A Spot Of Something French: Café Tartine, Pathumwan, Bangkok

Café Tartine is very close to the BTS station, so you won't be sweating buckets when on arrival (which is always makes for a more pleasant dining experience).

This place reminds me of some of the chain-like brunch places in NYC and London, namely 'Le Pain Quotidien', although Café Tartine is more homely and unique.

The interior is light and airy with fan ceilings.  Huge glass door cabinets are neatly lined with designer glass water bottles in the seating area, whilst a homely country style kitchen complete with counter top occupies the other half.  The white shirt aproned service staff all look completely at home, bustling away as they take, prepare and serve orders.

The menu has a good selection of breakfast items, crepes, sandwiches (with your choice of bread), a couple of soups including the obligatory french onion soup, salads, or if you so prefer, there is a 'make-your-own' salad option where you just tick off what you want from the list.  Beverages include coffees, including an XXL bowl option, shakes, and other drinks.

Mr. P joined me for lunch today as I had already told him that I would take him to a wonderful place for something a little French.   As we stepped inside, I could tell Mr. P approved of this café. 

Feeling right at home with the menu, Mr. P chose the ham and melted brie baguette (around 190 baht).  The baguette was crunchy on the outside, and lovingly soft on the inside.  He was pretty pleased with his baguette sandwich and it brought back memories of his many childhood summers spent in France.

I ordered the salade nicoise (220 baht) which was a hefty plate of salad topped with boiled egg, tomato, boiled potato, olives, red peppers, green beans and let's not forget, the tuna itself! 

The olives were fat and juicy, the tuna was soft and well, tuna.  The ingredients all tasted wonderfully fresh, but if I had one complaint - and it is a small one - I would have liked the lettuce to have been better tossed in the dressing as the salad leaves at the top were not as well dressed as those at the bottom.  

All in all though, a really tasty and well-thought out generous salade nicoise.

We both finished off the meal with a coffee which was steaming hot and again, very generous.  And a dessert of course; me having the tart tatin and Mr. P having the lime pie.

I had suggested sharing to Mr. P before ordering, but he would not listen.  So when the very generous portions arrived, we couldn't believe our eyes and Mr. P confessed that we should have indeed shared ... men!  Our neighbours even eyed up our desserts and exclaimed how good they looked. 

The apples on the tart tartin oozed with just the right amount of sweetness, the caramel infused pastry was delicious, although not puff pastry.  Again, it tasted good and the caramel sauce with fresh cream on the side is a lovely addition for those with an extra sweet tooth.

The lime pie looked just like a British lemon meringue pie, but of course the French have their own 'Tarte Meringuée au Citron', so nothing British about this one ....

The meringue was very light with the edges browned just enough on top, and the lime curd was on the right side of sour.  The pastry was slightly biscuit-like which Mr. P (as an Englishman) loves.

Service is polite and friendly here.  There is seating outside with tall floor fans, which I imagine is really lovely for chilling out in once the heat subsides a little in the evenings. 

They also offer free wifi which is fantastic.  Having been here twice already, I noticed how lunch time between 12:30-13:30pm is absolutely buzzing, so if you want to avoid the manic rush, come either before or after this hour. 

I have yet to try their croissants, of which I am so looking forward to doing very soon.

Café Tartine
Soi Ruam Rudee at Athenee Residence, 65 Wireless Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel: +66 (0)2 168 5464

Nearest BTS: Ploenchit, exit 4.  U-turn at the bottom of the stairs, take the first left into Soi Ruam Rudee and Cafe Tartine is a mere 100 metres on the right hand side.

HOURS

Daily 8am-8pm

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Crêpes & Co, Klongtoey, Bangkok

Love crêpes?  Me too.  For those of you who don't, what's there not to like?  Seriously people, they are goooood.

I actually prefer crêpes over any other style of pancake.  These thin crispy edged pancakes are a wonderful French export and yes, we have them here in Bangkok.

I had been meaning to check out Crêpes & Co for some time now and today, I finally managed to get there.  

It's about a five (sweaty) minute walk down Soi 12 from Sukhumvit road.  Add a couple more minutes or so if walking from Asoke BTS (exit 2).

You'll see a painted white wall with their sign sticking out and at first, you may start to doubt whether this place was really worth checking out or not.  At least this is what I did.  And after a sweaty walk down, I was damned if I was going to turn back around.

