Restaurant Review
The Lane, Alice Springs 58 Todd Mall

The Lane in the Alice Springs Todd Mall in central Australia is not the most glamorous or well know restaurant in Alice Springs. However it is definitely one of the best run in Alice. Their friendly staff members in all areas from the waiters and waitresses to the cooks in the kitchen are extremely helpful, polite, well presented and overall adaptable in their services. The food services were an absolutely magnificent example of hospitality at its best. All meals ordered come out at once or in rapid succession so families can eat their meals all at once without an excessive waiting period or loss of heat in the meals. However the restaurant could keep a better track of their overall stock as they had run out of certain goods that were on the menu resulting in a 10-20 minute wait after ordering and the overall location results in a significant amount of indigenous traffic around lunchtime, normally a few of which are intoxicated, and the open front design of the store results in a significant draft during the winter months. The food provided at The Lane is outstanding, their daily specials thought out and as well presented as their everyday menu items. Though personal experience, the writer of this article can attest one of their specials, the salt and pepper squid Caesar salad, Is with very few exceptions a meal of absolute divinity. Only the freshest and softest Cos-lettuce is used so taste is optimised as well as being easy to digest and there is enough Caesar salad dressing to generously coat the salads but not so that nothing else may be tasted, the croutons were crisp yet soft enough to use a fork to pierce them without breaking them and added that little bit of texture to the salad. The Squid was cooked so it was tender and easy to chew but still slightly firm to maintain the overall texture however a little excessive on the salt making it a little harder to swallow it. But overall a very satisfying meal worth the $18.00 spent on it. Along with the salad are their exceptional cheese platters for two or three people containing an assortment of 3 different cheeses, a small amount of quints paste and six or nine slices of shortbread depending on the number of people. The cheeses included in the platter are Brea, Vintage Cheddar and Bleu. The Brea was fairly average as it was soft and creamy as Brea should be served but was kept in a slightly too warm environment as it had the consistency of cream cheese. The vintage Cheddar was brittle and well aged however was served with pieces of the label on it. Yet the Cheddar and Brea were very average when compared to the Bleu cheese which delivered a dry, sharp flavour that should be savoured and can still be tasted as its swallowed further prolonging the flavour. The aroma it gives is evident that it has been aged well and in optimum conditions resulting in a pleasant course texture that feels very pleasant as it’s swallowed. The aftertaste of the Bleu is also a strong vintage flavour that unfortunately makes the Cheddar and Brea taste somewhat bland and unsatisfying. Overall the combination of service and excellent food means that The Lane can really go places if the right decisions are made.


Overall 4 out of 5 Stars


Lachlan Horsfield