26 May

Somewhat of a quiet achiever, Okra has actually been running for 15 years and is very popular with the locals, yet doesn't seem to be quite as well known as it should be. Things are set to change, with Okra recently being awarded a chef's hat in the 2016 Gault Millau guide. Menus encompassing more than one cuisine tend to have a harder time excelling at everything, but Okra has been successfully serving Thai, Malaysian, and Indonesian dishes side by side. Sunday nights are when Malaysian hawker dishes like...

22:29 / Food / Hawthorn / Indonesian / Malaysian / Okra / Restaurants / Thai
20 May

Sardi has long been a local favourite. Having opened in 2014, they recently expanded the back section to accommodate its growing clientele. The new section is bright, courtesy of the large windows, but the furnishings maintain consistency throughout the whole cafe. To go along with its newly expanded interior, Sardi has also started displaying and selling artwork from a former staff member, Hayley June Walker from Wet Paint Fine Arts....

16:01 / Cafe / Food / Hawthorn / Sardi
29 Mar

Tinto sits inconspicuously in a quiet section of Burwood Road, offering the proposition of an authentic Spanish wine bar, with a focus on tapas and raciones. It’s a quaint, sophisticated space with wooden décor, including along Spanish-style bar – a warm and relaxed, yet sophisticated environment in which to enjoy Spanish share plates and a robust wine list. The restaurant is full of what seemed to be locals and it’s pumping for a Tuesday night. [caption id="attachment_12020" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Carrilleras – ox cheek, smoked potato purée, marinated grapes, salted...

16:53 / Food / Hawthorn / Restaurants / Spanish / Tinto
23 Jan

It seems to be increasingly common to find food industry veterans teaming up to form new establishments. Short Straw is another of these, being hatched from the minds of Hugh Hindle, Steve Rowley and Matt Vero, whose combined resume features places like Homeslice Pizza, Coin Laundry, Tall Timber, Touchwood, Marquis of Lorne and Rustica Canteen. Finding the cafe itself can be a little bit confusing. Despite what a cursory glance of the official address might imply, the entrance is actually on Mary St (hence, the 'b' part of its...

14:10 / Cafe / Food / Hawthorn / Short Straw
20 Oct

The understated facade of Bawa Cafe is easy to miss while driving past if not for the buzz of people milling around the front door. It's only been open for a few weeks but it's attracted plenty of attention, and it's easy to see why. Bawa Cafe is co-owned by Shri Bhagwandas, Kael, Matt and Elias Sahely and Chris Griffiths (also head chef). The team have racked up a pretty impressive resume, being responsible for other incredibly successful cafes including Barry, Dukes Coffee Roasters, Pillar of Salt, Square...

14:18 / Bawa Cafe / Cafe / Food / Hawthorn
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