As I approached the entrance though, I was presented with the most lush and beautiful jungle garden.  I have to admit, I was VERY pleasantly surprised.  Maybe this place was worth seeking out.

Walking into the restaurant, I was instantly greeted by a friendly waiter in the typical Frenchman outfit: a blue and white striped top with a red neck scarf and a black beret.  All he needed was a moustache and a french accent.  Thankfully he hadn't acquired the abrupt Parisien manner that I had been accustomed to. 

I chose to sit in the front room on a table by the low window and I was immediately poured a lovely glass of iced cold water and handed the menu.  Ahh, this place just kept getting better by the minute.

There is seating outside on a beautifully decked verandah and a large dining room up a few steps from the front room which also houses the bar. 

There's a couple of tall bookcases with magazines, cushioned rattan seating with a coffee table covered in newspapers, a basket full of teddies and toys for the kiddies.  Music plays out softly in the background and the owner comes around to say hello to all his patrons ... a really lovely touch.  There is also free wifi for those who want it.

As you can imagine, there are crêpes galore here: French, brunch style, most popular and international flavours.  There's also appetizers, pasta, Mediterranean plates such as moussaka, Tajine of lamb and so forth, and 14 different salads.  And if you would prefer, you can also make up your very own savoury crêpe by ticking off your own ingredients:

Being in Thailand, I decided to go for the Massaman chicken curry crêpe.  I was very tempted to go for a French one, but decided that curry was the order of the day.

I didn't have too long to wait, but it didn't come out right away, which in my book is a good sign that the crêpes are cooked fresh.  As you can see below, it was a very generous portion.

The curry was delicious, the potato was cooked through, the chicken pieces were tender and crêpe was scrumdidlyumptious.  My only gripe and this is just an aesthetic one: the chef could have cleaned the plate of crumbs before it came out ... it looks like a bad case of crêpe crumb dandruff.

That said, I will definitely be back.  I love the ambience, the setting and the lush green jungle front garden.  The serving staff are all so friendly and polite, along with the owner himself. 

They also have a branch in Thonglor and you can find the details on their website.  

So if you're in the mood for crêpes in Bangkok, you really need to check this place out.

Crêpes & Co
18/1, Sukhumvit Soi 12, Klongtoey 10110, Bangkok, Thailand
Tel: +66 (0)2 653-3990 / 3991
Nearest BTS: Asoke, exit 2

HOURS
Daily: 9am-Midnight

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Jones The Grocer, Dempsey Hill, Singapore

Part grocer, part cafe, Jones The Grocer provides an almost warehouse size pantry full of delicious looking edible delights as well as cookbooks, teapots and other kitchen paraphernalia.

It's a large modern space with high ceilings and enough room to move between the stocked shelves and tables.  There's a deli counter, a cheese room, a selection of wine, vinegars, homemade pastas, the list goes on.  They also sell gourmet chocolate and I was delighted to find Willie's Chocolate bars for sale here.  I have been wanting to try his chocolate for ages!

Arriving just after 3pm on a Sunday, this place was busy.  All seats were taken inside and as we surveyed the available seating outside, we managed to grab the last two stools.  

That said, the turnover of sitting patrons seemed to be fairly regular in this place.  Plus, we didn't arrive during their peak lunch time which meant that we missed out on the brunch menu.

As we sat patiently waiting for some menus to be brought to us, none came.  So I found myself having to flag down a waiter inside.  Even then, it took a while for them to be brought out.

Service didn't get much better when nobody came to take our order.  Once again, I had to go grab a waiter.

Our drinks did arrive in good time though.  My flat white was smooth and probably a little on the milky side.  It could have passed for a small latte.  The berry iced tea was refreshing and came unsweetened.

We both ordered a pumkin and feta salad, which came in a large bowl.  It was dressed with a plain vinegar olive oil, the feta was certainly on the stingy side, the pumpkin pieces didn't fair much better.  It was a nice enough salad, for what it was that is.  But it really felt as though I was chewing on rocket leaves more than anything else.
 

The potato wedges on the other hand were mostly lovely.  I say mostly, because the one fattest wedge was still slightly raw in the middle.  Apart from this one minor flaw, these wedges were hot and crispy with a hint of rosemary.  The homemade mayonnaise was a bit bland.  I sometimes make my own and I like to make mine a little tangy.



I really wanted to try their coconut pancakes with mango and vanilla ice-cream, but had no room left.  Check out Coffee With Amee who gave these a 'must-try' thumbs up. She also sampled the brunch, and I have to agree with her 'Strike three'!

