"Have you ever heard of Tablefor 20?" my goddaughter Sandra asked on the phone, mid Friday morning. "Want to come with Mum (my friend Liz) and Cory (Sandra's boyfriend) tomorrow night?"
I quickly said No to the first question and Yes to the second, although we were both rather sceptical that we'd get in at such short notice. However, she got the call late Saturday morning to say four had cancelled, so we were in. How lucky we were became evident that night when we mentioned our booking - most around us replied that they had booked three or four months in advance.
The idea behind Tablefor 20 started some years ago by "a bunch of mates", in one of their dining rooms and has expanded to the restaurant it is in now in Surry Hills and is done every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. They thought that people were becoming too insular in dining out and not being involved in the complete dining experience, so they decided that having communal tables [for 20] and shared platters of food would make for a more rounded and different style of dining.
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We arrived early and handed over our bottles (it is BYO), noting that there were actually two tables for 20 set up, and then headed upstairs to the Sticky Bar for a pre-dinner drinks. Lounges with coffee or side tables abound and there are also small tables with chairs against the walls so that you can just sit and drink (cocktails their specialty) or order the bar food (the cheese platter one person ordered looked enormous).
The decor on both floors is definitely funky, especially their choice of light bulbs upstairs and the wooden stick chandelier downstairs. The drink waiters were efficient, friendly, funny and definitely part of the fun experience.
We finally wandered downstairs, feet under the table by eight as per the requirement, and found our bottles set out in front of where we were to sit. Then the rest of the table arrived. We had a group of eight to my right and Liz had another group of the same number (you would say 'obviously' for those who understand their math, except what I am pointing out is that we four appeared to be the smallest group of the evening), and it didn't take long for us all to start introducing ourselves.
We were then greeted by "mine host", who gave a quick explanation behind Tablefor 20, and then started announcing those celebrating birthdays for us to cheer and toast - seemed like all groups had at least one birthday person, although one did try to get into the act by calling out that it was their birthday too... in December. He got a toast but a very different "cheer" from us all.
A musician, playing a guitar and singing, sat in the corner and played through the evening - enough to be heard but not enough to deafen. We, the diners, did the deafening as the night progressed.
The hot bread rolls appeared followed quickly by the long platters of beef carpaccio and salad bowls which were full of goodies, such as those lovely pomegranate seeds, and were devoured quickly and with great delight. I discovered the person sitting next to me had not managed to get her share from their platter so we shared from ours - which is exactly what the table20 dining experience is about.
While we consumed our food and wines we chatted to all our neighbours - the two sitting to my right were an Aussie and Swede who had a funny story about why they ended up living in Australia rather than Sweden (something to do with a New Years Eve, a mini skirt and high heels in two foot snow, and a Swedish Sir Galahad who carried her after they took the wrong bus) and Liz discovered that the person sitting next to her is in the Aviation Corp in the Army, which is exactly what her husband used to be in! Conversations were flying all around the place with personal histories, funny stories etc being shared. The overriding sound? Laughter - lots of laughter.
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The main course arrived - pork loin chop along with bowls of baby carrots, and other vegetables. The Aviation Corp gentleman was the vegetarian of the table so he missed out on another beautifully cooked piece of meat, but I'm sure that wasn't of any concern to him. The host had mentioned that as the organisers were all "blokes" it was going to be a blokes' evening of meat but you can let them know before hand of your dietary requirements and they will of course make amendments to your meal.
The final course was baked ricotta cheesecake but we were all so full that I gave up the struggle and left half of mine. Of course the wine wasn't left, as we finished off our meals and continued chatting to our new acquaintances.
All in all a really enjoyable evening of food, company and atmosphere, and all for $65 [upstairs drinks were of course separate].
And the dining for charity? Well, they always donate 10 per cent of the evening's takings to the Hope Street Mission and have done so since day one.
Fabulous job, men - for the idea, execution of it, and the added bonus of the donations.
We all four voted it an outstandingly successful evening and have definitely ear marked it for a return visit.
http://www.tablefor20.blogspot.com