The Ridge Organic Restaurant - FARRER

4 of us returned to start off 2017 as we ended 2016 - dining at The Ridge. It was closed for a couple of weeks in January - some minor changes in the layout of the restaurant and then back to business. If you like a blue steak, this is the place to go in Canberra. It may not be the biggest steak, but it is the best - cooked to perfection.The entrees included the vegetable stack, scollops, polenta lasagne and a vegetable curry. 2 of us had the steak, and 2 had the fish of the day. The vegetables are cooked so that they are still crunchy, just how we like them. As always, the service is excellent and the place was booked out. Peter does his magic in the kitchen whilst Gloria smiles her way around, looking after her customers. A great dining experience, as always.

My husband and I dined here Sarurday evening for a rare "date night". We had recently had some acquaintances say how much they enjoyed dining at The Ridge and how good the food was, especially the steaks. So we decided to try it for ourselves. Bonuses were the BYO status, allowing us to bring a good bottle of wine. You can also take spirits and beers as well and corkage is under $5.00. The restaurant is small, so book ahead. Parking is easy with the location at the local shops. The menu was succinct however it appeared to have a good variety of options. We started by ordering some bread however it didn't arrive till after the entrees so we sent it back. This was really the only blight on the service, and everyone in the restaurant seemed to be having a wonderful meal. For entree I had gnocchi with burnt butter and loved it - light and flavoursome. My husband really enjoyed his too - octopus and prawns with chilli and garlic. Both were served in hot ramekins and I was allowed a bite of one of the prawns and it actually tasted like a prawn - a rare thing these days. Both entrees were under $20 and I'd happily go back for these alone. Next my duck with Asian greens and a side of mixed vegetables was served and my husband had eye fillet steak with a tasty sauce and kipfler potatoes. He pronounced it "As good a steak as I've ever had." Can't get better than that and the side of kipflers were also very good. My duck breast had really lovely flavours - think Chinese five spice and star anise - I only had a couple of nitpicky reservations. The duck was sliced - I would have preferred it to be kept intact. The duck was pink and moist and the skin was rendered well, however it could have been taken off a bit earlier, it certainly was cooked a little more than I would have liked. And for this dish, I would have preferred the side of vegetables that I ordered with the meal to be served in a separate dish, so they didn't mingle with the lovely flavours of the Asian greens on my plate. I stress these are minor points - I have very rarely enjoyed duck at most restaurants. Too often it's dry and disappointing and I've pretty much given up ordering it out (except duck pancakes). But I would definitely have it again here. Mains were under $40. We would have had a cheese platter - the menu had some of my favourite cheeses to choose from including the delicious Tarago River Jensen's red, however the only biscuits were rice crackers and my husband isn't a fan. Next time I'll bring some biscuits because we love a good cheese platter. The table alongside us ordered ice creams and they were very generous in size and looked delicious. We abstained and ordered coffee instead and had two of the best flat whites we've ever had. Hot, strong and creamy.When I went to pay the bill the owner/chef apologised for the prawns, saying his normal supply were larger in size, however I reassured him they were fantastic and when I relayed this to my husband he said even more of a reason to go back again! Dinner was under $120 and was excellent. Thank you for a lovely night.

My Husband and I went there last night to celebrate our wedding anniversary having heard so many good reports, and we certainly were not disappointed! It is a small cosy little restaurant at the Farrer Shops about 8 tables in all, and the staff were extremely friendly and very attentive. I had a Fillet medallions of Beef with Diane sauce and my side dish which you can choose and is included in the price, was pan fried kipfler potatoes which were superb, The beef was tender, just under down as requested and the Diane was to die for. My Husband choose from the blackboard specials and had fried fillets of flat head which had been dipped into egg and covered in almond breadcrumbs - again supper. He also had as a side dish the pan fried kipfer potatoes. As an extra we also ordered a garden house salad costing $6.00. We had a lovely bottle of Penfold's 128 Shiraz which we brought to the restaurant and were charges a corkage fee of $3.50. Having enjoyed our main dishes, we decided to lash out on the special desserts which consisted of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and nectarines with a selection of superb ice creams. This dessert was on special costing $15, and we requested could we please share the dish. To our delight the delicious dessert was presented in two individual dishes which were heavenly. The total bill came to $93. 40 so we had the final payment of $100 which included a tip. We were so impress with this little restaurant, the choice of food was excellent, the atmosphere was homely, and the staff so helpful and very pleasant. We intend going here more often and brings our friends.

We love going back to The Ridge with our special friends. We tried the crocodile for something different and it was amazing, but no matter what you choose, you won't be disappointed. The ice cream desserts are so big that we have to share them with our wives, and Peter always makes sure we don't miss out.

A very pleasant surprise to see the emphasis is on an entirely gluten-free menu. This is tucked away and off the road, so you have to seek it out. And it's small, so better to book.I had an emu pie supposedly as an entree and which would have done as a main course, it was so large. Excellent pastry. My wife had kangaroo as her main - there's the coat of arms. Have to admit that only the roo had a distinctive flavour. It's a short menu befitting the size of the place and the service is very homely. That's a way of saying that it was such a pleasant contrast to the staff of other places that make you feel they're doing you a favour by serving you.It's also unlicensed, but the nearby supermarket has an excellent range of wines: we had a South African red that matched our meats very well. It also has a small number of outside tables that would be pleasant on a warm(er) night.Thoroughly recommended.