Vanessa: An overdue catch up with a friend brought us to the latest culinary hot spot in Enmore, The Stinking Bishops. This delightful new establishment, very aptly named after the English washed-rind cheese, is set to make waves as lovers of charcuterie, duck rillettes and of course cheese gather to sample the delights. As reservations are not taken and tables are limited, my friend and I decided to wing it on a Thursday evening after work. We arrived at 7pm and were immediately greeted by the friendly waiter who informed us there was a bit of a wait..to be expected really for a new opening.
Determined not to let that stop us, we gave over our number and headed a few doors up to the cosy wine bar, Cittavino, where we sipped on pinot grigio and complimentary nibbles whilst waiting for our table. This is a lovely place to grab a drink if there is a bit of a wait or if you simply fancy a nice glass of imported wine. To our surprise, the table was ready a mere fifteen minutes later so we finished up and head over.
Crisp glass of pinot grigio and complimentary nibbles at CittaVinno
Variety of imported wines on offer at Cittavino
We were directed to the back counter which was a perfect spot for us to catch up whilst grazing. My immediate thought as I looked around was how much of a relaxed and casual ambiance had been created, not to mention the intriguing display of imported cheese and hanging small goods. As you walk in to the left there is a large chalk board listing all the different varieties of cheeses on offer. Do take some time to have a read of these and don’t be afraid to ask questions. I found our waiter to be very knowledgable and helpful in choosing the cheese for our board. Since cheese was a given, we decided to see what else we could sample. The menu is not extensive but that doesn’t make choosing any easier when the options all sound tempting.
The chalkboard of cheese
The menu
Our eyes lit up reading the specials board with their baked fig with prosciutto and gorgonzola ($6 each), but alas we were swiftly told that they had sold out, seems a popular dish amongst many! Moving swiftly along we decided to accompany our cheese board with a serve of duck rillettes with tart plum jam ($18) along with a bowl of marinated olives ($7).
The duck rillettes and the olives came out in a timely manner and ahead of the cheese board. The olives were a mix of great variety and nicely marinated. The duck rillettes (which I was a little hesitant over initially) were presented beautifully in a small jar alongside a generous serve of plum jam. The rillettes were chunky in texture and to me tasted more like chicken than duck…but was a delicious choice. They were served with grain organic sourdough bread which was light, fluffy and slightly warm.
Duck rillettes and marinated olives
Next came the three cheese board ($29) with an accompanying basket of crackers, crisp bread and sourdough. We had chosen a Gorgonzola Dolce Latte (Italy), Quickes Oak Smoked Cheddar (UK) and the Bert 3 Latte (Italy). Gorgonzola Dolce Latte is one of my all time favourites. I love it for its creaminess with its subtle blue vein flavour. The smoked cheddar was something I wouldn’t normally order for fear of it being overpowering, but it is very lightly smoked. The Bert 3 Latte was soft, creamy and left us wanting more. My observation here would be that the portion of cheese leant slightly on the smaller size but that could have also been us just wanting more of it!
The 3 cheese board
We felt content and happy to have discovered the delights on offer here. We didn’t manage to sneak in the deconstructed cheesecake ($12) for dessert but will add it to the list for next time.
I would definitely recommend a visit to The Stinking Bishops for all lovers of cheese who are looking for a relaxed ambience and casual evening out. It’s also a great place to grab a quick bite, glass of wine and a cheese board before catching a gig at the Enmore Theatre, which is just a short stroll up the road.
Enjoy!
– Vanessa Iacomino
– V.B.A
mmm ive heard a lot about this place and cant wait to visit after reading your post!
It’s a cute shop and the toasties are good. It definitely has a lot of hype around it though!