Crusoe’s Restaurant

Crusoe’s was a bit of a surprise — we chose it for a special occasion, our anniversary, based on the menu we saw in the entertainment guide, got the kids settled in with a baby sitter, and headed off. Knowing we were heading into Crows territory at West Lakes, I had some trepidation about what to expect — area’s iconified by footie teams don’t always offer the best in five star cuisine — but the food here outweighed the surroundings by a magnificent amount.
The premises does feel a little dated — a lot like a leagues club on the Gold Coast/​Tweed Heads border — but the menu was way up there with the best I’ve had anywhere. I had a goats cheese soufflé, half a duck perfectly roasted with a cherry sauce (now there are both my achilles heels in one dish, duck AND cherries — heaven) and a decadent dark chocolate mud cake dessert that was pure mud and barely cake at all.
Food like this is well worth the price — and well worth the trek across to the far side of town… heck, it was even worth the small arm and a leg we paid for a baby sitter on short notice. Staff were wonderful — possibly because we made it known we were there for our wedding anniversary, but they do say the only thing they overlook is the lake, and that really did seem to be true.
Recommended.

What a romantic view of the lake!
You’d know Crusoe’s was in a hotel even if you were magically transported in without walking through the front door. I think it’s the commercial patterned carpets that give it the distinct hotel vibe. The interior is a tad dated. I wouldn’t call the Lakes Resort rundown, but there’s a slight feeling it never fulfilled the ambitious destiny set out by its owners… like the crowds never came. If Tony Montana came to Adelaide, he’d like this restaurant.
As one of the most up market restaurants in the area, the service and food did not disappoint. Chef Matthew Sadler covers a lot of ground in a short, highly intense menu. Out of the 10 mains, you can choose from: venison, chicken, lamb, salmon, duck, pork, steak and a catch of the day. I had the salmon and was pleased it wasn’t overcooked. The deserts were a highlight.
Couldn’t fault the service, we had a big group and they were very accommodating.