Service here really needs to improve.  The staff seem to be run off their feet and are so busy, they don't always catch patrons' attention.  

If you're looking for speciality items that you possibly can't find anywhere else, Jones The Grocer is worth checking out.  Unfortunately I can't comment on their desserts.  Not sure I'd come back especially for brunch and besides, there are so many more places that I'd like to try in Singapore.

Jones The Grocer
9 Dempsey Road, #01-12 Dempsey Hill, Singapore
Tel:  +65 6476 1512 

HOURS
9am-11pm Daily

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NYDC, Holland Village, Singapore

 

In the mood for some dessert, I headed down Holland Village way.  It has the usual TCC, Coffee Bean & Co and then I stumbled across this place, NYDC which translates to New York Dessert Cafe. 

It was busy, which in my book is always a good sign.  The signature colour red is big and bold, large booths line one side of the wall, pop art pictures adorne the walls and there is a buzz of chatter.

The counter at the front houses delicious looking, waist increasing, calorie rich desserts, which for me are hard to resist. 

The menu is somewhat playful and in the end I chose the traditional New York cheesecake.  Well, it had to be right?!  The last traditional New York cheesecake I had was from Eileen's Cheesecake in Little Italy, lower Manhattan.  And my goodness, their cheesecake is amazing by the way!

Back to this NYDC cheesecake in Holland Village, Singapore.  It was offered with ice-cream, but I politely declined.  I don't need more calories on top of the cheesecake and my waistline would not have been a happy one, let alone a good-looking one...

The cheesecake arrived dutifully in good time; a drizzle of sweet mango coulis with the cheesecake on top, but almost ruined by the childish looking dollop of cream with a sprinkling of 'hundreds and thousands'.  Seeing as this place also caters for children, I guess they have to make it appeal to all ages.

The biscuit base was thin and sponge-like which is how I like it.  The cake itself was creamy and smooth, and the taste of it really took me back to the days when I used to eat up cheesecake galore on my trips to New York. 

The waitress was all happy and full of smiles, which made for a pleasant 'American' dining experience. 

I had a camomile tea with my cheesecake which was a refreshing and light companion to the delightful sweet dessert.   

NYDC is a great place to come with friends, family, or purely solo.

NYDC

30 Lorong Mambong, Holland Village, Singapore

Tel: +65 6469 2998

HOURS

11:30am - 12am (Sun-Thu)

11:30 am - 2:00 am (Fri & Sat)

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The Little Mule Company & Café, Melbourne

This café is pretty brand spanking new.  In fact, it's only been open a few weeks or so.  My fellow cafe hound and I were pleased to be visiting a fairly new kid on the block so to speak.

We arrived at midday, expecting it to be a little busy, but we were the only ones there for about half an hour or so.  A trickle of other lunchtime revellers came in - a mix of office workers and casual looking types.  I suspect this place is still finding it's feet whilst word of mouth gets around.

Many bicycles adorn the white walls here and they sell buy bicycles and bicycle parts.  The bikes come in some deliciously funky colours and if I had any space to park one in, I would be rather tempted. 

Aside from the bikes, this place is light and airy, with communal tables as well as a leather sofa and smaller tables dotted about the place. 

I ordered a skinny flat white along with a tuna and cheese melt with jalapeños, and a pumpkin and chickpea salad.

It all seemed to be made with love.  The tuna and cheese melt arrived, and it was what it said it was - a tuna and cheese melt with jalapeños.  It tasted fine, but if I'm honest, I prefer my own home made tuna and cheese melt... 

The pumpkin and chickpea salad was nice and fresh.  Again though, nothing out of this world.  So I am just going to say it was fresh, tasty and seemingly healthy.

 A nice little cafe which probably needs more time to mature and develop.  Service is extremely friendly here, although my skinny flat white was forgotten about until I had to remind them.  This was a little strange since we were the only ones in the place at the time of my ordering.  Still, another lovely addition to the Melbourne café scene.

The Little Mule Café
19 Somerset Place, Melbourne, Victoria 3000
Tel: +61 (0)402 212 052

HOURS
Mon-Fri: 07:30-15:30

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Proud Mary, Melbourne

I must admit, I am loving the hunt for a good cup of coffee these days.  Having made arrangements to meet a friend at Proud Mary, I woke up feeling pretty excited about my visit to this auspicious North Melbourne cafe today.

