The only real reason I enjoy going to the doctor is because he's right around the corner from…read moreTrippy Taco. So I always get Trippy Taco after an appointment. Have a bad sinus infection? Trippy Taco. Nasty cough? Trippy Taco. Messed up the knee while running? Trippy Taco. Birth control pills need refilling? Trippy Taco. This is the cadence of my life. In all seriousness, Trippy Taco has tasty food in a cute location with a good laid-back vibe. It's all Tex-Mex style (which I say somewhat tongue-in-cheek because I'm actually from Texas and pretty much nothing in Australia comes close to authentic Tex-Mex, which is understandable I guess). It's also 100% vegetarian, but this doesn't stop the meat-eaters from coming in droves because the flavours are nice, the food is fresh, and the atmosphere is casual, colourful and quirky. Vegans have a wide variety of options to choose from: burritos, quesadillas, tacos, spiced corn with vegan chipotle mayo, tamales, nachos, and taquitos. They even have vegan desserts -- vegan churros, soy ice cream + chocolate + banana or orange, etc. They also do vegan breakfasts, subbing scrambled tofu and soy cheese for the eggs and dairy cheese in their regular vegetarian menu. They use Daiya as their non-dairy vegan cheese. They used to use Cheezly and I believe they may still use Cheezly in some of their dishes. So if you hate Daiya with a fiery passion, you might want to ask them to hold the cheese. Personally, I prefer Daiya over Cheezly so I don't mind it. Even my non-vegan friends don't seem to mind Daiya. Now for the bad news. The first is that I find Trippy Taco a tad overpriced for what it is. There's a vegan surcharge of $0.50-2.00 for nearly everything -- which is kinda understandable, given that Daiya and Cheezly (and other vegan substitutes for things like mayo) are imported into Australia and therefore expensive. I like the vegan Mixed Burrito, which comes out to $13 -- but let's be honest, even though it's tasty, in my opinion it doesn't taste nearly as good as a vegan Zambrero burrito which is about the same size but is only $10.90. The other thing I don't like about Trippy Taco's burritos is they are literally drowning in sauce. It makes for an incredibly messy meal and huge pools of sauce sink down to the bottom of the burrito. So it may very well be possible to bite into the bottom of the burrito and squirt your dining partner in the face with vegan tofu asada juice. Consider yourself warned.

Food just took too long. But was good. Great seasoning on…read morethe fries.

Bodega Underground in Melbourne has become a personal favorite, with three visits so far. The…read morestandout dish is undoubtedly the fish taco--crispy, flavorful, and consistently delicious. Although the first serving seemed a bit modest compared to neighboring tables, the taste more than compensated, prompting return visits. The birria taco is also commendable, but the fish taco remains unparalleled. The chicken wings and the potatoes were good as well. Potatoes were cut all different sizes. I prefer the smaller crispy ones. The sauce on the chicken had me licking my fingers for real. Definitely not for a first date!! The chips and guacamole with salsa are exceptional...no dry chips!!! Their menu is gluten free!!! The gluten-free churros are a must-try; we came back once just for the churros!! Service at Bodega Underground is consistently excellent. Making reservations in advance has ensured prompt seating on each occasion.. when we came just for churros we had no reservations but there was no wait. The decor is fun and interesting . Some walls and the ceiling are covered in old but colored newspaper(?) giving the space a unique, slightly vintage feel. It makes the atmosphere lively and different from your typical Mexican spot.

Cute little spot for some yummy tacos and other Mexican street food. We met up with a small group…read moreand found the service and the food both very good.

Hotel Jesus has become a Melbourne institution. The food is second to none, with an atmosphere,…read moredrink menu and staff to match. My partner and I dine here once a week, often bringing out of town visitors to set the standard of what Melbourne has to offer.

The waitress we had on the night of the 7 May was exceptional. Friendly and helpful without being…read moreintrusive. A lovely smile, thoughtful gestures such as bring us extra napkins when she saw that we'd used the already provided ones, knew the menu extensively and was able to read our table and make suggestions. She is an absolute asset to your restaurant and I hope this message gets passed onto her. My only niggle is the music that was played.

Came for happy hour and dinner was also great too!…read more Started with margaritas and we all ordered a variety of food. I had the dip appetizer, few people ordered birria tacos and beef tacos and one person ordered a burrito and the nachos. The happy hour prices were great and the drinks were too. The classic margarita was really good! The chip dip appetizer was also delicious and filling. Everyone enjoyed their food and we enjoyed sitting out on the lane and people watching.

The customer service here is simply unmatched! Our server was wonderful and very attentive. The…read morefood was great, the burrito was very unique but tasted great, I initially thought they accidentally gave me an enchilada! The stuffed jalapeños were better than expected and very nice. The churros were soooo yummy. I definitely recommend you come here! The food and atmosphere are great.

