I came here for breakfast with my friend and for some reason I always imagined the Brighton baths to be an indoor swimming pool area. Instead it’s a fenced off section of the bay.

It was a freezing day with a chilling wind yet there were still swimmers doing laps around the outside. I would have been wearing a wetsuit at least!

The middle brighton baths has an upmarket restaurant upstairs however we went to the downstairs cafe for breakfast. Our table wasn’t at the front of the cafe but we still had a good view of the baths.

The cafe is very modern with a concrete floor and sparse furnishings. Service was prompt and friendly and our breakfasts cost $15 each by the time we added two extras. The cafe felt really cold though as it was a cold day outside and the concrete flooring added to this. It would be a great spot to come to in Summer.

Middle Brighton Baths
251 The Esplanade, Brighton
Ph: 03 9539 7000

The cafe inside has a nice view of the Brighton baths. It was a freezing day yet there were still people doing laps around the outside.

Poached eggs ($9) with avocado and bacon ($3 each)

Scrambled eggs ($9) with mushrooms and avocado ($3 each)

One of the pigeons that regularly sneaks in through the opened door to wander around looking for crumbs

The lifesaver painting inside the cafe.

The Brighton bath! it’s a fenced off section of the bay and on the day we were there it was absolutely freezing yet there were still people doing laps around the outside.

Technorati Tags: brighton, brighton baths, middle brighton baths, brighton baths cafe, cafe review, restaurant review, brighton melbourne

If you love cakes, deserts and sweet biscuits you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven when you walk into Brunetti.

Brunetti is, without a doubt the best cake and biscuit place in Australia. There are so many different cakes from large cakes for birthdays, to large slices, bite sized portions as well as a huge variety of biscuits.

Everytime I come here I find myself (like everyone else) walking backwards and forwards along the huge glass display trying to decide what to have.

If you’re not into sweet’s there are savoury meals around the corner and Brunetti also has a small fine dining restaurant attached. If you’re visiting Melbourne you absolutely MUST visit Brunetti. The great thing about it is it is open late so you can come in after dinner for a sweet desert. They have other locations in the city and Camberwell but the Faraday street store is the original and I think, the best.

There are plenty of seats both inside and out but you may still find yourself waiting to grab a table, especailly at night as it’s always packed out. If you’ve ordered coffee or a drink you’ll need to wait for it to be made and stand over near the coffee area until your number is called rather than have it brought out which is a little annoying but I guess you don’t have to wait too long.

Brunetti
194 - 204 Faraday Street
Carlton
Ph: (03) 9347 2801

Some of the amazing Italian biscuits on offer

Some more biscuits and sweet treats - everything from florentine biscuits to nougat

Trying to make your choice is so hard! I always end up walking from one end of the glassed area to the other trying to decide

Some of the large ready made cakes which you can choose. You can also have them designed just for you for bithdays etc.

This is where the savoury meals are such as foccacia’s, aranciata rice balls and there is also a gelato ice cream area!

Some of the small taster sized cakes - this way you can try 3 or 4 little cakes instead of just getting one large slice.

Technorati Tags: brunetti, brunetti’s, italian cakes, lygon street, faraday street, carlton, brunetti cakes

Tiamo used to be one of my absolute favourite’s when I lived in Melbourne and it seems like it’s still everyone elses favourite too as it’s always hard to nab a table. This restaurant is so popular that they’ve expanded into next door and have created Taimo 2.

Simple things make for a great restaurant. Fantastic service (authentic, good looking Italian waiters also helps in this restaurants appeal), large servings at resonable prices ($14 for the pasta meals) and really good food. I also love it when restaurants give you something free for a starter, in this case they gave us a basket of sliced french bread with butter.

Turnover here is quick and you won’t be waiting forever to get your meals - ours arrived within about 15 minutes of ordering. I found it hard though to get used to the fact that you can still smoke and eat outside in Melbourne so if you’re a non smoker - try to get a table inside.

