Richmond’s long-time favourite Italian, The Grand Hotel, offers a birthday degustation menu, which we came to indulge in today. This isn’t the first time we’ve visited (see here and here), and seeing as they make some pretty fine Italian food, we thought we’d see what their degustation menu was like.

The night begins with some vegetables. Carciofi e Stracciatella is Jerusalem artichoke with stracciatella, shallot agra dolce and truffle. The artichoke slices are sweet and crispy, and what can beat the indulgent fragrance and flavour of truffle?

We are also treated to chargrilled calamari, capers, anchovies, parsley, and Blue Eye cod fillet with pine mushrooms, scallop broth and intense and delicious chestnut puree. The Blue Eye is perfectly cooked, and the pine mushroom and scallop broth is clean-tasting and flavoursome.

Their soft and pillowy gnocchi is able to be crushed with the tongue, and is paired with a classic and mouth-watering combination of brown butter, sage and parmesan.

Our last savoury dish is a hearty goat dish, braised on the bone with tomatoes and olives. The rich stew is enjoyed with triangles of baked parmesan polenta. It’s also quite a large serve for a degustation and we struggle to fit it all in.

Finally, our palates are refreshed with the lemon tart and mascarpone cream, and we settle in and digest further with some hot drinks.

The Grand’s birthday degustation is available with its free VIP membership, and the cost for additional guests is $85 for 6 courses.

The Grand Richmond Dining Room
333 Burnley St
Richmond, VIC, 3121
(03) 9429 2530
http://www.grandrichmond.com.au/