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.

The flavours of Eastern Europe are the inspiration for the menu of The Crimean. Bavarian chef Mykel de Laat merges his favourite culinary characteristics from Russia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary along with a few family recipes from his original teacher and grandmother. In its natural state one could comment on the simplicity of the food, which to me is a highlight as it showcases the absolute freshness of produce that arrives to your table.

I have only dined there once, with a group of friends on a Sunday afternoon. It was a bitterly cold day outside and thankfully we were tucked away in a pocket of the restaurant with heating nearby. I soon thawed out thanks to some hearty food, a few glasses of wine, great company and outstanding service from Emily Rice who looked after our table for the afternoon. It is amazing how personality and humour can go a long way towards making a dining experience more enjoyable (and despite being the ‘hospitality industry’ this is something that is often missing)!

We handed over the selection of Zakuski (shared entrees) to Lazlo, who did not disappoint us with the offering from the kitchen which included:

  • Baked meatballs Georgian style
  • Fried pelmeni dumplings, sour cream, dill, horseradish
  • Smoked meats, sausage, pickles, sauerkraut
  • Banista - Bulgarian feta & zucchini baked filo pies, salad, salty caper chutney

For main I opted for the Pork cutlet, cabbage roll of mushroom, pork hock & rice, ajvar (red pepper relish) and carrots. We decided to share a number of sides and these included:

  • Slovakian mountain salad Pearl barley white bean lettuce, walnut, raisin, beetroot & yoghurt dressing
  • Crimean potatoes
  • Vanilla green beans

It would be very remiss of me not to mention the wine list, as Lazlo is the king of small wine lists, with the ability to offer so much depth without handing over a phone directory to trawl through! Wine lists of this nature always excite me because I know I will find at least two wines that appeal to me and will be forced to make a decision (or have another glass of wine if I am not driving)! We were keen to try something from Eastern Europe so started the lunch with a bottle of Matosevic Malvasija from Istria, Croatia. We selected a bottle of Cobaw Ridge Lagrein 2006 (Macedon) to accompany the mains (decanted ahead of time) and this was a great choice for some of the cuisine and perfect pairing to a cold winter afternoon.

The venue is open for lunch Thursday to Sunday and dinner Tuesday to Sunday. The bar is open Tuesday to Sunday until late. Watch this space as I believe it will become a place to go (and be seen) in the evenings for a beer, glass of wine or cheeky cocktail (something I am yet to sample). Bookings are recommended as there is nothing worse than being excited about visiting a venue to be told the restaurant is fully booked.

Perhaps I will see you there in the coming weeks as I am yet to try the dessert and test out the cocktails!

Na zdrave!

Sarah