- fabulous and creative and pretty drinks - I love the booth…read moreseating the booths are a little tight the booths are little ways from the action, but good for intimacy and talking - best music in Curtin house

Anything that requires you to walk up more than three flights of stairs (perhaps while slightly…read moreintoxicated) had better be good. Fortunately the kids at Mesa Verde know this and are well on their way to being a venue that rewards drinkers and diners for climbing six flights of stairs within Curtain House. My real reason for coming here was to sample the cocktails. With over 200 tequilas and some of Melbourne's best bartenders behind the bar, I was pretty confident that I'd get a killer cocktail (or three) that would bring my Friday to a close with the ceremony and respect that it deserved. And right I was. Josh (previously of Eau De Vie) first made me a "P.G" featuring Tequila silver, muddled sugar snap peas, green tea syrup and lemon. A genius combination - the starchiness from the peas working well with the flavour of green tea and the tequila lifting it all together to provide a refreshing start to the evening. Mesa Verde have hopes for an extensive salt collection and the P.G featured a green tea salt that worked with the cocktail rather than against it, as it the case I find with a lot of salt rimmed drinks. Later in the evening I tried an experimental drink that featured a smoked salt rim and garnish of acidulated and salted apple slices. Brilliant. And a perfect match to the pulled pork taco I was eating at the time. The cocktails are considered and balanced and I'm eager to try more. As for the food... well, time will tell if this can get to the same heights of the cocktails. I ordered a prawn cocktail that took forever to arrive and eventually I was told it had run out and "would I like the civeche instead?". Sure thing. A small portion with chunky fish and jicama and radish slices, the flavours could have been pushed to an extra level. It was pleasant enough but would I order it again in its current format? No. Next, a pulled pork taco. The tortilla was fresh and hot, the pork filling moist with terrific flavour, but a chunky garnish with some zing would work well here. Jalapenos, pineapple or even some of the sliced apple that I had at the time with the cocktail I was drinking would provide textural contrast and pull it together. If Mesa Verde can work cohesively across the floor, bar and kitchen and tighten up the flavours on the dining menu, I think it will kick some serious ass and I may just become its number one fan.

Tucked down a laneway and then further down a flight of stairs you will arrive in a dimly lit bar…read more There is some outdoor light that fluctuates from the street above. Decor has a mix of art paintings, hanging plants and a giant, decaying mouse. They could work out a better theme. Having arrived for their happy hour from 4:30-6:30 everyday but Sunday, I was excited to try a Pisco cocktail at $12. The mango sour was super yummy. You got real blended mango without any pulp, resulting in a smooth and sweeter version of the original. The original Pisco sour is just as lovely, well balanced and fulfilling. I was very surprised at the food menu prices which hovered all over $20 except for a couple small sides. The best value seemed the sampling platter at $30 but having a craving for ceviche, I went with the recommended salmon. It was slightly high in acid but overall tasty. The chunks of salmon were more than I expected mixed in with slices of cucumber and lettuce. I tried some of the cheese arepa which was also very delicious and came alongside slices of meat and dipping sauce. Overall I would be back for drinks but feel the pub doesn't justify the high prices for food. If they want to charge more then they need to class up the place. Otherwise they do deliver a tasty cocktail.

We came here on Saturday night for some pisco sours and to try the food which had been recommended…read more We weren't disappointed, everything was great. We started with the tasting menu which came within ceviche, empanadas, scallops and the vegetarian causa. For main we shared the Lomo Saltado. The food and service was exceptional.

It was one of the Travelmints team's birthday, so we came here with his family. Pastore has a great…read moreatmosphere and decor that aligns with the Chadstone Hotel, very chic! The food here is great and the staff here are lovely. The grass fed beef steak we had was cooked to perfection - it was so juicy and flavourful. The tiramisu was the perfect choice to complete our dinner that night, it tasted very authentic and the serving was generous too. We actually came here during the COVID-19 period so we couldn't fully judge this place. Nevertheless, we still had a good time and will definitely return in the future.

Love love love Pastuso! They catered for us even though it…read morewas a busy Saturday night, and fed us a wonderful meal. Our waitress was wonderful and so friendly. She recommended the feed me option and we were extremely full afterwards! Their roast chicken was perfect. Their ceviche was yum and tender. Absolutely enjoyed it! Thanks as always!

Had dinner at Mamasita with a group of four and wow... what a night…read more There was a small hiccup with our table early on, but the team handled it brilliantly and genuinely went out of their way to make sure it didn't impact our experience. Safe to say, they more than made up for it. From there, everything was next level. Throughout the meal we kept catching ourselves saying things like, "this might be the best taco I've ever had"... quickly followed by the same claim about the guac... and then somehow again about the cheesecake. It just didn't miss. Incredible food, buzzing atmosphere, and service that really cares. We walked out full, happy, and already planning our next visit.

One of the Travelmints team brought her parents here 12 years ago, and subsequently returned here…read morewith her husband 1 week after she got married in 2021. Things are still the same, Mamasita serves extremely good quality fresh Mexican food and they also offer a fun tequila tasting board! The staff here are very friendly and attentive too. There's no doubt that this place is the place to go if you ever want to enjoy Mexican food and vibes!