The Crown and Sceptre, located on King William Street in the city’s south, presents a classic case of why a book should never be judged by its cover. It’s not the classiest looking joint around, certainly not the sort of place you’d expect to see corporate high-flyers trying to impress their clientele. But the schnitzels, we can report, offer close to the best value for money that you are ever likely to see. Ten dollar schnitzels all day Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as Saturday lunchtimes. Sauces included. Only a couple of bucks extra for a parmi. And both the schnitzels and the parmies that we consumed here were unanimously declared to be big winners.
The schnitzels weren’t massive, although they were deceptively thick, and tasted fantastic. The crumbing had good consistency, the gravy was spot on, the meat was unprocessed and tender, and the parmi toppings were absolutely top-shelf (including a blue cheese parmi that was among the evening’s specials). The chips were cooked to perfection (and not stuffed away under the schnitty to go soggy), and the accompanying salad was generous (with a superb dressing). The quality of the sides was as good as I reckon we’ve come across.
If this isn’t five stars for value, then I doubt we will ever award five stars for value. I’d normally expect to pay almost double for what I ate here.
The venue isn’t terrible, but it certainly doesn’t stack up with the Walkers Arms for ambience. A pity, because if it did, we might well be crowning a new champion. The Crown & Sceptre schnitty is an all-round winner, and one that should be on every schnitzel and parmi-lover’s to-do list.
The Verdict: For ten bucks, this was a top class feed.
Taste: 4.5/5, Size: 3.5/5, Value: 5/5, Sides: 4.5/5, Dining Experience: 3.5/5
Overall: 84%
