Dining Reviews
Purpose of the Restaurant Review Section to the website
Our aim in this new section is clear and simple: to share positive dining experiences with other food and wine loving individuals. The decision to set up this section on our website came as a result of regular requests to provide family, friends and other business contacts information on good places to wine and dine.
We are naturally drawn to our own client’s cafes, bars and restaurants as we like to show them support in return. We also know they will have good wine on their lists, and we make it a rule never to order the wine that we supply.
So you won’t find ratings and you won’t find damning reviews but you will find bright and breezy overviews commenting on the food, service, ambience and of course wine!
If you have a recommendation yourself for a venue we may not know about please let us know. Also, should you act on one of our reviews and have a great time we would like to know too.
Cheers and happy dining!
The French Brasserie - CBD, Melbourne
Date: Friday 16th December 2011
Restaurant: The French Brasserie, Melbourne
Address: 2 Malthouse Lane, CBD Melbourne
Phone: 03 9629 9222
Commentary : Sarah Andrew
The journey begins from the moment you step inside this contemporary and very chic CBD restaurant. The staff present as bright, friendly and super attentive and the vast space with soaring ceilings and glass create an atmosphere where time becomes irrelevant. This is a venue not to be rushed and by that I mean don’t book a ‘quick’ meal as you will miss out on the whole experience.
Claypots Evening Star, South Melbourne
Date: Wednesday 28th September 2011
Restaurant: Claypots Evening Star, South Melbourne
Address: Stall 101, South Melbourne Market
Phone: 03 9645 5779
Commentary : Sarah Andrew
This relatively new venue is located at South Melbourne Market. This is an iconic seafood bar, whose success in St Kilda and Fitzroy is well known. Owner and chef Renan Goksin has gone for a Teppanyaki style restaurant on this occasion, drawing from super fresh seafood, which is all on display in the centre of the restaurant.
Pope Joan - East Brunswick
Date: Wednesday 24th August 2011
Restaurant: Pope Joan - East Brunswick
Address: 77 - 79 Nicholson Street, East Brunswick
Phone: 03 9388 8858
Commentary : Sarah Andrew
This venue is always busy….seriously busy! Opening in July 2010 by Ben Foster and Matt Wilkinson, time has not stopped. This venue offers breakfast and lunch Monday to Sunday (7:30am - 3:30pm - ish). You will find somewhere to sit and sip out front, inside and out back in the garden. Whether driven by popularity or an original master plan, there will be extended hours and a bar offering in the near future.
Mercers Restaurant - Eltham
Date: Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th July 2011
Restaurant: Mercer’s Restaurant - Eltham
Address: 732 Main Road, Eltham
Phone: 03 9431 1015
Commentary : Sarah Andrew
It was with much anticipation that I arrived on a cold Wednesday evening to the first of two ‘Alternate Varieties Dinners’ that I would host in conjunction with the staff at Mercer’s Restaurant. Stephen (chef and joint owner with wife Ute) and Alison (restaurant manager) had joined me earlier in the year at a similar dinner and decided that the focus on alternative grape varieties would be fun for the kitchen and customers alike.
The Crimean - North Melbourne
Date: Sunday 3rd July 2011
Restaurant: The Crimean - North Melbourne
Address: 351 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne 3051
Phone: 03 9329 3353
Commentary: Sarah Andrew
The Crimean is the place to go - seriously! This old pub (former Sir Robert Peel Hotel) may look bland from the outside, but brace yourself for when you enter as you will be taken on an Eastern European journey. The bar is beautiful; inviting, exciting and somewhere you would feel comfortable to go on your own - trust me I have done that twice in the last month! This is a new joint venture between Frank Moylan and Melissa Macfarlane (former owners of The Royal George in Kyneton) and Lazlo Evenhuis (think Gills Diner and Carlisle Wine Bar to name two venues well worth mentioning) and they have not had time to pause since opening in May.
La Piazza Bar & Restaurant - Bendigo
Date: Wednesday 29th June 2011
Restaurant: La Piazza Bar & Restaurant - Bendigo
Address: 2 - 4 Howard Place, Bendigo
Phone: 03 5444 4499
Commentary: Sarah Andrew
La Piazza’s owner, Carlo Barri has worked in the hospitality industry for over 33 years and built a reputation for excellence and quality in customer service. I first met Carlo at The Sandhurst Club which he managed for 14 years before launching his current venture La Piazza at the end of 2009. Carlo is a chef by trade, and with experience of cooking in France and Italy, he has a passion for Mediterranean cuisine. His focus on wine is to source the very best locally, offering excellent regional examples of wine and a selection of imported wines.
Sapore - St Kilda
Date: Thursday 9th June 2011
Restaurant: Sapore - St Kilda
Address: 3 - 5 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda
Phone: 03 9534 9666
Commentary: Sarah Andrew
Sapore is open daily for lunch and dinner and is position perfect at the bay end of Fitzroy Street, with an enviable view of the sea and a tram stop less than a minute away. The restaurant has ample seating outdoors for those balmy summer nights, a main dining room with bar downstairs, upstairs dining and a delightful long private room, perfect for events whether they be business focussed or private. If you give me long enough I am sure I could think of an event that would utilise all areas of the business and Restaurant Manager / Sommelier David Wickwar would be only too willing to assist with the planning required for such an event!
Joe Green - Northcote
Date: Friday 27th May, 2011
Restaurant: Joe Green - Northcote
Address: 2A Mitchell Street, Northcote
Phone: 03 9481 5554
Commentary : Sarah Andrew
Joe Vacirca is the owner of Joe Green. Joe the owner knows the area well, having launched the well known Café Bedda several years ago. He opened Joe Green in February 2010 and has slowly watched regular faces and new comers visit and visit again.
Ezard - CBD, Melbourne
Date: Saturday 23rd April 2011
Restaurant: Ezard
Address: 189 Flinders Lane, CBD Melbourne
Phone: 03 9639 6811
Commentary : Sarah Andrew
Since first opening in 1999, Ezard has hit the ground running, being awarded the much sought after 'Two Hats' and went on to be named Best New Restaurant in The Age Good Food Guide. Owner Teage Ezard has not looked back and continues to over deliver along with his talented staff. Current accolades include Two Hats - 2011 The Age Good Food Guide; Two Stars - 2011 Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide; Three Glass Rating - 2011 Australia's Wine List of the Year Award - PHEW!
Timbah - Glebe, NSW
Date: Tuesday 12th April 2011
Restaurant: Timbah
Address: 1 / 375 Glebe Point Road, Glebe
Phone: 02 9571 7005
Commentary: Sarah Andrew
If you haven’t heard of this venue that is no surprise for a number of reasons. Firstly it only opened in February this year; secondly it is tucked down a side street and presents with an understated entrance (for a very good reason) and finally the venue has been designed and targeted at locals for locals!