Melbourne restaurant advice sought

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 8:23 am

Hi,

My wife & I are spending several days early in 2005 in Melbourne staying at Crown Towers.

Can anyone recommend some good dinner (& possibly lunch) restaurants ??? Also, do you know if such restaurants are BYO ???

We enjoy all types of food, though I'm not so keen on Indian and I don't care much for overpriced restaurants offering so called 'fine dining'.

Many THX in advance.

Muscat Mike · Post by **Muscat Mike** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 3:57 pm

If you like truly great steak, go to Lazars. It is a short cab ride from Crown and the best piece of beef I have had. It is BYO.
We took our own and the bill, 3 courses was $60 including tip.
MM.

707 · Post by **707** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 4:46 pm

Hang the expense, I was talked into Flower Drum and went just to see what the fuss was all about, hoping for a truly great dining experience but expecting something less.

It was a truly superb dining experience, one I can really recommend, worth every dollar. I now know how they just keep on winning gongs every year.

dereksalmon · Post by **dereksalmon** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 9:29 pm

The reserve in fedaration square the food is amazing.
Its up there with a 2-3 michelin star restaurant.

Gianna · Post by **Gianna** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:02 pm

The Drum is good, but overated. Food is pleasant but nothing to get that excited about IMO. - The Tea House or Bamboo House, both within a few hundred metres of the Drum are half the price and just as good. But the "over the top" service of the Drum is hard to beat. - None BYO.

Best Italian food in the city is il Bacaro by a long shot for quality and ambience, but the wine is expensive. - Let the waiter bring a shared selection of food, not BYO.

Best Asian/Eastern "Fusion" - Ezard, Excellent all round, but again quite expensive. Not BYO

Best Middle Eastern. Momo's - Order degestation menu. Not BYO

Interesting steak house for value for money, Squires Loft - City.

Best Japanese - At Crown - KoKo's.
Best and absolutely the cheapest "cafe Japanese" - Meiji - BYO

Good seafood, Sails by the Bay at Elwood beach. Reasonably priced, ok wine list and will allow BYO if discreet and organise prior.

Sorry, I just realised that most of these restaurants are not BYO, but in CBD, they are a bit harder to find.

Good luck.

Andy · Post by **Andy** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:24 pm

Hi Paul

There was a thread recently on wine places in Melbourne, which I responded to in detail. Check out:
http://www.auswine.com.au/forum/viewtop ... ght=#14750.

Melbourne has a great restaurant scene, but not a lot of BYO's. To get a real feel for what the city does best (keeping in mind your preference against "fine dining"), the two I would recommend are:
The Botanical on Domain Rd South Yarra. This is a 5 min cab ride from Crown. Check out http://www.thebotanical.com.au/

Arintji is Jacques Reymond's newish place at Fed Square, and works really well. This article gets it about right: http://melbourne.citysearch.com.au/profile?id=30003625.

Also at Fed Square is Transport which has changed chefs since I left earlier in the year and seems to be doing really well. It certaily had the location and a great feel, to which it now seems to have added a great menu from Miachael Lambie (ex-Circa).

If you are really keen for BYO, you could do a lot worse that go to any of the Vietnamese restaurants in Victoria Street Richmond or Malaysian in Chinta Blues on Acland Street, St Kilda.

Good luck and enjoy your trip.

Cheers

Andy

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 11:16 am

For great Cantonese (Flower Drum Alumni) and BYO cannot go past Chois - in two locations

Brunswick St, Fitzroy (03 9419 0747) and
Riversdale Rd, Hawthorn (03 9818 2299)

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 12:46 pm

www.thatsmelbourne.com.au could help

Cheers