Cataract on Paterson

- Tuesday, February 01, 2022

Cataract on Paterson

Cataract on Paterson is a contemporary Australian restaurant located in Launceston's CBD.

The restaurant offers indoor and outdoor dining and describes its interior design style as 'elegant industrial'. The numerous light bulbs hanging from the ceiling create a welcoming and almost industrial magical atmosphere and the attentiveness of the wait staff elevate the dining experience.

The menu offers a diverse range of tasty creations - we found it really hard to decide what to eat!

The cheesy oven baked cob sprinkled with crispy bacon was the perfect starter to share - the melting, oozing cheese was tasty and satisfying, but beware - it's very filling!

For entrees, we enjoyed the marinated octopus tentacles with romesco sauce and micro herb salad and marinated lamb skewers with a smashed cucumber and mint salad and zesty tzatziki.

The octopus was tender and the romesco sauce had just the right amount of spice to awaken the tastebuds.

The chargrilled lamb was pink and juicy and the minty, zesty tzatziki with cucumber added freshness to the dish.

For mains we dined on twice cooked crispy pork belly in chilli master stock with sautéed garlic seasonal greens, a mixed herb salad and macadamia crumb.

The pork was melt-in-your-mouth tender and the master stock (which was not hot, just had a hum) gave the pork a lovely flavour. The mixed herb salad and macadamia crumb was a welcome addition, cutting through the richness of the pork.

The seafood platter for one was to die for. Each piece of seafood was treated with care, ensuring a perfectly cooked dish. A massive serving for one person, the platter represents fabulous value for money.

The chargrilled eye fillet steak with crispy, seasoned chips and creamy garlic seafood sauce (with plump prawns and scallops) was tender and mouth-watering. We opted for the steak cooked by the chefs in the kitchen, however you can also cook your own steak at the table on a volcanic stone sourced from South Australia.

We have one piece of advice when dining at Cataract on Paterson: make sure you leave room for dessert. The desserts are phenomenal. They are works of art and are so delicious.

The enchanted woodland was beautiful - smooth, peppermint mousse with chocolate bark, dark chocolate soil, mushroom meringues, sponge moss, chocolate twigs and berries. This dish was well balanced, both flavour and texture-wise.

The naughty brownie was exactly that - rich and decadent and not for the faint-hearted. On the plate was a warm cookie dough brownie, house made vanilla marshmallow (oh my gosh, so good!), chocolate fudge sauce, oreo crumbs, whipped mascarpone cream, raw cookie dough, vanilla ice cream and berries. The brownie had a wonderfully fudgy consistency and the tuiles on top were crispy and delicate.

The super sized sundae was a mountain of ice creams, house made chocolate mousse, the most amazing caramelised popcorn, cream, chocolate fudge sauce, oreos, berries, cheesecake squares - a real indulgence and perfect for a family to share.

The cocktails and mocktails also have the 'wow' factor - the non-alcoholic raspberry colada was creamy yet refreshing and topped with freeze-dried raspberry dust - a truly amazing drink.

Raspberry colada

Pomegranate margarita

This restaurant has it all - food and beverages that are spectacularly presented and taste even better than they look (quite the rarity). Best of all, Cataract on Paterson showcases quality Tasmanian ingredients.