I’m originally from the South West and when living there back then there weren’t too many dining venues to choose from. In my early adulthood I moved to the city and became accustomed to plenty of entertainment and was never short on finding a good place to eat out. When I heard there was a new restaurant in that brings the city to Gregory Hills, I was keen to check it out. El Patron is the new hotspot out there; with live entertainment, an extensive cocktail menu and food menu inspired by the authentic flavours of South America.
With a lot of tapas or meals you can easily share, we recommend doing just that, so you can get a wide variety of options to try among a larger group. The food is on the pricier side, so that’s also a good way to manage your spend.
We opted for the fried coco buns with whipped butter. Not something we’d tried before, this was a moreish starter that worked well with our other food choices. The charred sourdough with burnt honey and whipped ricotta was great to have and we could also mop up our burrata on too. The burrata was nice and creamy, served with olive oil and chives.
A crowd pleaser would have to be the crispy chicken bao. The spiced fried chicken is served with individual steamed bao buns that you fill with the chicken, pickles, shallots, coriander, chilli and sweet chilli Mayo. A nice little option to share in a group too, finger food that’s also perfect for a party.
We also shared the 200g tenderloin beef grange silver, served medium, with watercress and chimichuri, accompanied with a side of chargrilled broccolini with labneh, lemon vinaigrette and dukkah.
The waitstaff recommended the soft shell crab crispy tacos with mango salsa, pickles and srirarcha aioli, a great choice and we are glad to have listened to their suggestion.
For dessert, we had to go with the crown pleaser, the churros – fried Spanish donuts served with Nutella and dulce de Leche. Indulgent to the max and something we’re confident everyone will enjoy. We also tried the passionfruit parfait which was a sweet dessert with passion fruit, lime and a bit of crunch with yuzu and pavlova to top it off. A great way to end the meals.
The venue is known for its extensive cocktail list and we certainly tried our fair share; the Spicy margarita, Rum de mango, manzana de soul and a Lychee rose martini. You can even get some with aromatic bubbles to burst or an old school shot/shooter to get your party started.
El Patron is huge, with a restaurant, main bar and courtyard, featuring luxe interiors, private booths and plenty of bar seating for a drink or larger tables for those dining. The restaurant can even cater for functions and special events.
The venue is 18+ for in the evening it turns into a party spot with live music, DJ’s and entertainment, ready for the young folks to get their party on.
Overall the ambience is certainly really happening, staff are friendly, there’s a great option of food and cocktail choices and we’re sure you’ll have a good time and a perfect opportunity to see some of the new additions to their autumn/winter menu!
31 Lasso Rd, Gregory Hills