As Melbourne plays host to both the Spring Racing Carnival and the International Arts Festival, a casual eating boom sees a host of new players bringing plates to the people. Enjoy our pick of the best.
It has been a year of expansion in Melbourne with a few big, bold new restaurants and a number of smaller establishments opening their doors. One of the big trends has been what some call second strings – the more casual eating places that are playing a fine second fiddle to grander establishments: Pearl has its cafe, The Press Club has Hellenic Republic, Movida has Movida Next Door (both equally crowded), Cutler & Co is companion to Cumulus Inc, Bond Street cafe joins Caffe Veloce and Pizza e Birra.
This year international hotels are also making a comeback in the restaurant stakes with a new Hilton, a renovated Grand Hyatt and a new restaurant at Sofitel.
Still, these are challenging times and, when under stress, Melburnians come together at the table to share food. These days it’s small plates to share, representing more casual eating. The mood is Mediterranean, from east to west. Spain, Greece, Italy, Morocco and the Middle East provide the current flavours. Casual eating is not necessarily inexpensive. Share half a dozen small plates, add a couple of larger ones and the bill could cost more than a conventional meal.
To judge from wine lists, Melburnians are drinking more – or maybe that’s wishful thinking on the part of the sommelier. Wine lists are larger and heavier, with increasing choices from Spain, Italy and Portugal. Here, a selection of hot spots for coffee, drinks and fuel.
Breakfast/cafe
Cafe Pearl
Church Street, Richmond.
+61 3 9427 1307.
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Lynch’s
133 Domain Road, South Yarra.
+61 3 9866 5627.
Residential
499 Lygon Street, Carlton North.
+61 3 9381 2388.
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Lunch
Collins Kitchen
Grand Hyatt, 123 Collins Street, Melbourne.
+61 3 9653 4831.
St Ali
12-18 Yarra Place, South Melbourne.
+61 3 9686 2990.
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Oyster
35 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne.
+61 3 9650 0988.
Dinner
Hellenic Republic
434 Lygon Street, Brunswick.
+61 3 9381 1222.
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Cutler & Co
55-57 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy.
+61 3 9419 4888.
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MoMo
Lower Plaza, 123 Collins Street, Melbourne.
+61 3 9650 0660.
Drinks
Spice Market
Beaney Lane (off Russell Street), Melbourne.
+61 3 9660 3777.
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Bond Street
4a Bond Street, South Yarra.
+61 3 9824 1161.
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Coda Bar + Restaurant
Basement at 141 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.
+61 3 9650 3155.
Other good places: The bar at The Press Club, 72 Flinders Street;
Cumulus Inc, 45 Flinders Lane; RU-CO at the Grand Hyatt, 123 Collins Street.
Larger tables
The Italian
101 Collins Street, Melbourne.
+61 3 9654 9499.
Matteo’s
533 Brunswick Street, North Fitzroy.
+61 3 9481 1177.
DOC
295 Drummond Street, Carlton.
+61 3 9347 2998.
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Source: Qantas The Australian Way October 2009