After a sweat-filled workout session in the gym this morning, I was feeling ready for lunch and a good strong coffee.

I just needed to do a couple of chores before catching the tram and arriving at Proud Mary just before one o'clock.  It was already buzzing, but I managed to grab a seat by the window whilst a friendly waitress took my order for a skinny latte. 

The menu here is split into breakfast and lunch options, which I perused over with much anticipation and rumbling tummy.  Drinking my lovely latte - it was smooth, strong, but not so much so, and it went down a real treat.

My friend arrived just after I finished my latte, whilst at the same time, a table was being vacated which we grabbed.  We ordered the pork belly toasted sandwich ($15.50) to share.  

It came with a lovely rocket salad on the side.  Apologies for the partially eaten sandwich in the photo.  I was simply too hungry to remember to take the 'picture perfect' sandwich before digging in.  It was mmm, so utterly yummy, the pork simply melted off the fat (which I cut off) and the paprika aioli was the perfect accompaniment.  All in all, a yummy-licious, lip smacker of sandwich.

I finished off my lunch with another coffee - a skinny flat white.  It came in a gorgeous retro blue coffee cup and saucer.  Retro blue and white being the colours of the salt and pepper shakers too!  In fact, there is a rather retro feel to this place which I love. 

Anyhow, back to the coffee, I loved my flat white just as much as the latte.  I think the coffee here is pretty darn good, if not great!   

 

Service is friendly and attentive here, which is always a bonus in my books.  And a definite thumbs up in terms of how I view a place.  Although not quite as funky and grungy as Auction Rooms or St. Ali in décor, Proud Mary is certainly worth seeking out for their food and their great coffee.

Proud Mary
172 Oxford Street (cnr Stanley St), Collingwood, VIC 3066
Tel: +61 (0)3 9417 5930

Mon-Fri: 7am-4pm

Sat-Sun: Sun: 8am-4pm

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Auction Rooms, Melbourne

OK, so one wouldn't naturally think of going to auction rooms for brunch, but this cafe really rocks.  Having been here a few weeks ago for lunch, I was so taken with the place that I had to share my new found cafe hot spot with my partner this lovely sunny Sunday afternoon. 

I love how this place is rather grungy in a such an uncontrived way.  I love the bare red brick walls and the music posters that plaster some of it; the open central bar area; the high warehouse ceiling with old fashioned ceiling fans; the laid back vibe and the most friendly of service from types that look reminiscent of students from my old uni days.  Love it!!

Being a gorgeous sunny Sunday afternoon today, this place was packed since all the other cool people in Melbourne had also decided to spend brunch at Auction Rooms.  So much so in fact, that we had to put our name down on a waiting list.  Estimated wait was twenty minutes, but in reality it was only about five.

We were given a great table at the back by the outside courtyard area and our order of flat whites taken right away.

A few minutes later, our flat whites came with the lovely swirly pattern.  As somebody who knows nothing about coffee, I will say that I find Auction Rooms coffee has a very distinct, bold flavour. 

From the food menu, I ordered the 'Coriander falafel and poached eggs on grilled flat bread with cumin & mint yoghurt, tabouli, dukkah and tahini dressing' ($16).  The falafel was crispy on the outside and fell easily apart when cut into.  The whole dish was a tasty combination, but I would have preferred a slightly smaller portion.

My partner ordered the pork knuckle sandwich only to be told that they had run out.  What a shame - I really wanted to try it.  So instead, he ordered the 'Opening bid - poached eggs on toast with field mushrooms, grilled bacon, wilted baby spinach & roasted roma tomatoes' ($16.50).  The smoked bacon was grilled just right, the mushrooms had been cooked in a little delicious butter and the eggs were poached perfectly.

We were both absolutely stuffed at the end, but not enough to be able to have another cup of coffee. 

With it's great vibe, cool interior, friendly service and all round fabulousness, I urge you to take the trip up to Auction Rooms in North Melbourne.

Auction Rooms

103-107 Errol Street, North Melbourne, VIC 3051
Tel: +61 (0)3 9326 7749

Mon-Wed: 7:30am-5pm
Thu-Sat: 7:30am-10pm
Sun: 8am-4pm

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Pope Joan, Melbourne

Today involved a trip out of the city on the number 96 tram.   As it rattled it's way along Nicholson Street, I was starting to get a little apprehensive about whether I would be able to find Pope Joan. 

