Honestly, I really wasn't all that impressed with this place. In fact it is basically your typical…read moreMelbourne pub, though it is more a gastro-pub than what you would consider to be pub grub. The thing is that I am really not a fan of Melbourne pub food, particularly gastro-pubs. There just really isn't anywhere near the decent amount of offerings that I like. This place is certainly no expected. Hey, the staff are okay, and they do have some nice beers, but not for a meal.

In the middle of Carlton North's quaint Rathdowne Village, the Kent Hotel is suitably…read morefamily-friendly. I've seen more kids at this pub than any other in the area, now that I think about it. The big front courtyard looks out on Curtain Square, and is a popular spot on warm nights to grab a pizza or pasta and watch the world go by. The food is good Mediterranean fare, a cut above your average pub but not silver service. If you'd prefer to eat in the park or at home they also offer take away pizza. Inside the dining is slightly more formal (i.e. fewer prams) but still relaxing. The Kent has an excellent range of wines - it's in Rathdowne Village after all - from Australia, Italy and other parts of Europe. They also have heaps of bottle and tap beers to choose from and offer cocktails. Service is professional, friendly and knowledgeable. If you're looking for a venue to enjoy a family night out in the northern 'burbs, but La Porchetta isn't your style, this is a pretty good bet.

While The Commoner may sound like the name of a traditional English pub, this fancy wine bar and…read morerestaurant is anything but. Sure they serve up English cuisine inspired by modern cooking trends of adding Mediterranean and middle eastern spices that have apparently crept into British kitchens over the years. This coupled with the fact that they are keen on serving up local and seasonal produce, makes The Commoner very un-British in my view. Still The Commoner serves up a refined set of ever changing dishes. It may not be cheap but you have to realise this place takes its food seriously, and if anything it is quite reasonably priced. Although the servings are quite small so don't go here expecting to eat a horse. The wine list is absolutely brilliant and also actually quite reasonably priced considering the wines. My favourite is the Pennyweight Shiraz or Pinot Noir (not always available), if you are looking for a bit of a treat.

I'm really not sure why The Commoner isn't better-known than it is. It's in a prime position on…read moreJohnston Street just near the corner of Brunswick Street, it's been there for years, and it's great. Perhaps it's because British food isn't considered very good. But the way it's done here is miles away from the sludge served up in average pubs across the UK. The Commoner integrates different cuisines into the traditional British dishes, like Mediterranean and north African. Yum. On my last visit I had pork, sage and cider sausages with cabbage and it was to die for! But the main reasons I adore The Commoner is their cheese and wine. Although the dessert menu (or selection of 'Pudds') looks pretty good, I can't go past a cheese plate that has Stilton and Cheshire. The wine list features a balanced mix of local, European and a few American bottles and half bottles. I really appreciate a half bottle - when you can't quite go another full bottle, the half bottle is far more economical than ordering 2-3 single glasses. And it doesn't stop at wine - The Commoner has some mean spirits including my personal favourite, Fifty Pounds gin. In my opinion, gin is the UK's greatest export. Although hard to find in Australia, once you've had such a beautiful, smooth floral gin you'll never touch a drop of skuzzy Gordon's again...

Such a pretty restaurant! If possible, sit in the back patio - beautifully decorated with artsy…read moredecor and white tablecloth-covered tables. Came too late on a Sunday afternoon to try the brunch food but the deli selection is not bad as everything we tried was pleasant. Will be back for a more proper meal. Ideal for hangouts with friends or a casual datebin the Fitzroy area!

I've always been a fan of Parisian housewife approach:…read more 1. Visit lovely food store 2. Buy ready made meals 3. Take home 4. Spend afternoon on couch reading 5. Heat up the meal 6. Serve 7. Pretend you spent all afternoon cooking Smith Street Alimentari is going to make this a whole lot easier, with ready made roast dinners, salads galore and fresh pasta and sauces. Just don't tell anyone my secret okay?

