Trunktown Restaurant - A great Melbourne Dining Experience
Trunktown has been a favourite of ours for several years and is a venue we consider to be quintessentially Melbourne in terms of architecture and expression. The Diner section has been the place for some favourite events and moments but the restaurant offers a delightful casual dining experience that borders on fine dining. We were invited to the restaurant to sample the new menu, which provides both a Middle Eastern selection and an Italian selection, reflective of the owners.
Our meal was the Chef's Selection, which we highly rate, and seemed to be more on the Middle Eastern side of things.
A fabulous bar with marble bench is the perfect venue for after work drinks or for pre-theatre.
The calm before the storm... We arrived early but the place was quickly packed on a Wednesday night.
Cocktails are a strong game at Trunktown. The Espresso Martini arrived looking like a full dessert and lived up to its stunning looks. A Manhattan also impressed with sweet notes from chocolate and cherry.
The World Loves Melbourne experienced the Middle Eastern Chef Selection menu - plenty of food and a great variety of tastes and dishes!
Hummus Plate (above) has never looked or tasted better. Good news that such healthy food can taste so good.
Another charcuterie style of dish with Duck Terrine with sourdough, olives and quince was a dining pleasure. Paired with Pinot Noir it was perfect. I was happy already after this dish and the Hummus - small dishes of quality such as this with wine are a winner.
Trunktown quickly fills at dinner with discerning diners. It's a great vibe and as we say, quintessential Melbourne.
Char-grilled Octopus is another stunning small dish with merguez, smoked paprika potatoes, peppers and walnuts. Octopus and potato are one of those dream combinations. Rustic overdrive!
Kataifi Haloumi is another excellent small dish with fig marmalade and walnuts. The crunch of the kataifi pastry is welcome with tasty salty haloumi inside, complemented with the sweetness of the fig marmalade.
We shared one of the main dishes, the Pistachio crusted chicken, featuring saffron and honey caramelised onions and Persian jeweled rice. This dish had loads of flavour and a compelling jus.
Sides were also top notch such as this Rocket, Pear and Parmesan and the Roasted Cauliflower below.
Dessert is also a highlight at Trunktown as we enjoyed this work of art Arabian Pavlova with rosewater meringue! Instragammable and delicious!
Hospitality was top notch all night and they insisted on us partaking of a Campari and espresso before we left. Good call.
Trunktown is a revelation and a serious dining consideration in Melbourne. We fell in love with the Middle Eastern chef selection and realised that there was much more of the menu we would love to explore. You could for example come here and have more of the Middle Eastern dishes or even an Italian style night. Highly recommended.