Lunch at Newly-Renovated The Recreation
We enjoyed a stunning lunch at newly-renovated The Recreation, an iconic pub (plus wine shop) and hatted bistronomie on Queens Parade Fitzroy North that has experienced an incredible history since 1870. One of the great bistro experiences of Melbourne.
The World Loves Melbourne enjoyed an elevated food and wine journey over 4 glorious hours on a sunny Friday afternoon. Joe Durrant (one of the owners) is ex-Grossi Florentino restaurant manager and a trained sommelier, another owner Mark Protheroe is an acclaimed sommelier, and third owner Steve Nelson is a top notch chef (cooked at Jacques Reymond restaurants). A restaurant driven by hospitality legends.
We began our journey with beer and charcuterie in a delightful outdoor setting then moved inside to the bistro, admiring the @hughmccarthy furniture, and where they cook with flames.
Outside on Queens Parade we imbibed -
✨Wolf of the Willows XPA
✨The Recreation Charcuterie selection - incl Duck mortadella and kangaroo salami and cornichons and olives (at this point I was happy already)
✨Recreation bread and butter (all house made)
Then inside the restaurant we were treated to a standout wine journey with our food -
✨Brundl Mayer best of crisp Austrian wine, with welcome bitterness and acidity and nuance of chalk, served with our starters
✨Vincent Mothe Chablis served with seafood
✨Sorenberg Gamay from Beechworth (quickly sells out), served with our Gnocchi dish
✨Picaro Del Aguila from Spain served with our duck
✨Bernadins Muscat de Beaume de Venise served with dessert
✨Cured garfish, blood orange, radish, tasmanian pepper (blood orange sets it off)
✨Asparagus tart, mountain man curd, broad beans, parmesan sable (a showstopper dish in presentation and taste, love the Parmesan sable and the curd)
✨Potato gnocchi, mushroom XO, chicory is an incredible dish with intensity of mushroom XO, crispy potato and shallot crunch, and chicory green, while potato gnocchi is still a hero
✨Dry aged duck breast, golden beet, pistachio and duck neck sausage (One of their signature dishes and loved duck done two ways)
✨Pan fried pink snapper, mussel and fennel salad, vin jaune sauce (glorious snapper dish with crisp on the skin, elevated sauce like a foam)
✨House cut fries (some of the best fries going around with skin on)
✨Spring greens, roasted tomato tahini sauce
✨Blueberry milk, frangipane, yoghurt, blueberry sorbet (that Blueberry milk!)
✨Pineapple Tarte tatin, vanilla ice cream (must order, love the pineapple variation)
✨Rum Trolley featuring a selection of runs from Australia and internationally paired with Sucre du jour chocolates
A touch of class at every turn. While there’s a bistro tone the offering at The Recreation is elevated. Service and hospitality is first class. The rum cart is a delightful way to end the meal. Dare we say “hidden gem”.