There's a cinema out the back that you can hire out. It seats about 20 and you can show whatever…read moreyou want. You can't take food in there but you can take your perfect margarita or whatever classic cocktail you've ordered. The bartenders here are a talented lot. They know what they're doing and they'll make you a delicious drink, whatever that may be. The food is also great - simple flavours that really bring out the best in each dish. The room itself is pared back, elegant and not at all showy. I can't fault this bar. It's almost perfect, and that's the highest compliment I can pay it because to be absolutely perfect would be boring.

I gotta say, I don't frequent many 'bar' type bars, I'm generally more of a pub guy. LongPlay has…read morebeen a sweet awakening... The folk at LongPlay know about making the customer happy. They are super friendly, they serve very good cocktails, they play good tunes and they even show movies. They've started showing limited/no release films out the back here on a regular basis and their selections have had me intrigued. They'll pull out obscure rockumentaries and rarities and for this I salute them. My buddies turned me on to Handsome Sailors (the drink, not the seamen) and this spot has now become one of my favourites to stop in for a nightcap after dinner or a night out. We rocked up one night as the dude was locking up and he even opened the bar back up for us for just out of good nature. He even let us spin a few records and we did some cocktail sampling. He's a champ, this is a winner. Go there.

OMG, where do I start?! HORRENDOUSLY aggressive staff. We had booked a birthday party for 19 people…read moreat $75 a head. Our waiter, Egon, was so rude! He was constantly shouting at everybody, yelling, "You gotta be joking!" and "Organize it yourself!" if he was asked for something! He told us we needed to get out of there after we had barely sat down because he needed the table (I had booked for this birthday dinner ages in advance), and he said he would be giving us the birthday cake in takeaway boxes instead of being allowed to have it there and singing happy birthday. I wish I had read all the other horrified reviews on TripAdvisor and Google reviews about this once good place before booking it for a birthday. What a mistake to come here. Our waiter Egon (not sure of the spelling of his name) made Basil Fawlty from the TV show Fawlty Towers look sane and professional. I have never encountered such rudeness from a waiter in my life. Oh and they also overcharged us: Egon, I hope you use our money to pay for anger management classes!

Bustling atmosphere; delicious food; decent portions - a fabulous treat in Melbourne!read more

Legit…read more Not sure if its the fluffy pita... or the juicy chicken..... damn the souvlaki is just the bomb. Love it. Rate it... We've dropped in here a few times when we've come to town and its still OLD SCHOOL. Please stay that way and dont change

My sister loves Greek Food and I think in West End (Queensland) we are pretty spoilt for it there…read morebecause you'd never get a bad souvla.. Not only was it overpriced, there was a slight mix-up with the order. We ordered 3 souvlaki's and the meat was just warm which always makes me worry with chicken I'm gonna get food poisoning... the sauce not enough and the bread was just blah. Definitely keen to try a different place on Brunswick St to see if it's any better...

Really enjoyed the food and service when I visited recently. The staff were very friendly.read more

The hummus was not good, bread old and the owner is sly. The decor is nice but overall would not…read morerecommend.

