, so maybe it's not popular with the working lunch denizens of Alice Springs?

The reviews were generally positive, speaking highly of all the ways Barra is cooked here. Unfortunately it appears that this was for the dinner menu...for the lunch menu you only had two Barra options, beer battered and char grilled. It's a pity, looking at the dinner menu it was actually somewhat exciting, though I suppose the lack of diners during the lunch period means they aren't too fussed about too much effort into this dining period.

I ordered the Chargrilled Barra, a Heineken, as well as the Eggplant Curry. Two mains, but I had a $50 gift card to burn.

The Barra was okay, it's hard to ruin it. It came with a generous serving fo chips, some salad on the side. No real complaints.

The Eggplant Curry was a surprise, with steamed rice, eggplant curry, and a fried roti. The roti looked unappetising, but was quite good, I'd be happy with this if served at an Indian restaurant. Eggplant curry itself was okay, nothing to write home about, but not bad either.

Would I go here again? For lunch, without a free gift card, definitely not. For dinner, I'd give it another shot, but I'd approach it with trepidation, as it's not the cheapest.

This venue is...

We have been regular visitors over the years and unfortunately the experience is subpar on most occasions. Food is OK, consistency not good. Service is always the same - slow, and once you've had one drink at the beginning they won't offer another, once you've had your main they won't clear your plate. They're missing out on sales. We've often left without a second glass of wine and dessert even though we wanted it. We waited 15 minutes last night for someone to clear us, even caught the waiters eye and gave him a little wave, he just looked away and continued setting tables. Not busy last night either.

My favourite dessert is the creme brulee and its different every time. Sometimes burnt, sometimes undercooked, used to always he served with a delicious grand marnier cookie which was almost the best part, now is only served with half a cookie! and never the same flavour. Last night was a weird chocolate flavour I could have got at woolies.

It's a real shame because we've continued to support local and give Barra on Todd a go because we enjoy a nice dining experience, unfortunately our visits have become less and less and doubt we will be back anytime soon. There are better alternatives in town for a dining experience that matches the style of restaurant...

Barra on Todd is aFantastic restaurant. It is our favourite restaurant in Alice Springs. The prices are a little higher than I would like but they make up for it in atmosphere and meal preparation. The stunning pool outside gives a dazeling view at night. The meals were cooked very well. I had the Baramundi which I would expect to be excellent as of the name of the restaurant, and it did not let me down. The beverage range is extensive. The kids meals are generous portions which was great for my kids. They also come with ice cream. The price of the kids menu is very good value for what you get. The service from all the staff is always at a very high standard, I could not fault the staff this time. I highly recommend if you are a local or...