Academy Kitchen and Bar A Bridge Rd Gem
Academy Kitchen and Bar is a discerning option on rising foodie precinct Bridge Road Richmond when it comes to smart food and a chic dining experience. On trend is restaurant style food in a cafe, with compelling breakfast (weekends), lunch and dinner dishes.
Will Manning has an impressive CV having worked in top London restaurants and at The Botanical, and co-owned The Townhouse in Toorak. Will started off with a broad ranging menu when Academy opened, but it was more to see what the locals wanted. As a result they quickly identified favourite dishes with cafe menu by day; with a direction towards European style menu at night. Richmond locals and beyond are always looking for classy cafes and restaurants in the area; Academy is the perfect venue to catch up with friends.
Academy Kitchen and Bar is flexible; you can come for coffee and cake, impressive lunch, to enjoy the wine bar with bar style dishes, or imbibe a full blown dinner.
Exposed brick and naked bulbs, with attractive long bar and recycled timber tables set the scene. There was a decent turn out on the Sunday we visited.
On arrival for lunch we enjoyed a decent Seven Seeds coffee...
Large windows keep the cafe light and airy. We think of Academy as a warm, inviting, cosy foodie hub; like an old friend. As a local you might wish to come here for several purposes; a relaxing catch up, a romatic dinner, and a lazy weekend breakfast.
A flexible and interesting menu...
Salumi plate with warm ciabatta and olive oil was a welcoming dish and a great start...
Impressive presentation and a seasonal winner is the Heirloom tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, basil and brioche croutons. We love a celebration of seasonal tomatoes such as this; fresh, zesty and rewarding.
318 Cheeseburger with bacon, onion, pesto oil and fries was a superb burger dish.
A highlight was the popular Sweetcorn and wattleseed fritters with crushed avocado, cherry tomatoes and poached eggs. These fritters have seen rave reviews; we love the touch of the wattleseed with the sweet corn for native flavours.
A surprise was the tasty Chilli caramel duck ribs. Rich and indulgent this dish was great value for only $10.
Academy boasts a back room with intimate vibe.
Kudos to Will and his team for this lively foodie hub on Bridge Road. This is a place to satisfy no matter what mood you're in, between casual and fine dining.