I first stumbled across Ashscotts a few months ago. It is a local restaurant located on the main street in Berwick, and occupies the space, which was formerly Jason’s Terrace. It is one of the newest restaurants in the Berwick area and is off to a flying start.

Ashscotts promise is simple food cooked well, along with great service and a funky atmosphere. I think that they succeed on all these accounts. The staff at Ashscotts are a predominantly young, friendly and enthusiastic group, who always make you feel welcome and at home. I think this is important, as service can be a crucial factor as to whether you will return to a restaurant or not. If the food is good and the service is poor would you return? Probably not, and the proprietors know this and consequently ensure that the restaurant delivers on both accounts.

Now for the food. The offerings at Ashscotts are simple and tasty dishes, which are not mucked around with excessively. You get typical bistro and pub offerings, along with some more exciting dishes, cooked exceptionally well. Things like great pastas, a fantastic calamari fritti dish, huge salads or an awesome chicken parma. This is good simple food that is generous, and well priced ($15 to $20 for most mains). For this you get great food served in a restaurant that is clean and modern with a nice fit-out, and a great feel to the place. On any sitting you will see a range of different diners, from young teenagers, through to seniors – everyone seems to love this place.

Pictured below is one of their most popular offerings. The chicken parma – for $16.50 you get a huge parma, complete with napoli sauce, ham and cheese, served on top of a generous pile of crispy fries and sided by a simple garden salad. They also have a special on Monday night where you get a Pot n Parma for only $12 – you’ll struggle to get a better deal at your local pub.



Ashscotts also has a small, but well-chosen wine list, which is good value, with some decent quality bottles for around $25. They also have a small list of deserts, but you are better off going for a slice of cake (to share even) if you can fit it in. They are not house made but are of excellent quality, and you get a good sized slice for about $7.50.

Coffee is also fairly good.

My score: 13.5/20
Food (6/10), Service (4/5), Ambience – modern, smallish tables, can be very noisy (3.5/5)

It should be noted that Ashscotts is not a fine dining restaurant, but a simple bistro style establishment that achieves what it sets out to do exceptionally well. Thus while the score may seem modest it is highly recommended.

www.ashscotts.com.au

Labels: Ashscotts, REVIEWS: Casual Dining