Sous le Soleil (“Under the sun”) have two restaurants, one in St Ives, and one in Roseville. This is about a meal at the St Ives one, in the old Headmaster’s Cottage.

As you walk in to the old house, the rooms at the front have all sorts of French things for sale, including soaps, lotions, and art. The restaurant is in the back half of the house, spilling out onto an outdoor terrace.

There’s something warm and intimate about the rooms inside the house, with the terrace being much more open and airy, so you can choose the location with the atmosphere you prefer. It was a cool day when I visited, so I was glad to be indoors.

While I was waiting for my meal to arrive, I enjoyed nibbling on some very tasty sourdough, which had been toasted, so was crispy on the outside, and soft and warm on the inside. I think the heat brought out the fullness of the flavour, which had an almost nuttiness to it.

They had some tempting things on the menu, such lamb shank pie, or nicoise salad. Normally I choose something which seems unique to each place, to try something different (unless it’s a favourite, like char kway teo, when I’ll choose it frequently). This time I knew I was having dinner out, so didn’t want a heavy meal. And so I chose the carpaccio of peppered veal with fig, grapes, Kipfler potatoes and a salad of beetroot, melba toast, and horseradish cream.

The plate looked a work of art. The kipfler potatoes were in small chunks, half-hidden under the melba toast in the picture above. The horseradish and the pepper added two different sorts of zing to the lightly seared veal. There was a good mix of textures and flavours, which kept every mouthful interesting.

As that was light, there was just enough room for a light dessert, still not wanting to overdo it for lunch. I chose the “Rosedale Delight”: strawberry and rosewater fool, fresh strawberries drizzled with Grand Marnier and topped with a toasted meringue.

The strawberry and rosewater fool was light and not too sweet, with the rosewater not overpowering it, but adding a gentleness to it. A gorgeous, light dessert.

The staff were friendly and helpful. Now I’d like to try the Roseville Sous le Soleil, to see how they compare.

Details

Here are the details for Sous le Soleil at St Ives. Check their web site for current information.

Web site	http://www.slshome.com.au
Address	175 Rosedale Road (corner of Mona Vale Rd), St Ives NSW 2075
Phone	(02) 9983 1188
Open	Tuesday to Saturday: Lunch: 12.00pm -2.00pm Dinner: 6.00pm – Close
Menu	French, Mains: $18-$31

How do you choose what to order? Tried and true, old favourites? Or, something new?