Unbeknown to me, Nicholson Street is a pretty long street and Pope Joan is nestled amongst, well, not an awful lot by way of trade to be honest.

I got off at stop number 24 as instructed by Melbourne's metlink journey planner and wondered back down the street and alas, I had found Pope Joan.  The cafe doesn't look like much on the outside, but get a load of that cute copper pan letter box. 

Anyhow, my friend had arrived before me and was already enjoying a cup of coffee.  As I sat down, a waitress came along to bring us some water and take my order for a skinny flat white.

This place is only open for breakfast and lunch (Monday to Friday), and so the menu was really Eggs (cooked in many different ways) and sandwiches.  We opted for the chicken with stuffing sandwich and the curried egg and cress.  Mmm...they sounded yummy.

You can watch the chef at work just behind the front counter too.

We decided to order the chicken stuffing sandwich ($9) and the curried egg sandwich ($8).  The chicken stuffing sandwich came warmly wrapped in foil.  The curried egg was served between slices of sourdough.

The chicken stuffing was delightful.  The curried egg was just OK.  We thought it could have done with some oomph and I had to pepper mine to add some kick. 

There is outside seating to the side.  Babies more than welcome as was evident by the several mums and bubs sitting outside.  It's modern rustic with a good old splash of Britishness about it.

Pope Joan
77/79 Nicholson Street
Brunswick East, VIC 3057
Tel: +61 (0)3 9388 8858

Breakfast + Lunch 7 days a week.

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Basement Café, Melbourne

The city circle trams rattles past this place on La Trobe street, near to the corner of Queen street.  It doesn't look like much from the outside, but enter this cafe and feel welcoming warm reception envelope you as sit down and relax. 

Décor has a musical theme.  Remember vinyl?  Well there's a vinyl decorated wall below the window counter, posters advertising bands and musicals on one wall, and lots of other decorative paraphernalia.

There are separate breakfast and lunch blackboards listing the days menu.  Service is super friendly in this funky cool cafe and also extremely efficient.

My lunching companion and I both ordered flat whites and they came with the much oligatory leafy pattern on top that I have become accustomed to whilst living in Melbourne.  And it still makes me smile each time I see it...

Food wise, we ordered a mushroom pizza with feta, pine nuts and rocket ($8); and also a pesto chicken salad with pine nuts and feta to share ($9).

Both came out at the same time.  Ingredients were fresh and tasty.  Pizza was thin crust, which is how I like it. 

The very generous serving of salad was yummy.  Gorgeous pieces of chicken breast, avocado and spinach leaves dressed with pesto; feta and pine nuts on top. 

They don't rush you here; they play some good background tunes, and they are more than happy for you to perch your bottom here all day if you wanted to.

A great find with fabulous service and delicious fresh food at amazing value!

Basement Café
350 La Trobe Street, Melbourne 3000
Tel: +61 (0) 9329 8000

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St. Ali, Melbourne

At 12-18 Yarra Place in South Melbourne is a hidden gem.  I say hidden because unless you're in the know, it's not obvious to a passerby looking down this street that there's a great little coffee place just a few steps and a skip away.  

St. Ali occupies a converted warehouse with wooden tables and mis-matched chairs.  Yes, this place is certainly quirky, but oh so good quirky!

I arrived at one o'clock today and was instantly greeted by a wide eyed and smiley waitress.  I instantly saw my friend sitting at the end of one of the communal tables and went to sit with her.

Another waitress came and offered to get us some coffees right away.  Again, with a lovely  huge smile.  Wow, with the amount of smiles we were getting in such a short space of time, we were becoming instantly enamoured with this place. 

We both ordered flat whites ($3.80 each); except I ordered a 'skinny' as opposed to regular.  There were a couple of coffee makers with brewing looking contraptions to the side, it all looked a bit like a potions class going on in the background. 

The flat white came with a lovely fir tree pattern on top.  It was beautifully smooth and oh so yummyliciously creamy.  Mmm, I think I fell in love with this place from the sip go!

This place has a breakfast menu as well as a lunch menu.  We decided to share a couple of dishes.  From their 'kitchen confidential' section, we chose the 'my mexican cousin' ($14.50) which is their secret recipe corn fritters with baby spinach, grilled halloumi and kasundi with our choice of poached eggs.

From the 'between the sheets' (sounds a little naughty), we chose the 'morrocan spiced chicken thigh burger' ($16), stuffed with tomato jam, tomato, avocado salsa and rocket.

