It's rare to find a sophisticated bar outside of the CBD these days, and it's even rarer to find…read moreone that won't break your weekly drinking budget in one night. Hawker Beer and Wine Bar is located in the suburb of Highett just 30mins from Melbourne CBD. The bar is named after Harry Hawker, a local of the area. Harry George Hawker, was an Australian aviation pioneer. He was the chief test pilot for Sopwith and was also involved in the design of many of their aircraft. After World War One he co-founded Hawker Aircraft, the firm that would later be responsible for a long series of successful military aircraft. The bar itself is small and is directly across the road from the Highett train station, which seems to have some type of train passing through every 15mins. The fit-out is minimalistic, with large windows that give you a great view of the comings and goings in the area. What is great about this bar is the large cocktail list. With mostly original cocktails with a few traditional with a modern twist. The service is friendly and attentive, and I get the feeling if I lived in the area this would be my local. Apart from the great cocktails it has a good selection of beers and wines. It also had a pretty awesome snack menu, being provided by Typhoon, the Vietnamese restaurant next door. If you live in the area chances are you have either visited Hawker or know of it. If you haven't been do yourself a favour and pay them a visit, it won't disappoint.

STUNNING, The food is DELICIOUS! It's not just the food, the…read morestaff members are also really nice. If you have naughty kids like I do, it's absolutely fine. They have kids activities just for them. Love it.

If you're in the area, The Bay Hotel is probably one of the best places to stop off for lunch. I'd…read moreforgotten how much I liked this pub until our visit with family in November. I think I was in charge of lunch arrangements and did a terrible job of it. In fact, we showed up here around 1pm for lunch for 8 adults and 3 kids with no reservations - I'm glad they were able to accommodate us as I had no real backup plan (I blame jetlag). They seated us in the outdoor area which is undercover and was just perfect for us as the kids were able to run wild without bothering anyone else. It's a really good set up, and even though it was a pretty hot day it wasn't too hot out there. The food was really good and even though we were off in our own area, service was pretty decent. I'd definitely head back to this pub for another meal next time we're in town - it's got a lovely park over the road for kids, and is right near the beach. Just perfect.

I've driven passed True South heaps and heaps of times, and always wanted to try it, yet never did…read more... until tonight. I am kicking myself that I never came sooner. It was really, really good. The restaurant has a great vibe about it. For some people, they'd love to come in summer when out the front there are tables on the footpath and on the inner outside there are bar stools to sit and drink while watching the world go by. Inside, the restaurant has a clean, industrial feel to it. It was busy, but not overly loud. We were seated right away and your placemat is the menu, so you dive right into looking for things that grab your taste buds. Many - if not all - dishes are great for sharing, so we started out with Chipas (mini cheese rolls, mandioca flour, cheddar and parmesan) and the Croquetas of the day, which were chicken and corn. Before those came, we were served up a mini bread roll each with an olive and ricotta dip. Very delicious. The entrees came out and they were heavenly. The Chipas were amazing and I could have just had several serves of those as my meal. The were like mini warm cheese scones. The croquetas were good; had a beautiful crumbing on the outside, but the inside was nice, though nothing to rave about. For the main, I ordered my own Caviche de Salmon. It came with mango, cherry tomatoes, onion and plantain crisps. I didn't much care for the plantain crisps, and I hated the fact that there was coriander in the dish without it being listed on the menu. I would have asked for it without it, as I can't stand coriander. Yuck. Of course, there was something that really stood out to me on the dessert menu, so I had to order it. It was a chocolate fondant, with banana and caramel ice cream. That sounded incredibly appealing and tasted really, really good. My only minor complaint about it, was that it was truly ICE cream. That almost ruined it, but the flavours were everything. There was just a few things I didn't like about True South. One was the tables felt sticky. Two was that you could smell cigarette smoke from outside, even though it's illegal to smoke right outside an eatery. And three, because of the open shutters, it allowed for flies to fly in. Small things I guess in relation to how good the food and service was. Yes, the mains came out slowly, but they were really busy and food was continually leaving the kitchen. Would I go back again?? YES, YES, YES. I really enjoyed the meal and it was something different to usual here in Melbourne. How authentic it is, I don't know. But if you want a great spot with good atmosphere, great food and reasonably priced meals, then this is the place for you. It's worth the drive.

Nice birthday meal with family. Good food, the porterhouse steak was the winner. Cooked to…read moreperfection. The broccolini was the best I've ever had. The jalapeno margarita was underwhelming. Good coffee, friendly service. Would definitely come back for the steak and oysters alone.

Multiple times we've been moved on from tables because of reservations that have been taken with no…read morenotification or signage. Sitting at a table next to a heater and told to go sit in the cold instead. Woeful service. No wonder you've been in receivership.

Oh I've had enough of this place and will not be back. Nearly every time I've been here I've been…read moremoved from table to table. And sometimes multiple times in the same night. I've been to them on quiet nights - and to paid special events. The tables aren't reserved, no signs on them, yet if a larger group comes in they tell you to move. Often don't even help you find another table. And the beer and food aren't even that good. Sick of it!!! Last time I will be there.

I go to this little Gem when in Melbourne, they are really nice and allow you to get wine by the…read moreglass or bottle with a fair charge, people who where around and enoying their wines also looked very satisfied and not Yobbo's. the area is tight and we where there with just a few drops of rain, it was just great to be outdoors and enjoying a bottle of crisp white wine. Regards from George Wine Valley Tours Adelaide

Excellent place to buy some wine or beer, even better to drop in and have a drink, you can buy wine…read moreby the glass or have a beer, they also do coffee and cakes, you can BYO your food and try there wine or beer, great cosy room in the back and excellent selection of bottles a must for a wine or beer lover, it's one of mordys best kept secrets. We love going there the staff is great.

Excellent - Great food, great prices and wonderful friendly service. We love the Royal Oak Hotel -…read morewe go twice a week. They have updated it with new carpet and fittings and it looks very good. I highly recommend the Royal Oak Hotel!

From the owner: Simple, unpretentious & relaxed. The Royal Oak is ready to welcome youread more