Even though it was a cold Autumn night there were plenty of heat lamps available. I highly recommend this restaurant if you’re dining out on Lygon street. This is comfort food at it’s absolute best and it’s a great spot to do some people watching and to check out the Ferrari’s cruising down Lygon street.

Tiamo
303 Lygon Street, Carlton,
Ph: 03 9347 5759

Most of the pasta items on the menu were around $14 - great value

Cannelloni with bolognese sauce on top

The tortellini bolognese.

Technorati Tags: tiamo restaurant, lygon street, tiamo 2 restaurant, italian restaurant, restaurant review, lygon street melbourne

After having a light lunch at Yering Station we pulled into the Sticks winery.

This winery is much smaller and unlike Yering Station it didn’t have a cafe or restaurant, only a cellar door where you could sample their wines and buy bottles or a small range of souveniers. I purchased a calico bag for $5. 

Sticks Yarra Valley
179 Glenview Road
Yarra Glen, Vic 3775

Ph: 03 9730 1022

The Sticks vineyard

The vineyard against the scenic Yarra Valley background

Located just near the carpark is this large mosquito sculpture

Inside the small cellar door area - upstairs you can purchase wines and a small range of souveniers

Inside the Sticks winery - upstairs is the cellar door

Technorati Tags: sticks winery, victorian winery, australian winery, vineyard

Driving around Victorias wineries just outside of Melbourne is a lovely way to spend a day and we decided to have a look around the Dandenong Ranges in the Morning and head out via Lilydale to have lunch at a winery.

Unfortunately the stunning modern restaurant at Yering Station was fully booked so we had a light lunch at ‘Matts Bar’ which is upstairs from the produce store area. If you plan to dine here then definately book because it’s extremely popular on weekends.

We shared an antipasto platter which was around $30 from memory and it was a nice light meal considering we’d eaten so much the night before.

Yering Station Winery
38 Melba Hwy
Yarra Glen 3775
Victoria, Australia

Ph 03 9730 0100

The exit from Yering Station winery

The Yering Station vineyard

Our antipasto platter. We ordered extra bread and of course had a glass of Yering Station pinot noir

Technorati Tags: yering station, winery, victorian winery, australian winery

I came here last Friday night with a friend who highly recommended we try their set tapas menu which is $40 each.

First to come out was gazpacho which came out in a small glass and served very cold. I’ve honestly never tried gaspacho and I wasn’t too keen on it. I absolutely love tomato sauce but I found the gaspacho to be very strong tasting and for me overpowering.

The next entree items included anchovy tapanade on bread and a vegetable torte. Both of these were nice but I thought the vegetable torte was a bit bland. Entree also included grilled trevally with a tomato confit sauce. The fish was lovely although I’m allergic to some white fish so I ate mine with a bit of trepidation.

The mains included grilled chicken skewers, chorizo corn and sofrito and grilled artichoke with romenesco which was like a sundried tomato dip underneath.

I’ve had tapas once before in Sydney and I have to say it much more enjoyable and flavoursome than what I had at Basque. I’ve been to Movida before in Melbourne and that is to die for so it’s unfair to compare Movida with Basque but I just felt there wasn’t great value for money and I wasn’t a fan of a lot of the choices and felt some dishes were just plain boring and bland.

Overall I’d rate it 13 out of 20 so while it’s not terrible, I think there is room for improvement and a better tapas set menu.

Basque Tapas & Wine
159 Chapel St
Windsor 3181 VIC
Phone: (03) 9533 7044

The set tapas menu is $40 each or $50 with two glasses of wine

We ordered a spanish wine while we waited for our table to be free

Gazpacho, Anchovy tapenade on bread and vegetable frittata

Artichoke with sundried tomato dip underneath and grilled chicken skewers

Grilled trevally fish with a tomato sauce on top

Chorizo corn and sofrito

Technorati Tags: basque, spanish restaurant, melbourne restaurant, spanish melbourne, tapas, spanish dining

The latest chain craze to hit Melbourne is San Churro!

San Churro is a Spanish chocolate store selling everything chocolate from traditional thick Spanish hot chocolates to churro’s (Spanish donuts which are long crispy donuts that you dunk in hot melted chocolate), handmade gourmet chocolates and chocolate ice cream.

