Melbourne Patron

In my initial Googling of this place, I had to specify "restaurant" in the search term, because it was still new and Google thought I was looking for a bowling joint. Tenpin (67 Beach Street, Port Melbourne) is actually named after a giant bowling pin - not really relevant to South-East Asian cuisine, I would have thought, but hey! why not. I do very much like the bowling alley style font used in their logo, however. Retro and with a swish! Port Melbourne is a bitch to get to. Seriously, if you don't have a car, Uber or a cab is your best bet. (Sort out your s*^t, PTV !) I got there in a very roundabout way via PT, getting into the city first to catch the 109 tram right to the end (near where the Spirit of Tasmania docks) and walked five minutes down the road. Although annoying to get to, no one can deny this restaurant's premium position: literally across the road from the beach, looking out to Port Phillip Bay. We were there on a February evening (only a f...

Good cafes are few and far between in Melbourne's CBD, so it is unsurprising that The Hardware Societe (120 Hardware Street, Melbourne) has created such a loyal following. Its name is regularly mentioned in foodie circles and it is often recommended to visitors. Having never set foot in the joint, I tried it for the first time this September, when my Dad and a business associate of his were in town. Perhaps it was the effect of all the hype - or I've been spoilt for choice by the hordes of excellent cafes in Melbourne - but although I found The Hardware Societe good, it wasn't amazing. Its location has obviously contributed to The Hardware Societe's success - halfway down a traffic-free laneway, bang in the middle of town, allowing for its regular queues to spill onto the street. I arrived at 9.45am on a Saturday to put our name on the list. The others arrived at 10am and we were seated by about 10.10am. Twenty-five minutes' wait... not too bad for such a rev...

I think of Fitzroy as my 'hood, and as such, I have travelled Brunswick Street many, many times. There is a point just south of Johnston Street where the shops start to dwindle away; things seem quieter. On the corner of Bell Street is a charming, olde-world-looking restaurant called Madame Sousou  (231 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy), with neatly arranged footpath tables and chairs facing the street - just like how they do it in Europe. It looks warm, inviting, traditional and European - many of my favourite things! But it was only recently that I tried it for the first time. My best friend happened to have an Entertainment Book voucher for Madame Sousou, so we thought we'd give it a try. I'd like to point out here that both my friend and I are seasoned diners, and have been happy to pay exorbitant prices for meals, many times in the past. The Entertainment Book seemed a good way to try venues we hadn't been to, and at a saving - and who doesn't like to save a ...

When I think lunch, my first thought tends to be noodles. I'm not fussy: I'll eat basically any type of Asian cuisine, as long as it's well done. Having worked in Richmond for a couple of years now, I've sampled most of the offerings on or near Swan Street. My favourite? Happy Kappa, an unassuming-looking Japanese place (85 Swan Street, Richmond). It's BYO, cash only, and this place won't win any prizes for decor. It's got a bunch of big wooden tables and a few longer communal ones, and there's random Japanese decorative stuff plonked all over pretty much every surface. The standard fluorescent lights have been 'cleverly' hidden by draped fabric, and you eat from plastic bowls with disposable chopsticks as you would from most Japanese takeaway joints. But, it's charming in a quaint way. Your eye always has something to rove over (not least all the spunky creative-type lunch patrons), and soft, soothing jazz music plays overhead. ...