They both arrived at the same time.  The burger came in toasted turkish bread - one of my favourites.

One can see the yummy filling - chicken, lovely fresh green avocado salsa, plenty of crunchy rocket and big beef tomato slices with lovely sweet tomato jam.  The ingredients were all fresh and tasty and after a good morning workout, it felt indulgent without being too glutinous (apart from the white bread...)

The corn fritters came with two lovely poached eggs on top with kasundi on top (sliced mango pickle).  The halloumi wasn't salty as some that I have had before, and the corn fritters were delicious and very non-greasy.  The poached eggs were just about runny, with the edges of the yoke cooked - a little more done than I prefer.  But all in all, a well rounded dish which hit the spot. 

We polished off the meal with a chai tea latte ($4.80 each).  The spices had been ground up and topped with hot milk in a one handle jug.  I asked for honey on the side and they gave me a generous shot glass of honey.  The chai latte was delicious, but it could have done with more oomph if I'm honest. 

Staff here are so super friendly.  We were made to feel welcome from the moment we set foot inside the place to the moment we left. 

St. Ali is just brilliant.  I love the concept and I love the fact that they take such pride in their coffee.  I think I've been persuaded to make the effort to come back here just to buy some ground coffee beans.  After which, I will just have to try to emulate their great coffee back home! 

St. Ali
12-18 Yarra Place, South Melbourne, VIC 3205
Tel: +61 (0)3 9686 2990

HOURS
Mon-Tue: 7am-5pm
Wed-Sat: 7am-11pm
Sun: 8am-5pm

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Donovans, Melbourne

Last night, I dined at Donovans in St. Kilda.  It's a charming beach house styled restaurant; with comfy oversized cushioned benches and an eclectic mix of wooden chairs.  White dressers line the long side wall, arrangements of framed photographs sit next to a large wooden framed mirror at the end and an assortment of candles help to soften the lighting. 

The staff are in dressed in pastel green check shirts and beige trousers under long orange aprons.  In keeping with the pastel green and orange theme, the dressers are dressed with the same coloured drinking glasses.  The atmosphere is one of casual, relaxed and of course, by the beach.

The food menu is vast - starters, salads, pasta, from the bbq, main courses, on ice (oysters), dishes for two (such as a whole roast duck), side orders, desserts and the cubby menu for kiddies.

I decided to start with some oysters, a mix of Pacific and Sydney Rock ($3.50 each).  As one would imagine, the Pacific oysters tasted more like the sea - delicious! 

My fellow dining companions had the 'four tastes' tasting plate ($21)and the Donovans 'home smoked salmon with a blini, salman caviar and dill sour cream' ($25).  The blini was no shrinking wallflower, it looked like a generous fishcake.  The salmon looked wonderfully moist.  The four tastes were a stuffed mushroom, roast beef, smoked trout and unfortunately I cannot remember the fourth.  But I did try the mushroom and roast beef, both were good.

For mains, I chose the 'Sicilian-style swordfish with pesto, mint and melting onions' ($42) from the bbq.  My dining companions chose the 'Black Angus T-bone of beef from the Western District' ($45), again also from the bbq; the 'Double lamb chop flavoured with chicken and herbs served with creamy mash and ratatouille vegetables' ($44) and the 'Roasted Berkshire pork cutlet with sauce charcutière and creamy mash' ($45) from the mains.

My swordfish wasn't overwhelming which was good.  The onions were wonderfully softened and full of flavour.  It also came with a side of lightly dressed cos lettuce leaves and crispy rosemary roasted potatoes.  A gorgeous light meal.

Below is the 'Black Angus T-bone steak'.  Again, it came with a side of lightly dressed cos lettuce and rosemary roasted potatoes. 

The double lamb chop with chicken and herb crust looked rustic, generous and well cooked.

The pork cutlet was a generous size with a dollop of mash and the charcuterie sauce.

Service was attentive, polite and informative.  We felt very much at home in this wonderful beach house restaurant.  I can see why people love Donovans, it was spectacular to watch the sun setting right by the beach whilst enjoying a delicious meal. 

Although this place isn't cheap, it is well worth it for a special occasion.  The food is good, ingredients fresh, service exemplary, and the views are lovely.

Donovans
40 Jacka Boulevard, St. Kilda, VIC 3000
Tel: +61 (0)3 9534 8221

Mon-Sun: Lunch and Dinner

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