restaurants and cafes

HOT: David’s Restaurant, 4 Cecil Place, Prahran

February 1, 2010 ⋅ 4 comments

The Age Epicure recently ran an article about the best places for yum cha in Melbourne and they named one-hat David’s Restaurant as one of the best in town (unbelievably my personal favourite Shark Fin House didn’t make the cut). Eager to try it with my other dim sum expert friends, we battled the weekend [...]

HOT: MoVida Aqui, Level 1, 500 Bourke St, Melbourne

January 30, 2010 ⋅ 8 comments

MoVida Aqui is the recently opened, expanded version of Frank Camorra’s fabulous Spanish eatery, MoVida Bar de Tapas. While it’s virtually impossible to get a booking at the original MoVida these days, and there are two timed sittings in the evenings, things at MoVida Aqui are much more relaxed. The space is airy and light [...]

HOT: Outpost, 9 Yarra St, South Yarra

January 29, 2010 ⋅ 5 comments

Outpost. How much do I love thee, let me count the ways: The open kitchen. MasterChef has shown us that cooking can be theatre, and at Outpost you can have a front-row view of the kitchen goings-on. Great entertainment if you’re eating alone and love food (like me). Oh, and they use Aesop handwash in [...]

HOT: Three Bags Full, 56 Nicholson St, Abbotsford

January 27, 2010 ⋅ 37 comments

Three Bags Full is the latest addition to the industrial chic cafe scene that Melbourne does so well. It comes with good credentials, as it’s run by the same husband-and-wife team (Sarah Foletta and Nathan Toleman) and their business partners Ben and Diamon, who are behind award-winning cafes APTE and Liar Liar. On the second [...]

HOT: Royal Mail Hotel, 98 Parker Street Glenelg Highway, Dunkeld

January 26, 2010 ⋅ 14 comments

As a special Australia Day public holiday treat, we’re going to go out of town for the day and head to the tiny town of Dunkeld, 260km west of Melbourne. Why? Because one of Australia’s best country restaurants, and The Age Good Food Guide’s Country Restaurant of the Year in 2009, is located at the [...]

HOT: Markov Place, 350-352 Drummond St, Carlton

January 25, 2010 ⋅ One comment

Today my recently Melbourne-relocated Sydney friend commented that Melbourne seems to have a particular fascination with Spanish cuisine which wasn’t evident in the Sydney dining scene. I can’t vouch for whether that’s actually true or not, but tonight I found yet another cool restaurant/bar serving Spanish-inspired food. And it was muy bueno. Markov Place is [...]

HOT Spots Summer Edition 2010 and Summer Serve

January 24, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment

It’s summer. The sun doesn’t go down till 9pm. Everyone is feeling relaxed and refreshed. So why not spend some time discovering, or rediscovering, the great things Melbourne offers in summer? If browsing through MEL: HOT OR NOT doesn’t provide you with enough inspiration, pick up Hot Spots Summer Edition 2010, a cute booklet produced [...]

HOT: Cibi, 45 Keele St, Collingwood

January 22, 2010 ⋅ 11 comments

I have two friends who are a couple. J is Asian and would like nothing better than a bowl of rice or noodles for breakfast. B is Anglo and in the morning the most substantial thing he can deal with is eggs and toast. I think I’ve just found the perfect place for them to [...]

HOT: Old Town Kopitiam Mamak, Level 2, Shop 11 QV Square, Melbourne

January 19, 2010 ⋅ 17 comments

If you had any doubt that food bloggers are influential people, then you’ve never been on Twitter. Forget what The Age and old media is telling you. The hottest restaurant in Melbourne at the moment is the newly opened Old Town Kopitiam Mamak at QV Square. Not one, not two but seven bloggers (to my [...]

HOT: Attica, 74 Glen Eira Rd, Ripponlea

January 18, 2010 ⋅ 8 comments

Most of my friends are pretty keen foodies, and amongst my closest posse we’ve developed a tradition to spend an inordinate amount of money on birthday dinners*. Kind of a gift for the birthday boy/girl that gifts our appetites at the same time. To continue the tradition we made a birthday date to sample the [...]