A European-inspired eatery inside a CBD hotel officially launched in May.

When we enter PARC Brasserie & Bar inside the Pullman Hotel, window cleaners are scrubbing the glass walls overlooking Hindmarsh Square and “Emo Park”. The PARC team apologise but say they’re finishing the final touches before the restaurant’s hard launch this Friday.

Though the restaurant is connected to the Pullman, restaurant and bar manager Clement Demarais and executive chef Francis Luzinier say PARC is a “separate entity”.

“So even though we are part of one business, PARC is to be as far away as possible from the hotel,” Clement says.

“We remain available for in-house guests in scenarios [where] they are looking for an experience, especially like a local experience with a twist of Europe behind [it].

“But we like to showcase the best products that we have in South Australia, and that’s basically where we position ourselves.”

A PARC spread

Before PARC, the restaurant was titled Salt and offered a different style of food compared to the new establishment, which includes “bigger portions”.

“I got critics [like] ‘oh chef is too generous, chef likes to eat’. But unfortunately, I like my food,” Francis says as CityMag too likes to eat.

“Unfortunately, I eat too fast… my wife says ‘slow down’ when I eat. We go to a restaurant, she’s still on her entrée and I finish my main course because I like food.

“I enjoyed Salt’s menus, it was good. They offer different techniques and different cooking. But I believe PARC will be more refined.”

Francis wants guests to enjoy an entrée, second course, main and dessert, creating portion sizes suitable enough to indulge without being too full for the next course. Francis explains this as a normal Brasserie experience.

He also says the second course is a “different style of entrée”.

“It’s not tapas… I want you to have a journey where you say ‘my papilles [taste buds] are really excited, they’re on fire, I want more’,” Francis says.

“So the end of it you have a small little entree, then you have a second course then you have your main course but you’re not full. I don’t want to give you big, big, big. I’ll give you medium and what you need, but I want you to have dessert.”

All the colours of a PARC chargrilled squid

The menu has a European influence with a focus on local produce. The menu items range from Coffin Bay oysters, chargrilled South Australian squid (pictured above) and parmesan gnocchi.

“The South Australian products are working very well: the kingfish is one of the best, but [what] the customer is really taking on is the steak. That Scotch really beats all the mother-of-mothers. It’s unbelievable,” Francis says as PARC has already softly opened, but will be properly launching to the public this Friday.

“You have a beautiful lamb cutlet also which sells very well, the grill sells very well as well — people can complement that with the pomme frites, a side salad, a nice pear and rocket salad.

“Then there’s lovely, lovely desserts. You cannot pass the affogato or really, the best one is Louis XV.”

We ask Francis what Louis XV is and he says: “Oh my God, it is to die for.”

“It’s layered chocolate but fine cocoa buttons which are melted make it into a different mouse — beautiful flavour. You just have a bite, and you say give me some more. Honestly, I’m not kidding you,” he says.

“Louis XV is a true chocolate indulgence. Really, really, really, really nice.”

PARC also has a strong focus on pairing food with suitable wines, curated by Clement, with 50 per cent Australian wines and 50 per cent European.

“At the bar, we have a strong focus on gin and whiskey [as well],” Clement says.

“So we can literally take a guest on a bit of a tour: Coffin Bay, Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Barossa. So we’ve tried to highlight what we do best in South Australia and then support to the local economy as well.”

PARC Brasserie & Bar is located at 16 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide and is open everyday from 12pm until late.

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