Sandor Katz the fermentation superstar and American food writer, is coming to Australia and will be delivering captivating and educational sessions across Australian cities. Described by the New York Times as “one of the unlikely rock stars of the American food scene,” Sandor Katz is a fermentation revivalist, a self-described "fermentation fetishist" and will be touring Australia with The Fermentary founder Sharon Flynn and her team in February and March. The Ferment Yourself Wild tour with Sandor Katz will cover topics such as grains, urban foraging, ferments from across Asia, preserving seasonal abundance, why soil health matters and regenerative farming.
Sun Kitchen the premium Sichuan and Cantonese dining experience in Melbourne has popped up at the Australian Open with a first class restaurant marquee, featuringGuojiao 1573drinks (major sponsor of Australian Open). The World Loves Melbourne (David and Gary) was invited along to enjoy dishes from both the Grand Slam Menu and the Australian Open Set menu, complemented with Guojiao 1573. You can book your table and experience this premium dining experience yourself! We have enjoyed hospitality across the Australian Open and highly rate this one as unique and first class in every way. We were also superbly hosted by Ronda and her team at this location by the Grand Slam Oval East.
Citi Taste of Melbourne is back in Melbourne as one of the highlights of the Australian Open featuring Aussie Tennis Legend Pat Cash and Elite Tennis Pros. We enjoyed an Exclusive Culinary Experience at The Plaza Ballroom that made us proud of our city and it's talent, as well as get pumped for the Australian Open. Kudos to the organisers for a fabulous event.
Chef Matt Wilkinson is back in Brunswick, swinging open the doors to his highly-anticipated new venue, Crofter Dining Room & Bar. Crofter, an 80-seat dining room and bar is Wilkinson’s most personal venue yet, a modern Australian approach to food and dining, injected with some not-so-subtle nods to homeland Britain. Wilkinson elevates vegies and salads to centre-stage at Crofter, with local meat and sustainable seafood plates taking on supporting roles.
Fish and Chips! A tradition from England, we have adopted a passion for fish and chips in Melbourne. Here are our favourite fish and chips eateries listed below.
Located in North Fitzroy, Citrico (meaning "citrus") is a South American inspired bar and restaurant serving up predominantly made-to-share dishes in a lively atmosphere. The World Loves Melbourne was invited along to experience Citrico on charming Queens Parade, the brainchild of Nan Kroll (who delightfully hosted us on the night). Citrico takes its inspiration from the cuisines of Argentina, Peru and Chile and is highly recommended for a fun, unique Melbourne dining experience.
Best BBQ restaurants in Melbourne based on our experiences in the Melbourne CBD and in the burbs. BBQ has a huge following in Melbourne with restaurants, festivals and a rise in the number of people with smokers in their backyard. Here are our best BBQ restaurants in Melbourne.
Red Gum BBQ is one of Australia's best BBQ experiences in our opinion, featuring Australian hardwoods in the cooking process, exceptional service, high quality ingredients, top quality BBQ that reflects a Southern American style and a local emphasis. The World Loves Melbourne had a top notch dining experience at Red Gum BBQ via the OpenTable app (sponsored by OpenTable). The OpenTable experience is highly recommended, well connected to the Melbourne foodie scene. The OpenTable app displays a wide number of exceptional restaurants from which to choose; from casual to street food to fine dining there's some big names in the selection. Melbourne also boasts a large number of restaurants (23) in the OpenTable Top 50 Australian Restaurants 2019.
Make a racquet because the Canadian Club Racquet Club is returning for its fifth year to the Australian Open, located behind Federation Square along the Yarra River – the place to be from 20 January to 2 February 2020. Local lords of laughter The Inspired Unemployed will be hosting the pop-up bar with plenty of laughs, thirst-quenching drinks and good times, the ideal clubhouse to kick back, share a Canadian Club and soak up the atmosphere.
The highly-anticipated acre farm & eatery is now open, boasting an impressive rooftop farm, restaurant and café serving up sustainable produce grown on site. We were invited to experience the stunning new opening and way of the future of farm to table dining in the city. The acre team have created a space that fuses the farm with hospitality to create a unique food experience designed to engage, educate and inspire guests. The eastern suburbs has been "stepping it up" of late and acre farm and eatery is a brilliant new addition to the region.
Le Bon Ton the BBQ king in Collingwood offers a Bottomless Brunch package Southern Style and The World Loves Melbourne was invited along for the experience (three hour session). Just choose a dish from the brunch menu and enjoy bottomless cocktails from a choice of 3 cocktails.A great deal to be imbibed across the Melbourne summer. For an afternoon of fun (we went to the 2pm session so it was more bottomless lunch) this is a great way to go, available across the summer.
With many Australians dining out this month to celebrate the festive season, OpenTable, the world's leading online restaurant reservation platform, has recently revealed their annual Top 50 Restaurants in Australia as determined by diners around the country. Melbourne has claimed its place as the heart of Australia’s food scene for the second year running. How good is that!
