Dining at Mercure Melbourne Doncaster
We (David and Sam) enjoyed a fabulous dining experience at Mercure Melbourne Doncaster during our invited staycation, starting with a session in the bar, followed by a standout "feed me" dinner in the restaurant, and a stunning buffet breakfast in the morning.
The restaurant at Mercure Melbourne Doncaster serves modern Australian cuisine. As the hotel is a gateway to the Yarra Valley the chefs source local and seasonal ingredients from the region. The restaurant was pumping on a Friday night and we discovered that there is a large number of "loyal locals" who frequent the restaurant, as well as those who are staying at the hotel.
Every Friday they have a Live Music Performance and we enjoyed a talented musician with a great voice the night we dined at Mercure Melbourne Doncaster. As a bonus on Friday nights they have a "happy hour" deal with 50% off all cocktails.
A point of difference is the picturesque views to the Melbourne CBD and views from the Terrace, as well as unobstructed views to the Yarra Valley & Dandenong Ranges. We began our dining experience in the afternoon at the bar area with attractive high back luxury chairs. We enjoyed exceptional cocktails of a Spicy Margarita and a Negroni, along with brilliant snacks of Fries and aioli, Parmesan cauliflower popcorn and Glazed Chicken lollipops. Service was impeccable.
We arrived at the restaurant later for dinner and were warmly received by the front of house staff and shown to our table by the window, taking in the sweeping views. The live entertainment was impressive and the restaurant was filling up fast.
We were impressed by the food menu which was divided into Grazing, Antipasto Bar, Sea, Land and Garden. We were also impressed by the variety of the wine and beverages menu, featuring several loval Yarra Valley wine brands, as well as choices from overseas.
We began our meal with a Smoky Negroni with Mezcal and a In Dreams Chardonnay from the Yarra Valley.
A great way to go is to order the "Feed Me" menu of either 5 or 7 courses. We elected for the 7 course option including -
Half shell Scallops with nduja butter (plump scallops and 'kick" of the nduja)
Marinated Beetroot Salad (refreshing)
Salmon "fish fingers" celeriac remoulade (playfully presented and tasty dish)
Bruschetta (fresh with semi-dried tomato, stracciatella, and tang of house pickles)
Fresh Market Fish Barramundi main (cooked to perfection)
Chargrilled Hazeldene Chicken main (the flavours of this chicken are exceptional)
House made Apple pie with double cream dessert (delicious dessert)
Crème Catalana with almond bread dessert (creamy with some crunch, the perfect way to end the meal)
We enjoyed more wine including tar and Roses Sangiovese and another In Dreams Chardonnay. David imbibed a Talisker 10 on the fine whisky menu with his dessert.
We highly rate the dinner experience at Mercure Melbourne Doncaster for the exceptional service, high quality of ingredients and diversity of the menu, the emphasis on "seasonal and local", the sweeping views, modern decor and the imaginative drinks menu.
Come the morning we headed back to the restaurant for a standout buffet breakfast. I feel like this is one of the best buffet breakfast experiences going around for quality ingredients, choice, well set out, views and top notch service.
There was a wide variety of options for those wanting a healthy breakfast with fruit, muesli, fresh juices and more, and those wanting a hot breakfast. A barista made coffee was the perfect start to breakfast. I went for some toasted muffin, Italian beans, crispy quality bacon, sausages, a delicious hash brown, mushrooms and avocado.
Added to this was the "Eggs Your Way" option for which we both ordered a couple of poached eggs. Another way to go is to order a chef-made omelette.
Once again enjoy the sweeping views while eating your breakfast. All in all, we loved our three dining experiences at Mercure Melbourne Doncaster and plan to return again.
Read more about our staycation in another article.