Ottoman Restaurant

As you get older birthdays merge into a haze of memories. From candles and clowns to cocktails and canapes, the way we celebrate our birthdays may change but I think it's important to mark the passing of another year with a special experience.

This year we headed off to an old favourite restaurant of ours- that Canberra institution, 'The Ottoman'.

There's been a spin-off in Sydney for a few years now down on the harbour at Walsh Bay. Even so, it's still a great indulgence to brave a chilly Canberra autumn night and slip into the warm expansive glow of the Ottoman's original main dining room with its cream suede high-back chairs and soft-dimmed overhead lights. At $100 a head the degustation menu with matching wines is great bang-for-the-buck.

Warm turkish bread with roasted Kalamata olives and olive oil and caramelised balsamic

Salmon and prawn dolma in crisp pastry with Yamba prawn, shitake mushrooms and wilted spinach.

Filo-pastry cigars filled with shredded veal and cabbage-leaf wrapped lamb mince with garlic yoghurt sauce

Lamb mince stuffed baked eggplant
Chinese cabbage salad with toasted almonds pomegranate seeds and vinaigrette
Orange, lemon and passionfruit sorbet with pistachio crumbs
Trio of dessert - baklava, custard slice and nougat ice-cream with candied fruit almond bread