Milsons Restaurant
17 Willoughby Street
Kirribilli, NSW
http://www.milsonsrestaurant.com.au
Last night, my wife and I, had dinner here. My wife had just received a promotion, so we thought "why not try one of RB's restaurant's on his Recommended BYO-Friendly Restaurants list", as you do!
I was impressed with this restaurant even before we laid eyes on the place. While making the reservation, I inquired how much corkage was (even though it is listed on RB's website) just to make sure that BYO was excepted. The lady on the other end of the phone straight away informed me that they did not allow BYO on the weekends, only during the week. I then proceeded to explain to her that it was a special bottle I was bringing to celebrate my wife's promotion, and that I would have to cancel the booking. Immediately she said that due to the circumstances, she would allow us to bring the bottle, but please be discret when you come in and that they would have to charge us $10 per head corkage (in fact on the night they only charged us $7 per head).
My wife and I only have good things to say about the whole experience. The service was timely, the wait staff friendly. They decantered the wine for us, and provided excellent stemware as well. The food was wonderful, we both had beef, Beck having the 150 day old steak and I having the Ribeye. Both cooked to perfection. Also there were many little finishing touches, like shot-glass sorbet desert cleansers, that made the experience even more special. We both would defintely go back again!
Oh, by the way the "special bottle" was a 1996 Wolf Blass Black Label Cab/Shiraz. One of my wife's favourites and it performed quite well. Very closed at first by after half an hour in the glass, it started to show itself. Colour was dark red, but not as deep as the 1998. Raisins and berry aromas were evident and my wife commented that she could just sit there and leave her nose in the glass all night. The wine itself had fine tannins, with plenty of fruit and vanillia oak flavours, maybe a little too much oak, but then you expect this from Wolf Blass wines. Is probably at it's peak and will not get any better. Have another 3 bottles and will probably drink these over the next 4 years.