The nation’s food capital continues to impress diners with 23 restaurants making the cut. New South Wales secured 12 spots, and Queensland follows with 11 eateries making the Top 50. The OpenTable Top 50 list was based on more than 173,000 restaurant reviews from verified OpenTable diners, covering more than 2,000 Australian restaurants. The growing diversity in cuisine from this year’s list confirms Australia’s appetite for food from around the globe.
Sun Kitchen is a revelation in Melbourne for its finery, exceptional Cantonese and Sichuan dishes, wine and beverage offerings, and stunning views by the lake (notably the city skyline). Not to mention top notch service. The World Loves Melbourne was invited to experience Sun Kitchen signature dishes from the a la carte menu. This was an intimate media dinner in a private room; another strength of Sun Kitchen is a selection of private rooms with views.
Hellenic Hotel in Williamstown has been transformed into a modern Argentinian bar, grill and wine cellar, Hotel Argentina. The World Loves Melbourne was invited along for the Argentinian experience near the sea. Hotel Argentina is a revelation with affordable dishes, a sense of fun, and lively menu featuring recipes of super talented head chef Dan Szwarc.
Omnia Bistro & Bar, a European restaurant of note (previously a successful pop up), has launched at the award winning luxury Capitol Grand development in South Yarra. The World Loves Melbourne was invited along to enjoy a fabulous dinner and we were highly impressed with the bar, the chic setting and the extraordinary bistro dining experience.
Taco Bell has launched in Melbourne (December 7) and we attended a stunning launch event at their new store in 352 Chapel St South Yarra. A highlight of the event was the Taco Bell Tram which took us on an incredible ride up and down Chapel St with live music and tacos served fresh on board the tram. We were highly impressed with the food and beverage offerings, the price point, and the sense of fun and culture that makes Taco Bell a leader in the Tex-Mex space.
Harry's Ice Cream has launched attractive new refreshed labels on its tubs but with the same delicious ice cream flavours. Harry's Ice Cream has been an ice cream favourite in our household over the years as a premium but approachable indulgence. The World Loves Melbourne was recently given tubs of the indulgent flavours with the new labels to enjoy, and we were highly impressed. The good news is that this icon of Australian ice cream is available in the supermarkets. Harry’s Ice Cream Co products can be found in all Woolworths’ stores and selected IGAs and Foodland Stores.
Cherry season is here and we were invited to pick cherries and enjoy a long lunch at CherryHill Orchards in Wandin East (less than an hour from the city). The annual cherry season sees families, friends and fruit-lovers alike flock from near and afar to pick their own fresh cherries from Yarra Valley’s picturesque CherryHill Orchards.
Lunch at Fable Dining Room at Bianchet Winery in the Yarra Valley is a top notch dining experience of note. The World Loves Melbourne (David and Gary) was invited along to experience the degustation with matching wines, a joyous world class experience from a world class chef Paul Cooper. I feel that winery dining experiences can be on the dull side of generic (to appeal to the masses) but Paul Cooper brings the innovation, flair, passion and technique to Bianchet. For those that are looking for an exciting dining experience and to be taken on a journey, Bianchet delivers. This has now become one of my favourite dining experiences in the Yarra Valley.
Oster Eatery stands out as a stylish savvy authentic Italian restaurant that surprises with its class and pedigree. A world class chef Nicola Romano has been applying his craft in Melbourne in recent years after working in world top 50 restaurants, and is now shining as both chef and part owner bringing an exceptional Italian dining experience to Bridge Road Richmond. With a business partner strong in hospitality, Osvaldo Tognella and a superb sous chef, Oster Eatery is already being adopted by local foodies as a favourite. The fact that Oster means "host" in Italian is making a big call - implying that much rests on the quality of service. To this end we were wonderfully hosted for our lunch and we were impressed by the depth, little touches and foodie ability of this restaurant.
This November, Sun Kitchen presents an exquisite culinary experience in collaboration with Luzhou Laojiao, matching high quality spirits with extraordinary dishes. The World Loves Melbourne was invited to experience and preview this offering and we were highly impressed at every level.
Estrella Damm Gastronomy Congress is famous in the world and Melbourne is privileged to be one of only 17 cities to host such an event. The World Loves Melbourne was invited along to this prestigious occasion exposed to some of the best chefs in the world cooking in live demonstrations as well as bringing their creativity, inspiration and philosophies.
It's champagne season (when is it not?) in Melbourne and The World Loves Melbourne was invited to a stunning luncheon at Garden Restaurant in the NGV for select media. Just in time for Spring Carnival and summer entertaining, Champagne Pommery has unveiled its newest Blanc de Blancs NV. We were treated with dishes to perfectly match the new Pommery champagne offering. Garden Restaurant has the perfect venue for the unveiling with its garden outlook and vibrancy.
