No one's got time to read in-depth reviews of everything. '100 Word Reviews' is here so you can know just enough about everything to make an informed decision.
You'll find that all the reviews at '100 Word Reviews' are 100% accurate - on word count, that is - actual opinions may vary.
If you've got anything to say, or something you want me to review, just drop me a line at 100wordreviews.net@gmail.com
Living in Fitzroy, it’s easy to forget that cafés like this exist can outside of Brunswick St. But exist, they do. And they serve some very nice food in a very relaxed manner as well. Sitting in private school central on Glenferrie Rd, the mis-matched chairs and indie-rock concert posters on the wall seem somewhat out of place, but a breakfast with this much bacon (or smoked salmon, if that’s your thing) can help you fit in anywhere. The service is great, with a touch of aloofness on par with Atomica, and they’ve almost got the coffees to match, too.
There’s certainly an audience for Undertaker Dining Room out there, but I’m not sure who it is. They’d need to be the kind of person who’s willing to be served by an emotionless robot, sit in an eclectically decorated dining room, and pay in the high-$30s for an overly complex meal that is quite good – but not as good as you’d expect for the price. It is pleasant, though, and I had a very nice night, but that had much more to do with the event and the company than the venue. So I’d recommend downstairs at Undertaker Social, instead.
Everyone likes a solid feed for under $10, and that’s what you’ll find at Spicy Noodle Café on LaTrobe St. You order based off pictures on the wall, and while they do provide a limited form of table service, your raffle ticket number is what gets you your meal. The food, like the service, is more focussed on speed and size than flavour; so while you will get back to your desk in time to file your TPS report, you’ll have a full stomach rather than a restaurant to recommend. If you do want a recommendation, go to Oriental Spoon.
If an extensive menu and a quick meal is what you want, then you could do a lot worse than Groove Train. If you’re looking for quality food, pleasant service, and a nice atmosphere, then try somewhere else. The food is satisfying in the same way that watching a Seinfeld re-run is – it’s reasonably pleasant while you’re watching it, but as soon as you’ve finished, you’ve already forgotten what it was about. The set-up in Melbourne Central doesn’t help the atmosphere, either. They’ve got tables for at least 200 covers, but I’ve never seen it more than about 10% full.
It’d be tough for another restaurant too have a more relaxed feel than The Baths. The chairs are comfortable, the fit out’s clean, and the whole place literally sits right on the beach, so as you can imagine, the view is beautiful. It doesn’t stop there – the food is brilliant, too. Our lunch provided us with a spectacular duck and mushroom gnocchi, featuring tender shreds of confit duck breast and a variety of mushrooms, sautéed with a delicate temperance of garlic. Combined with the wonderfully soft gnocchi pieces, this was the best pasta dish I’ve tasted in a long time.
World Bar has changed its look a couple of times, but still manages to provide a nice casual dining experience for a reasonable price. As the name would suggest, menu variety is the name of the game, with lamb burgers next to lentils and steaks next to souvlakis. It can get busy at times, with menus, drinks and meals being misplaced, but these issues are all handled with a smile and quick one-liner by the staff. It’s not a gourmet date night, but for fish and chips and a couple of pints of beer, you could do a lot worse.
If it hadn’t been for YourRestaurants (but more on that another time), I’d have never known about Stax, hidden at the top of the city, just behind Swanston St. I’m glad I did find out about it though. A wide variety of cheap and tasty food, and brilliant coffee make it a nice option for lunch. My creamy chicken and bacon pasta was solid lunch, even if the sauce seemed a little watered down. The service is very friendly, but they do have a bit of a problem with trying to crowd too many people into too small a space.
Some restaurants draw you in with flavours and aromas, others with talk and service. Hawker’s Café is an example of the latter. It was somewhat of a surprise to have such a friendly face taking our orders and offering suggestions without feeling like we were being up-sold. After that, it was little things: a glass of water whilst waiting for our take-away order, and descriptions of other dishes to tempt us back. The food itself was good – a heavily noodled laksa and a dry beef curry – but wouldn’t have been enough for a return visit if not for the service.
It’s an interesting feeling to eat your dinner with Sophia Loren and Charlton Heston looking over your shoulder from a wall full of 50s movie posters. But Dante’s is an interesting place, and full of interesting flavours. Feel free to ignore the standard mains and pizzas and jump straight to the tapas, making sure you stop for a side of parmesan crusted eggplant chips on the way. The beetroot aranchini balls are great, too; as is the classic, yet perfectly crispy saganaki. They even manage to hit the nail on the head with the delicately dressed garden salad. Simply tasty.
There are quite a few of the style of Korean BBQ places around Melbourne, so it’s hard not to compare them. And while this place does score highly for their understated, yet charming décor (from the flags, to the posters, to the indoor plants, to the Korean movies playing on the big screen over the dining room), it’s let down by the food. We went with the safe option of the beef bibimbap, which seems underflavoured (only brought up to scratch with a lot of chilli sauce) and had very little beef and vegetables compared to the amount of rice.
