I heard on the grapevine that Dolly O'Reilly's Irish Pub in Leanyer has gotten a whole lot fancier since their recent renovations. I've been running out of places to review so I thought why not, let's stop by and check it out.

I walked in and was greeted by a shady looking bar with a well endowed topless waitress serving beer. Holy guacamole! It was certainly a feast for the eyes, but not the kind of feast I was looking for! Turns out I was in the Hibiscus Tavern - oops! Dolly's was actually around the other side of the building... The second entrance of the night was much better. Inside is a swanky modern interior with groovy decor and lighting at the bar. One side has leather couches and plenty of space to hang about whilst the dining area is on other side with a dozen or so tables. Splitting the two is the bar area.

You could be forgiven for thinking you had walked into a posh bar in the city, but no, you're in Leanyer. Despite the chic appearance however,  Dolly O'Reilly's seems to be a fairly relaxed place with both young and old present. Orders were taken at the bar and my wife and I sat down near the window. Whilst waiting, none other than Paul Henderson walks in who wastes no time drinking with the random lads at the bar. You can tell he spends a lot of time here because he knows everyone and his beer belly is of Homer Simpson proportions.

Our mains arrived about 15 minutes later which was surprisingly quick given the amount of diners present. The presentation is fantastic with all the elements plated precisely and thoughtfully. The charred lime and the two blanched pieces of carrot were certainly not overlooked by my ogling eyes. My meat in the lamb hot pot ($19.50) was tender, a tad dry, but the red wine gravy was delicious. The shape of the elongated pastry was quirky, but actually made it really easy to dunk and eat. Wifey had the Atlantic salmon bake with maple syrup$28, soy and lime glaze; a real beauty of flavours. She asked for it well done and the chef obliged. I think it's sacrilege to have it that way but it was nonetheless delicious, particularly the glaze.

That would be two surprises for the night then. Firstly I got flashed by a set of boobs, and secondly I was not expecting to find such classy (and yummy) dining outside of the CBD. I posted a pic of the lamb hot pot over on the Darwin Foodies Facebook page and people thought I was at il lido or Pee Wees which says it all really. They've probably pissed a few people off with the change, but I reckon they've got a good thing going. Well done chaps.