Dutch Courage Officers' Mess

Came here on Saturday evening and the place was crowded. It was hard to get a seat and I ended up sitting right at the corner closest to the toilet. However, the service was relatively quick despite the crowdedness.<br/ <br/ Dutch Courage's interior was dominated in dark brown and wooden furniture, with unique paintings on the walls. I ordered Aviation and another cocktail recommended by the barista, which I cannot remember the name. Aviation was nice and refreshing, while the other cocktail was fruity, sweet, and pretty-looking. It was decorated with edible flowers and has orange juice shaped as ice blocks, hence the contrasting colour. The orange juice will also make the drink sweeter as you drink it slower.<br/ <br/ Overall, a good experience. I would love to come back here when it is less crowded to better enjoy my drink.

Tasty middle eastern food and a nice vibe. Well worth a visit. We have been 5 times and no disappointments. The desserts are limited in number but marvellous. We will be back!

Went here for a late dinner and drinks. There is a downstairs section, which includes the bar, and an upstairs dining section.<br/ <br/ We had the Lamb Cigars, Braised Artichokes, House Chips and Lamb Shoulder. <br/ The Cigars were nice crispy pastries filled with spiced lamb mince. The Artichokes were well cooked and the flavours were nicely balanced with eggplant puree. The Chips were also crispy and filling. The Lamb Shoulder was a little bit dry and tough, however good punchy flavours.<br/ <br/ For dessert, we tried the Pannacotta delicate texture with interesting and punchy compliments, including the fig and date strip and chocolate oil.<br/ <br/ One small note is that the sides, share plates and grill came out rather quickly after each other, therefore the Lamb Shoulder was also unfortunately a tad cold when we finished the first dishes and finally got to it.<br/ <br/ My partner and I took advantage of the extensive gin selection available, which was impressive. Gin drinks came in 30ml and 45ml, and came with tonic as a default. Therefore, ask for neat or 'on the rock ', if you prefer. There were also cocktails, and a limited selection of other spirits and wines available.<br/ <br/ Service was friendly and efficient. Casual ambience. Reasonable prices.<br/ <br/ Overall, an excellent late night find for good food and an extensive gin selection.

Tried out the Dutch Courage Officers Mess for an after work catch up with a mate on his suggestion. I was pleasantly surprised, and had the share plates and wine. The food was brought out in a timely manner although we were doing an earlier eat at 6pm and there were only two couples in the open upper level eatery, so I guess that was to be expected. The food was nice and a good amount for the price even though the full price menu was a little on the high side for the goat and salmon share plates we thought (we had the advantage of a FirstTable half price food deal), but the quality was good and well presented and definitely not bland. The wine selection was ok, although limited in reds, and the choice made was fine but I think more choice could be a good thing. The pricing of wine seemed reasonable, but if you're after a wine bar to try some great wines, this is not the place I'd go, and I understand it's known as a gin bar so that seems to make sense with the lack of focus on wine. The rest of the drinks list has a few interesting additions and there was a reasonable choice of a variety of beverages from cocktails to beer and white wines, but I still think they could do with a handful more notable reds on the list to top it off. The atmosphere was nice with some lively after-work chatter amongst the patrons in the bar area downstairs, although I think the name really doesn't make much sense, as apart from a very few military related hangings it looks nothing like an officers mess. Still, it was a good experience all round and friendly service with nice food. I'd likely go again.

Lady Meatball and I experienced a thoroughly enjoyable evening at Dutch Courage Officers' Mess.<br/ <br/ As a gin bar, Dutch Courage is exceptional. We greatly enjoyed the expertly crafted cocktails, including the Summer Collins, Out of Africa and a Manhattan. The bartender, Carlos, mixes a great drink and is quite personable and engaging.<br/ <br/ The owner, Matt, can be found working on the floor, taking orders, delivering food and clearing plates. His commitment to Dutch Courage's success is refreshing. He noted that their initial focus was on being a great bar, but more recently they have been focusing on developing a strong food menu. He recommended the 18 hour Ras El Hanout Beef Ribs $19), which I happily ordered along with the Zucchini and Chickpea Fritters $16).<br/ <br/ The ribs were boneless, the meat was tender and the fat was beautifully rendered they were delicious and went perfectly with the house made flatbread and citrus yoghurt. This rated a 4.<br/ <br/ The Zucchini and Chickpea Fritters were delicious and went well with the yoghurt, eggplant caviar and tomato relish. I'm not usually a big fan of zucchini, but I devoured these. This too rated a 4.<br/ <br/ Dutch Courage is a place I can see myself losing many an afternoon and evening...I look forward to this!