I really like this place, but I really want to like it more than I do. It's not going to be my…read morefavourite place to have a drink anytime soon. So many decent places in the area, so there's some stiff competition. I'm keen to try a meal here, but as it is, I've only really stopped in here after work for a drink with friends. I thought the wine list was adequate but nothing special, however I've tried quite a few new types of wine here that I hadn't had before. The beer garden is pretty cool, and totally unexpected. The meals that I've seen look pretty damn good, and the prices aren't over the top.

Fabulous evening at this joint last night. Ended up in a…read moreconversation with Simon the grand son of Jimmy. Charming man with great pride and historical knowledge in the bar. A lovely legacy he's at the wheel of. The man wears shorts in mid winter and you gotta love that!

Always great food with a wide selection. Happy Hour is a very handy way to stray the weekend.read more

This is probably more of a fancy restaurant as opposed to a pub, but you can still come here and…read morehave a beer, they aren't going to turn you away on that account. As for the beers, they did have some nice ones on tap, which I certainly do appreciate, but then again I probably shouldn't be all that surprises. They even have a lounge area, and an outdoor area on the balcony as well. Yeah, this place wasn't bad.

Wonderful local Chinese restaurant with large menu and good quality food. Located in a secluded…read morearea of Dingley, it can take a little extra time to find. Food is always delicious and served fast. Can be a little slow after first arriving and when wanting to pay the bill. Other than that, it is great. Friendly staff and family friendly restaurant. Can get busy on weekends so bookings would be recommended, especially for groups larger than 2.

A secluded restaurant in the industrial area of Dingley, still has a nice view of a man-made pond…read morewith duckies is peaceful to watch. In terms of the food, the pork with orange sauce was delicious, rice and sweet. The pork wasn't over cooked either. We also had the combination noodles. I've been to enough Chinese restaurants to know that you can't really stuff this up and they did a good job. It's also a dish that you can necessarily make dynamic but, Redwood provided a great dish with a good presentation and a great amount of meat including large prawns.

St Cloud had a nice ambience as soon as I walked in, it was modern with exquisite styling. The…read moreservice was very good, served immediately as soon as we walked in. Attended us very often to clear plates and refill water. Only one minor hiccup was when the lady reached across the table to serve the beer rather than coming around but this was very minor. The food soon came after ordering and the salads came first. The young papaya salad came first. The flavour was fresh, probably because it was opening day but lacking interesting and exciting Vietnamese flavours although the chilli added a nice spice. Unfortunately a bit boring 4/10. Next came the Vietnamese slaw which came with Grilled Organic Chicken. Both were $8, the chicken only came with 5 pieces which is not worth what we paid for. The slaw was all cabbage and didn't have any fish sauce or lime which are classic vietnamese flavours. The beef and the fish came next although nicely cooked very miniscule. Worried that they might've ordered too less ingredients on the day. The was no pho available, very disappointed. Didn't think the restaurant was ready to open. Also most of the staff was well trained but some seemed clueless and had no idea where they were going. One of the good points was the curry of the moment which had classic vietnamese/malaysian flavours: was very delicious 9/10 and also ample supply of drinks, might've mistaken this for a bar rather than restaurant. Vietnamese coffee also was tasty. All in all this restaurant had spent a lot of money on renovating this shop but to be perfectly honest was very busy and was not prepared to open today with limited supply of ingredients and seriously to run out of pho by lunch time is ridiculous!!! Very disappointed and will not go back in a hurry

East meets, well, the East at Hawthorn's newest all-day dining destination. St Cloud prides itself…read moreon its honest, healthy, fresh and home-style Vietnamese food. St Cloud's design is sleek. The white painted brick exterior carrying through to the interior with its contrasting white ceiling, black concrete floor and black tiled bar and counter areas. The furnishings also follow a white/black mix. Hanging light bulbs and large folding windows fill the space with light, though just enough light to keep the lower level intimate. The restaurant is split across two levels; the downstairs dining space with small tables and benches and the main bar, and the upstairs dining space with larger group tables, a second bar and an outside deck with more small tables and a long bench. Hanging and potted plants are scattered throughout to add a splash of colour and the upstairs deck's long bench doubles as a lush planter box. The food menu is split into two halves, lunch and dinner, with each half further divided into various sections. Lunch dishes include street food, such as banh mi, spring rolls and chicken ribs, rice paper rolls, pho, salad and noodle bowls and desserts. The dinner menu follows the typical Asian fusion-style of small dishes and large dishes. Rice paper rolls and salads are also on offer. Small dishes include banh knot pancakes and BBQ scallops. The large dishes are the highlight with giant sharing portions of pork belly, lemongrass beef short ribs and claypot curry. There is a banquet menu option with a random selection of dishes for those that cannot decide what to choose. Dessert options change weekly are not printed on the menu. This visit featured the beef short ribs which were incredibly tender and flavoursome. Carrots, potatoes and herbs are tossed into the large tray that the dish is served in. A selection of small dishes were also ordered and included the prawn and pork spring rolls, chicken wings, banh knot and chicken peanut rice paper rolls. The dishes were all of a good quality with a mix of flavours, however many of the small dishes included the same sides of beanshoots, lettuce leaves and dipping sauce, which felt a bit over-repeated. Dessert on this visit was a little spectacular; lime and coconut panna cotta with lychee, plum and meringue. A wonderful dish with tropical, citrus and sweet mix of flavours combined with contrasting creamy and crunchy textures. The drinks menu is plentiful with a range of beers, wines, cocktails, slushies and juices. Coffee is from St Ali, hot chocolate from Elixir and tea from Larsen and Thompson and Matcha Maiden. Service was great during the Saturday night dinner period, which was surprisingly busy at 6pm. Hawthorn has had quite a few quality openings recently and St Cloud is a welcomed and already popular addition to the neighbourhood.

