It's a 4.7 for me. This is an outstanding cafe restaurant. Le Clerc has risen fast on the list of Melbourne's must visit cafes and restaurants. Its ratings have been soaring for months and with good reason. Le Clerc offers an exceptional breakfast, brunch or lunch experience equal with the most admired places in the city. And, refreshingly, it does so without the overpricing and sometimes pompous attitude of some other highly rated places.
We liked the space itself. Le Clec has an understated street appeal but is lovely inside especially out the back where there is a nice garden area (with heaters if needed). There's some cute touches in this area including clever landscaping, cute ornaments and hanging greenery. It is a really pleasing area in which to enjoy such excellent food and hospitality.
We tried some of the new dishes on the menu yesterday. The dishes are outstanding. The crispy salmon with broccolini, Dutch carrot, king oyster mushroom, lemongrass chilli broth and tapioca crisp was utterly wonderful. It'd be hard for me to do this dish full justice but let me just say it is one of the best things I've had all year. The flavours and textures are excellent. The fish was cooked absolutely perfectly and the broth is superbly balanced. Deeply and satisfyingly flavoured, but not overpowered by the chilli, the broth is a beauty. With the gorgeously moist salmon, the crispy salmon skin and the quality and expertly cooked vegetables, you've got a real culinary winner here. This dish is a mere $22. I have to admit that as I was eagerly enjoying it my mind turned to some other similar or higher priced meals I'd had that delivered less than a quarter or a half of what this one provided. There are about a dozen restaurants and pubs I've been to in the last two years that offer nothing like the quality of this dish at Le Clerc and at significantly higher prices. Enough said. This dish is a serious cracker and fantastic value.
The world's most beautiful woman chose the duck penne for her main course which consists of penne with shredded duck leg, porchini ragout, parmesan cheese, pinenut gremolata and edamame. This too is a lovely dish that we both tried and enjoyed very much enhanced by a good grind of pepper. It's $18 only too. The flavours are subtle and the gremolata is a clever addition which offsets the richness of the duck. All in all, a very nice dish.
I had a Madfish Chardonnay with my meal which was a lovely accompaniment. The WMBW had a Cape Bank pinot noir which she reported as excellent too. It is worth pointing out that these wines are exceptional value when ordered with a meal. $6 only a glass. The dollar savings are considerable compared with other cafes and restaurants which routinely charge $12 or more a glass for the same standard of wine.
I'm not a middle of the day dessert person usually and had to be talked into having one on this occasion. Giving in was a sound decision. We finished with the buttermilk hotcakes with yuzu curd, chocolate ganache, salted caramel popcorn and organic maple. It is not unusual for deserts to fail to move me but this one moved me immensely. We adored it. This is a stunningly attractive dish (see photos) and the range of textures and tastes it offers are thrilling. The ensemble works perfectly. I loved the hotcakes themselves, amazing given I'm usually not taken with pancake type offerings. This dish though is made at a very high level and is exceptionally composed, presented and flavoured. Again, for all of the skill and precision that's gone into it, it is a steal for $16.
To complete a near perfect meal, our coffees were excellent. The WMBW had the Black Betty. I had a large long black. They were both beauties as well. Well up to the best coffee that Melbourne can offer.
If you are in Hawthorn or nearby, you are lucky you have this sort of dining quality on your doorstep and at these modest prices. For others, this is a place well worth travelling across town as we did, noting that the location is a cinch by train with Glenferrie station close by.
This was a very very good dining experience. Across all measures Le Clec is one of the best value establishments I've seen in Melbourne. The food quality is high but the prices restrained. I knew from previous eminent reviewers and the high rating for this cafe restaurant that it would likely be a terrific experience. But, I wasn't expecting it to be quite this good. There's clearly been lots of hard work put in to help make Le Clerc the success it is and deserves to be. The current lofty rating is an accurate reflection of where the cafe restaurant is today.
This is a must visit place. Thank you to Nicole and Darren for the kind invitation to dine here. Darren's enthusiasm for the venture and knowledge of the cafe restaurant and what is has to offer is infectious.
We love this cafe restaurant and will return soon! read more