The metamorphosis of the former Miller’s Restaurant into the bright minimalistic The Mill in Ballantyne Park couldn’t be greater!
By Le Connoisseur
The Mill is modern in more than its décor — it’s a pub with a compulsory flat screen TV permanently tuned to sport and it’s also a sophisticated restaurant. Shades of the Old Wombles (the precursor of Miller’s) where I spent many happy hours in the pub adjoining the restaurant, both of which served very good meals.
Wednesday evening and the pub is full and noisy, presumably with “business golfers” celebrating the 19th hole! We had booked for the more sedate restaurant; in fact we were the first diners but were soon joined by others.
The menu is compact, just one page with about five starters and slightly more main courses (none of which is vegetarian).
The wine list however is very comprehensive and The Mill deserves commendation for their reasonable prices for both wines and other drinks.
Also worthy of favourable comment is the fact that they specify the origin of their “wine by the glass”, US$2/$3 depending on whether box or bottle chosen, and corkage at a reasonable US$3.
Our Excelsior Sauvignon Blanc at US$14 was excellent value, an ice bucket produced without delay and the large sparkling wine glasses a joy to behold and even more so to drink out of!
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After we had placed our order, I saw a note on the bottom of the menu about daily specials which were revealed to us when we asked our waiter — information which would have been better volunteered when we received our menus.
Later still, I remembered reading that there is a Pub Menu featuring Tapas, again given to us by our waiter only on request.
It was too late to change our order so we thought no further about this option.
No breads to nibble on but our starters arrived fairly quickly, Liver Pate (US$7) and Crumbed Prawns (five for US$10), both beautifully presented, such artistry is worthy of top class dining and justified the higher than usual cost.
My choice for main course of Yellow Tail Fish was not available, just hake, which I definitely didn’t fancy, was offered. I was content to order deboned baby chicken instead.
A dessert was definitely in order for my aborted T-bone guest though I have to admit to being a bit taken aback by the cost.
Lemon pudding (US$9) proved much better value than the cheese (US$10) which was a small slice each of Brie, Camembert, Gouda and Cheddar and a few insignificant biscuits.
The expectation of figs or even grapes or sliced apple and a glass of complementary port remained unfulfilled! Coffee, I’m pleased to report, was excellent.
The imagination shown in presentation and description of the dishes indicates sophistication usually only experienced in top class fine dining establishments and promises much.
The failure to draw our attention to all the food options available, from the outset, or to handle the report from a client of a tough steak in the way one would expect from such an obviously classy establishment, sadly lost The Mill some precious points in this review.
On my next visit I will chose a time when the pub is quieter, so I can eat there, and order a selection from the wonderfully imaginative, comprehensive and reasonably priced Tapas menu, as well, of course, as an interesting bottle of wine. Open 12 noon to 11:30pm, Monday to Saturday, and until 4pm on Sundays.
Pub Restaurant 3 Plates Expect to spend US$25 to US$40 per head Ballantyne Park Shopping Centre