"...A DECENT MEAL - REALLY RELAXED VIBE - WE ENJOYED IT..."…read more Ate at GRILLA HOUSE, Lygon Street, Carlton tonight... -Newly renovated contemporary digs... -Fabulous service from this one particular young woman - don't know her name, but she had a Scottish accent - she so made us feel comfy and welcome... -It's a fairly new biz, I think... We started with: -2 x trio of dips - olive, hommus and pumpkin - warm toasted flat bread - All good... -1 x fried halloumi or was it saganaki - quite salty so think it was Greek style saganaki cheese served on a fresh little salad and pickled vegetables - Enjoyed it... -1 x lamb kofta - 1 only sitting on a small mound of salad - not really enough for an entree - and no sauce of any type - Bit disappointing... Followed with: -2 x rib eye w mushroom sauce - asked for 'medium rare', got 'medium' - still, a beautiful chunk of beef - Gave it the respect it deserved, even chewed the bone... -1 x mixed grill - lamb chop, lamb kofta, cevap sausage, chicken skewer, lamb skewer - really well-cooked, almost over-cooked - looked tough, but wasn't - could have done with a lot more seasoning, herbs, spice, oil and lemon OR a sauce - It was okay, but could have been great... -1 x chicken parma - good sized fillet -,generous with the ham - too much Napoli sauce - not enough cheese, and not browned and bubbling - A bit disappointing, again... All mains served with chips and salad - this kinda revealed the casual nature of the food on offer - more like pub fare than restaurant cuisine - hey, I love pub food - salads were nice and fresh, and ALL well-dressed - chips, though, were ALL pale, a bit limp, and definitely very under-cooked... Finished with: -2 x ice-cream: pistachio; boysenberry - not home-made, but not supermarket quality, either - Refreshing... -1 x nutella and banana pizzetta - nice crisp thin warm base, spread with nutella and topped with sliced fresh banana - could have done with cream or ice-cream - Needed something refreshing with it... -1 x coconut lasagna - was intrigued by this - a couple of layers of white chocolate wafer interspersed with coconut mousse, coconut shards, sliced strawberries, cream and strawberry coulis - It actually looked better than it tasted, really needed some plonk and they could have incorporated ice-cream or sorbet to freshen up the dish... Okay then, they've got a few little bibs and bobs to nut out, BUT the basis for good things are there: - the atmosphere - the wait staff - the menu - their emphasis on fresh - their emphasis on casual dining, although seasonal vegetables should be on offer, as an alternative to chips - for the most part, good sized serves - good pricing We booked with 2 Scoopon vouchers inc a glass of house wine costing $110 plus spent $36 on extras - A real bargain - There were 4 of us..!! Visited on Friday 26 Feb 2016 for dinner.

From the owner: Nice and affordable Family Restaurant on Lygon St…read more If you are hungry and enjoy good food, stop by our door! Our specialists chefs will offer you a large range of fresh and delicious Charcoal Mediterranean Grill and pizzas. For the thirsty ones we alsohave a full bar and some cocktails options! BYO Wine only! You are planning to come in with a large group or a function? You are very welcome in our restaurant, give us a ring, we will take good care of you!

Milkshakes and Poke, only in Melbourne!…read more I made sure I dropped by Naughty Boy during my trip down under, and boy was it naughty (and SO worth it!!) Tried the Berry Cheesecake Instashake, and their Poke Bowl. The shake kinda scared me at first sight, and I wasn't sure I would be able to finish it, but it was love at first sip! The cheesecake on top was light but delicious. The poke was visually appealing but a little too salty for my taste. The shake evened it out though. Ambience: very minimalistic and millennial Location: easily accessible by public transportation (which I took). Didn't see much parking though. Customer Service: Delightful.

Naughty Boy, doesn't it sounds like a convincing place to have your breakfast?…read more Located on the quiet end of Lygon Street, away from the more bustling cafe scenes of Melbourne CBD, you will find humble nook that shook Instagram feed. The interior inside the cafe is rather spacious but felt a little more budget, industrial and rustic thanks to the major applications of " ripped" wall and exposed bricks. Their menu is quite impressive, listing typical big Australian brunch menu (e.g: brekkie roll, fancy toast and hotcakes) as well as their "not-so naughty" menu (e.g: oatmeals, acai bowl, etc.). No matter what you ordered here, you can always count on the pretty presentation! For my first visit, I ordered: * Pavlova Instashake: They have about 3 "Freakshakes" flavors to choose from (the other two options are Chocolate Nutella fudge and Salted Caramel). The presentation was just as naughty as I had hoped - kiwis, berries, meringue and fairy floss on top of coconut and almond milk. Taste-wise, I was expecting it to be a jar load of sugar, basically a diabetes in a jar... as an art form, but it actually was very subtle and tasted healthy! I was almost disappointed that it doesn't taste as sweet as it looks, lol. * Red Velvet hotcakes: The presentation was orgasmic to the eye; brightly red color, decorated with vanilla mascarpone, berries and sprinkle with popping candy. Almost crazy, but yet still delicious, with the hot cake being mildly sweet and fluffy and the popping candy adds an interesting sensation with each bite. I must say, Naughty boy is as naughty as the name suggest. The food is utterly gorgeous and whimsical. The prices were a little steep with the Instashake costing $12 and the hotcakes $18 but I guess it was worth every dime just to be on the naughty side... once in a while :)