Springs Restaurant Review

First rate in the foyer

Some restaurants present diners with a difficult decision as soon as they enter the premises. It's not a decision between right and wrong, it's between good and good. It's a decision between buffet and a la carte.

Springs Restaurant, located at The Oasis Resort Cairns, offers the perfect dilemma. Do you take the fresh seafood buffet, laden with bugs, prawns, fish, scallops and other wonderful creatures from the ocean, or do you go for a prepared meal sculptured by the chef?

A quick survey of 5 people, chosen from a broad cross-section of my workplace has revealed that 4 out of 5 people choose an a la carte meal over a buffet. Why? Because buffet dining carries an inherent risk of tastelessness, whereas la carte meals are usually a safer option. For people on a budget, security is found in the knowledge that a meal will be high in quality rather than just high in quantity. Being on a tight budget myself, I chose the a la carte option while dining at Springs.

Springs is a foyer restaurant. It feels like you're eating in a foyer - from the pastel walls, pastel ceiling, pastel tables, pastel chairs and pastel waiters, to the foyer desk a few feet away. From my table I could watch resort guests entering and exiting the elevators in varying degrees of intoxication. But hey, we can't be too picky. It's a very good place to watch interesting people from countries around the world wearing Hawaiian shirts.

The a la carte menu at Springs is compact and precise. I believe this is a sign of a good restaurant, because if the menu is too large then there is little chance all the ingredients can be fresh. Springs has around half a dozen feature meals on the menu and the wine list is also on the small side, but there are enough drops to choose from that suit all the meals. I started with the Herb Focaccia bread and I declare this, daringly, as the best bread I have ever eaten anywhere in Cairns. Warm, crispy crust, and soft middle.

My dining partner had the grilled Barramundi, nestled on pineapple salsa with chat potatoes and mango vinaigrette. She says it was delicious. I chose the chargilled eye fillet, on coriander and ginger sweet potato with sautéed Asian vegetables. The beef was just as thick as it was long, cooked to medium-rare perfection. I chose the buffet for dessert and for $9.50 I gorged on carrot cake, fruit salad, assorted cheeses and other sweets.

The food at Springs deserves high praise for its presentation and palatability. If you expect cheap mass-produced hotel food, Springs is not for you. I can't report on the quality of the seafood buffet, but next time I eat at this restaurant I will give it a try. It appeared fresh and high in quality. A la Carte mains are priced around $25 and are worth every cent. The restaurant surrounds don't give justice to the meals, but you can expect a very classy feed - even if you have to make the hard decision at the onset.

- Diner Diller

Springs Restaurant	Cairns CBD
Located at Oasis Resort Cairns, Springs is a high class restaurant in an unlikely location. Don't be fooled by its location in the foyer of a hotel, Springs serves wonderful food and has friendly service. Definitely worth a visit.
cuisines: Contemporary features: A la carte, Buffet, Family Friendly, Licensed review: First rate in the foyer (21/3/2003) contact: (07) 40801888 | 122 Lake Street
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