20 Aug

I tend to expect very little from hotel restaurants, but Circa is an exception. Located within The Prince hotel in St Kilda, Circa has retained a number of chef hats for many years. The seasonal menu has been put together by head chef Ashly Hicks and Melbourne Pub Group Executive Chef Stephen Burke. Sustainable and organic premium produce is used when possible, prepared with clean flavours so that the ingredients really shine. The space was modern, bright and airy, with well-spaced tables and a more laid-back vibe than I...

21:04 / Circa / Food / Modern Australian / Restaurants / St Kilda
18 Aug

Cutler & Co, Andrew McConnell's flagship restaurant, first opened in 2009 and has been converted from an old metal works factory. The restaurant actually had a more casual atmosphere than I expected, with bar seating, a lounge area on the side, and more tables, including banquette seating, towards the back. We had come to try their $130pp 6 course degustation menu, so ordering was quick and easy. [caption id="attachment_9741" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Seeded Loaf and Salted Sourdough with House-Made Butter and Beetroot Relish[/caption] The bread on offer tonight were the sliced seeded...

21:04 / Cutler & Co / Fitzroy / Food / Modern Australian / Restaurants
17 Aug

Horse Bazaar is an casual izakaya on Little Lonsdale St, and it's just celebrated its 10th birthday. Only one door down from the Hardware Street junction, it offers cocktails, beers, ciders, wines, spirits and special Japanese imports. In terms of food, there's Japanese tapas to go along with the drinks, though there's mains to feast on too. It doubles as a small event space, hosting things such as live music, hip hop open mic nights and storytelling. Every weeknight there's a food special on. You might come in for...

22:21 / Bar/Pub / Food / Horse Bazaar / Japanese / Melbourne CBD / Restaurants
16 Aug

Lemon, Middle and Orange sits in a very unlikely location. Occupying the building that was once Goodlass Wall Paint Co, it's on a narrow one-way street surrounded by graffiti-decorated warehouses. You might completely miss it if not for the large banner hanging out the front. Tables inside are a spaced little tightly together, but there are a handful of seats out the front, which today were utilised by dog-owners who'd brought their pooches along for brunch, and to savour the lovely sunny weather. A2 went with the corned beef hash,...

12:22 / Cafe / Collingwood / Food / Lemon Middle and Orange
10 Aug

The Town Mouse has been with us for over two years, taking over the small Carlton venue that was once Embrasse. Co-owners Christian and Amber McCabe, Jay Comeskey and chef Dave Verheul have made quite a name for themselves in this relatively short time, earning a chef's hat in the Good Food Guide in 2014, and being voted by chefs and restauranteurs as #18 in the AFR's inaugural national restaurant awards this year. The atmosphere is dark but cosy with high stools, classy, glossy black tiling, and terrazzo flooring....

20:54 / Carlton / Food / Modern Australian / Restaurants / The Town Mouse
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