I tried a hot chocolate after dinner on Chapel St. The store is located down the Windsor end of Chapel and it was great to have a hot drink on a cold night - I can’t believe how freezing it already is down there. We also ordered a cookie which was a chocolate and chilli cookie with lime icing filling. The chilli wasn’t too overpowering and it’s the first time I’ve tried chilli chocolate and now it won’t be the last. It’s an interesting but surprisingly nice combination.

I really hope they open up a San Churro on the Gold Coast - hey maybe they’ll put one in at Robina town centre or Pac Fair. But I doubt it seems to take forever for great chains to come to the GC (Grill’d can you hear me?)

San Churro
Chapel St, Windsor
150 Chapel Street
Windsor VIC 3181
Phone: 03 9529 7559

This photo was actually taken outside the Acland St store in St Kilda - They’re everywhere in Melbourne!

This is also outside the St Kilda store

Inside the Chapel Street store

The handmade chocolates which are around $1.90 each

Our hot chocolates with the chilli and chocolate cookie with lime icing filling

Technorati Tags: san churro, spanish hot chocolate, spanish chocolate, chilli chocolate

Eating with a conscience, ethical eating, or eating to improve your karma - all this is possible at Lentil as Anything which is a vegan restaurant in St Kilda, Melbourne where you decide how much the meal was worth.

Lentil as Anything is non for profit and as mentioned, vegan so that means no animal products.

The website says Lentil has ‘provided unique training and educational opportunities for marginalised people who are struggling to find a place in mainstream institutions. Currently, it provides a place forover a hundred new migrants, refugees, people with disabilities and long-term unemployed to build confidence, gain skills and receive assistance with access to legal, health, housing and education services.’

Lentil as Anything
41 Blessington street (corner Acland st & Barkley st)
open hours: 7days, 12-10pm every day
Tel: 9534- 5833
Website: www.lentilasanything.com

You can dine inside our out at Lentil as Anything

The sign inside: We rely on your generosity

One of the vegan meals - potatoes, peas, roti (front right) with brown rice and yoghurt

My meal - potato, beans, a slice of a massive zucchini, roti bread, yoghurt and brown rice

The kitchen which is in the middle of the small dining area.

Technorati Tags: lentil as anything, vegan restaurant, st kilda, restaurant review, vegan food

Well it’s the restaurant awards season with The Age Melbourne Good Food Guide 2008 awards just announced today.
Melbourne is arguably the food capital of Australia (although this was severely contested by the Australian Gourmet Travellers lack of awards given to Melbourne restaurants this year.)
So it is with great anticipation that the winners were announced in The Age today:

VITTORIA RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
Rockpool Bar & Grill

BEST NEW RESTAURANT
The Press Club

CHEF OF THE YEAR
George Calombaris, The Press Club

THE AGE YOUNG CHEF OF THE YEAR
Adam D’Sylva, Pearl

DISH OF THE YEAR
Confit apple with burnt butter icecream, Three, One, Two

KEMENYS WINE LIST OF THE YEAR
Circa, the Prince

BEST SHORT WINE LIST
Bar Lourinha

SOMMELIER OF THE YEAR
Dan Sims, Fifteen

SERVICE EXCELLENCE AWARD
Ari Vlassopoulos, manager Pearl

PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
Ronnie di Stasio, Cafe di Stasio

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Jacques Reymond, Jacques Reymond

BEST WEBSITE
Gingerboy

No word yet on who won country restaurant of the year (last years winner was Lake House in Daylesford - a wonderful experience if you ever get to visit. I went for my b’day a few years ago) and it was also interesting to note that a dessert has won dish of the year.
Two new awards added this year include Sommelier of the Year and best Website. I’m very happy that they’ve added a best website award as so many restaurants have terrible sites! With most people using the Internet now to see pictures of the restaurant and food and to browse the menu before booking, it’s essential to have a professional and easy to use site.

Picture from The Age online store.