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!
Seamstress Restaurant Bar – CBD Melbourne
Date: Monday 4th October 2010
Restaurant: Seamstress Restaurant Bar
Address: 113 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Phone: 03-9663 6363
Commentary: Sarah Andrew
For those of you who visit our restaurant review site, you may recall a review on Seamstress mid last year. The reason for re-visiting this venue is simple, there was an ownership change earlier in the year and with that a few changes in general. Tally Konstas is now the owner and brings a wealth of hospitality experience to the venue (think Tony Starr’s Kitten Club and The Apartment). The other reason for selecting to dine at Seamstress last Monday night was simply because so many venues are closed in the CBD on a Monday.
Woodlands Golf Club - Mordialloc
Date: Friday 20th August 2010
Restaurant: Woodlands Golf Club - Mordialloc
Address: 109 White Street, Mordialloc
Phone: 03 9580 3455
Commentary : Sarah Andrew
What a venue to behold! Over the past 12 months I have seen a transformation of Woodlands Golf Club from a venue in need of attention to what it is today - an opulent club house with first class facilities. When the opportunity arose to put together hosting a wine dinner at the venue I jumped at the chance.
Nihonbashi Zen - CBD, Melbourne
Date: Wednesday 11th August 2010
Restaurant: Nihonbashi Zen
Address: 87 Little Bourke Street
Phone: 03 9639 7050
Commentary : Sarah Andrew
Love Japanese but never been here? If so you are missing out on the real deal! I can understand if you have walked straight past, as to enter requires heading below ground via a few stairs off Little Bourke Street (just at the intersection of Exhibition Street). The venue is small and is often closed between lunch and dinner but has a high rate of repeat customers who know that they will experience genuine Japanese, including some of the freshest sake in Melbourne.
Pepper Café - Flemington
Date: Wednesday 11th August 2010
Restaurant: Pepper Café
Address: 44 Pin Oak Crescent, Flemington, VIC
Phone: 03 9372 2726
Commentary : Sarah Andrew
This is another little gem worth knowing about if you are off the beaten track looking for a great coffee, somewhere for a bite to eat for breakfast or lunch or just a space to sit and relax with a glass of wine. Pepper Café caters for all of the above plus functions. The space is small but versatile with outdoor seating and an enticing open fire in the back room.
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!