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It’s only been open a couple of weeks, but already it looks like Bushwa & Hooey is getting a bit of a following. And it’s understandable – with good quality coffee, and a nice (albeit concise) hot food menu and selection of fresh salads (though the Caesar could have done with about half as many croutons). Luckily, they’re planning on redoing the outside this weekend, and the old façade of Blitz Café currently gives the place an air of the milk-bar take-away, which does no favours to the soft and comfortable décor that you’ll see when you walk in the door.
If there’s anywhere that embodies the spirit of Fitzroy, it’s Atomica Caffe on Brunswick St. Saying that it serves the best coffee in Fitzroy would seem to be an insult to the fact that it also serves some of the best breakfasts and lunches. Add to that, the ultra-cool staff serving the retro-funky clientele, the trendy décor, and the urban art on the walls, and you’ll see why this is not only the place to be seen, but also the place to do the seeing. To understand what makes Melbourne, make sure your next weekend involves a lunch at Atomica.
Estivo is one of the best restaurants in Kew, and an example of how to succeed at suburban fine dining. The place looks and feels classy, and the staff manage to tread the line of treating you like royalty without making you feel embarrassed. The food, itself, is also exquisite. I had venison carpaccio (with just enough sauce and garnish to enhance the texture and flavour of the meat without overpowering it), and confit duck and Portobello mushroom pappardelle (with a light sauce drawn off the mushrooms that lightly coated the pasta and added a beautiful sweetness to the dish).
Sitting on a residential corner behind Brunswick Street, this isn’t the kind of place you’ll just stumble upon. But if you do, it might be worth dropping in for breakfast. There’s no menu in front of you – your options, instead, are on blackboards around the top of the walls. And, while breakfast is their main meal, the options are somewhat limited (that is, unless you’re up for the scrambled tofu). My Spanish omelette was quite good, though I am a fan of elaborate breakfasts, so I would have preferred to see a few more ingredients on the menu – especially hash-browns!
It’s not much to look at, but The Mess Hall is a fantastic place for a meal. The atmosphere is buzzing, and the ultra-trendy staff go out of their way to make sure you’re comfortable – if you’re lucky you might get a table upstairs. There’s a good value Italian wine list that perfectly suits the succinct, but delicious menu. I loved my rack of lamb, cooked perfectly rare with roast artichokes and asparagus. And the most amazing thing about this place is that it’s serving the quality of food that you might expect to pay twice as much for, elsewhere.
Sitting unassumingly on Glenferrie road; tucked amongst chicken take-aways and service stations, you’d never expect that behind those dark wooden blinds is such fantastic food. There’s an amazing variety of pizzas, pastas, and risottos on offer, as well as a succinct but tasty selection of mains. We had the blue swimmer crab agnolotti, with its abundance of crab meat and sweet, creamy tomato sauce; and the crispy-skinned boneless duckling in a moscato jus with poached pears. All these are supported by a nice little wine list of local and imported selections. Now I know it’s there, I’ll definitely be back.
I ate at Wagamama with a half-price voucher, and I probably wouldn’t do it any other way. There’s nothing wrong with the food (thought I have strong suspicions that it’s not as healthy as they promote it to be), but $20 is a lot to spend on a bowl of lunchtime noodles. I don’t know whether other people are finding the same issue and it’s effecting Wagamama’s profitability, but I do know that there used to be more Wagamama stores in Melbourne, and now there are only two – read into that what you will. It’s decent food, but it’s overpriced.
There are lots of things to consider when reviewing a restaurant: food, service, ambiance, and venue are just a few. Unfortunately, while ‘Script’ does well on a lot of points it fails at the most important hurdle. The venue is nice (decorated with sharp lines and dark wood tables), the service is pleasant (though surprisingly unfamiliar with the menu), and the atmosphere bustles (but for how long). The problem is the food. There are pale, unidentifiable scraps of chicken in a watery sauce, and tough lamb straps that feel like they’ve been boiled in soup, rather than marinated and grilled.
