Melbourne

Had a little sneaky visit to Melboure in February for a conference and got around to a few places I wanted to share. I know it is now May, but I'm a busy lady alright? Besides everyone has their own favourites when they get down to Melbourne; those hidden gems they proudly dsiscuss when anyone asks where they should go when they visit Melbourne. Here are a few of my choices:

Mamsita: The hip place to be at present in Melbourne. Queues down the stairs, waiting an hour plus for a table, minimal seating but some amazing Mexican food washed down with excellent margaritas. If you get in early you can grab a spot at the window and do some good old people watching. Recommend: the pork loin with almonds and pomegranate.

http://mamasita.com.au/

St Ali: Great little coffee joint on Southbank. I had the pork terrine sandwich. A little cumbersome and dry to eat, but tasty. I spent a good couple of hours reading a book in the corner sipping coffee and just watching the comings and goings of people. Recommend: the coffee!

http://stali.com.au/

Cumulus Inc: A licensed breakfast and lunch joint in the Melbourne CBD that is super sleek all over. The menu is classics done exceedingly well. The full English comes with smoked tomato, blood sausage bacon and fried eggs. Each individual component is perfection; the heirloom tomato is strong enough to cut through all the other rich components. The bloody mary here kicks arse and so do the freshly baked lemon curd filled madelines. Recommend: madelines.

http://cumulusinc.com.au/

Gigi Baba: Turkish styled share plates in one of the best fit-outs I have ever seen. Wall to wall rugs, long filament light bulbs and a large central marble bar make this place cosy and cool. The eggplant dip is green and, while still smoky, has a vibrant flavour you don’t get in most babaganoush. The lamb cutlet was beautifully cooked in another dish we had. There was a chocolate and prune cake for desert. I think it was a special, but if they have it on the menu for the love of god get it! The prunes add a complexity to the chocolate that take this thing to the next level. Recommend: that chocolate-pruney-cakey thingo.

http://travelinsider.qantas.com.au/gigibaba_melbourne.htm

Tapavino

Apologies for not sharing this place with you sooner. I have been a total restaurant-hog, for which I feel incredibly guilty. 'How good is this place?' you wonder, that I would neglect my duty to infom you of good places to eat. If I told you that in one week I went four times (twice on the same night one occaision) will you start to get a picture?

Tapavino, as the name implies, does tapas and wine. Forget the fried, oily stodge that a lot of places try to pass off as tapas. This place is all about fresh, bright flavours with seperate parts of the menu dedicated to the sea and land. Jamon of course gets its own section. The pumpkin parfait is an amazing spicy, salty-sweet puree that spruiks the tongue for subsequent dishes. Dishes like tuna crudo with spicy roast almonds and sherry dressing stand out. Tender strips of tuna contrast with the satisfying crunch of crushed almonds. This dish is everything.  Order it. Now. Seriously, stop reading and go get some.

Back? Ok.

The pork and duck terrine really celebrates the flavours of each meat. A special of slow roast lamb shoulder with yogurt, pomegranate and mint is served sitting in its own juices. Make sure you save some of the copius amounts of bread that come with the other dishes to soak this wonder sauce up. Damn fine. The razor clams are cold and lackluster with a broadbean puree and astringent citrus dressing that leaves the dish missing any cohesion or interest.

This bar is all about sherry, something I know squat about (except that it is mostly produced in Spain), but the staff are more than happy to help I  guiding you through the sweet, dry crisp loveliness that is sherry. Most of the staff here have spent time working in Spain and know which tipple best suits the dishes ordered.

Upstairs takes reservations, but downstairs is the part of the restaurant that takes me back to Spain. Squeeze into a tiny table, eavesdrop on the next table over, eat great food and get merry.

Mon-Fri 11:00 am - 11:30 pm

6 Bulletin Place

Sydney NSW 2000

http://www.tapavino.com.au/