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!
Kamel - Albert Park
Date: Thursday 15th July 2010
Restaurant: Kamel
Address: 19 Victoria Avenue, Albert Park
Phone: 03 9696 1368
Commentary : Sarah Andrew
I have been looking forward to dining here for a while, based on reading the menu some time ago and hearing good things about the venue in general. Located centrally in Albert Park and directly opposite a tram stop (Route 1 from the city), this venue has a number of spaces to cater for groups large or small.
Middle Park Hotel - Middle Park
Date: Friday 25th June 2010
Restaurant: Middle Park Hotel
Address: 102 Canterbury Road (cnr Armstrong St), Middle Park, VIC
Phone: 03 9690 1958
Commentary : Sarah Andrew
The review must start outside with this establishment as its sheer size and architectural magnificence cannot be over-looked. The Hotel was originally built in 1889 and just last year was returned to its glory. In addition to the hotel which features a private dining room, open bar and public dining room there is a select number of boutique hotel guest rooms available for booking.
Jorg Restaurant –North Fitzroy
Date: Thursday 18th June 2009
Restaurant: Jorg Restaurant
Address: 203 St Georges Road, North Fitzroy
Phone: 03-9482 3002
Commentary : Sarah Andrew
You haven’t heard of this place yet? I am not surprised as it has only been open for two weeks. I only found out about the business a month ago when wine buyer Lori Smith announced she was putting together a new beverage list and wanted to sample a few of our wines. Having supplied wine to Lori previously, I knew her focus would be tight and each wine making it onto the list would have to earn its keep. I was up for the challenge!
Provenance Food and Wine - Collingwood
Date: Sunday 23rd May 2010
Restaurant: Provenance Food and Wine
Address: 288 Smith Street, Collingwood
Phone: 03 8415 0700
Commentary : Sarah Andrew
Once again we were invited to provide wine for a seasonal pleasures night at Provenance, Food and Wine. The event was an autumn degustation to celebrate local pears, and was aptly titled ‘What a Pear’. By popular demand this event was held over three nights, starting last Friday 21st May and finishing on Sunday 23rd May. Lucky for me the third night was offered as the first two nights sold out very quickly. I ate and drank very well last night working through the following menu:
Libertine – North Melbourne
Date: Tuesday 18th May 2010
Restaurant: Libertine – North Melbourne
Address: 500 Victoria Street, North Melbourne
Phone: 03 9329 5228
Commentary : Sarah Andrew
It was with anticipation that I arrived at this venue to co-host a wine degustation for Amietta Vineyard (based in Moorabool Valley near Geelong). The night had come about through mutual support: Selador Wines is the distributor of Amietta Vineyard; The Wine Society is a retail store selling the range of wines from the vineyard and Libertine has had the Amietta Shiraz listed on their wine list for more than eight months.
Esposito @ Toofeys - Carlton
Date: 12th May 2010
Restaurant: Esposito @ Toofeys
Address: 162 Elgin Street, Carlton
Phone: 03 9347 9838
Commentary : Sarah Andrew
If you are after fine seafood dining then Esposito @ Toofeys is the place to go. A big effort is placed on offering only sustainable fish species. Owner / chef Maurice Esposito has gained a loyal following over the last few years and whilst seafood is definitely the specialty, other great offerings including duck and steak keep everyone happy. The hard part is narrowing down the selection!
Blue Tongue - Elwood
Date: Thursday 15th April 2010
Restaurant: Blue Tongue
Address: 62 – 64 Ormond Road, Elwood
Phone: 03-9531-3011
Commentary : Sarah Andrew
This venue is always busy regardless of the time of day or month. In summer the outside space is very popular, however as I discovered recently the same space is still popular in cooler months (thanks to gas heaters above the tables).
Sosta Cucina – North Melbourne
Date: Friday 26th March 2010
Restaurant: Sosta Cucina
Address: 12 Errol Street, North Melbourne
Phone: 03 9329 2882
Commentary : Sarah Andrew
Since opening in 1997, owner
has delivered good, unpretentious Italian food, acknowledging his Northern Italian heritage and respecting seasonal produce from the local market. With this in mind daily additional dishes are on offer in addition to the exciting menu that covers lunch and dinner, Tuesday to Sunday. There is also an early dinner menu called ‘Cucina Povera’ which offers two and three course lunch and early dinner at a very modest price of $25 and $35 depending on number of courses selected.
Victorian Wine Centre – Middle Park
Date: Friday 12th March 2010
Restaurant: Victorian Wine Centre
Address: 20 – 22 Armstrong Street, Middle Park
Phone: 03 9699 6082
Commentary : Sarah Andrew
Constantly busy, this family business (run by the Mastro family) just does not stop. They run a café, wine store with a focus on boutique wineries, and on Friday nights a wine tasting and late kitchen for Italian Casalinga cuisine (home style cooking with a touch of modern Australian).
SUD Food & Wine - CBD, Melbourne
Date: Friday 12th February 2010
Restaurant: SUD Food & Wine
Address: 219 King Street, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9670 8451
Commentary : Sarah Andrew
This venue is one to know about if you are a regular in the city. Located close to the magistrates court and legal district, it is a popular venue for city workers on limited time, but in need of a good feed.