My friends brought me here for dinner and it was worth the 30 min drive. First time here as I was…read moreon vacation. My friend made reservations for three and upon arriving, it is very casual/laid back. Parking was full and there is Indoor and outdoor seating smack next to the beach. We sat outside and it was around 6 pm. It would have been better in the shade but all those tables were taken. We shared the 12 oysters on the shell. I had a glass of Shiraz and it was decent. I also ordered the Spaghetti Del Pescatore (pictured) and my friends ordered Tortellini Al Ragu and RIB-EYE STEAK ON THE BONE. Both spaghetti dishes were delicious and large portions. The bug in one of the spaghetti dishes looked like a small lobster and delicious. My friend's steak was good but the mashed potatoes tasted weird and the broccoli was overcooked. My friend told the waiter, who apologized and also the cashier, who was not sympathetic at all. I would have expected some sort of compensation but they didn't. Disappointing. The atmosphere was surprisingly not as clean and cozy as I expected from a popular restaurant where you had to make reservations. Overall, the evening was decent but could have been better. I would order a takeout on the Spaghetti Del Pescatore as it turned into two meals.

This is the downstairs section of Chin Chins, and is sort of a bar, but in another sense it does…read moreprovide extra seating. Basically the menu is exactly the same as it is upstairs, but in a way it is little different from Chin Chins. Still, it is a pretty cool place to visit either while you are waiting for a table to become free, or a looking for a couple of drinks after the meal. The staff are pretty cool, and it doesn't get too crowded. However, it is basically just an extension of Chin Chins.

Great cocktails and share plates! If you like chilli the popcorn and roti bread with peanut sauce…read morepacks a punch! We put our name down for chin chin so decided to go get drinks down at Gogo and wait. That was bout 6.50, bout 9pm after we had nibbles we still didn't receive a call for chin chin!

Well lucky me... looks what opened a short stumble from home!!…read more Milton is based in a cosy little shop. The first thing you see is the large communal table surrounded by walls covered in all sorts of delicious looking bottles. There's a couple of window seats and clever little tables along the side. But, walk past the main bar and there's a small little room that can host a couple of small groups with an open fire. Keep walking down the hall and there's a lovely outdoor area, which is going to be excellent in summer. Milton is already warmer than my apartment and has access to delicious wine so I may as well just move in. Find me here a lot.

YES YES YES, About…read morebloody time I hear you say.... Malvern now has its very own Cheeky, cosy wine bar. Milton is awesome. Its only a short skip from home and is quickly becoming my go to place. The decor is fantastic and the wine selection is just as good (even though my knowledge of wine only goes as far as red or white) but the guys there can help suggest the perfect drop for your occasion. Its always busy in this cosy little establishment so finding a table can often be hard, but never fear as the atmosphere is a fun one to be in. Well done guys, I love coming here!

Pop restaurant is all the evidence you need that you can find some absolute gems of eating spots in…read morelane ways and not just average offerings. I went here of a lunch time and although it was fairly quiet, the food was delicious. The standout dish was a stuffed (swimmer?) crab ravioli - big pieces of ravioli with generous fillings and a wickedly rich cream sauce. The dish was perfectly balanced and I'm salivating right now just remembering it. It's nice to dine 'al fresco' during the summertime and Pop is a great choice. The service was great and it was moderately priced at around $30 for a main. Looking forward to visiting this summer.

I am a big fan of live music especially on a lazy Sunday afternoon…read more I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and though the chai latte was not very fragrant, the panna cotta and easy acoustic helped me relax to prepare for the next big week. *Live music every Friday and Sunday *Comedy Thursdays