Oh my goodness! This place was absolutely divine! I had a German Riesling. My waiter described it as a little dry. I didn't find it dry at all. It was perfect to my liking. He also let me try some prior to pouring me a glass. The menu is tapas style with different sized "bites." They also offer a tasting menu that you can select different bites. I was not overly hungry. I ordered the Burrata special. It was absolutely amazing and bursting with flavor! The Burrata was incredibly fresh and creamy. It say on top of a ratatouille that was full of flavor! It was also served with bread that was nicely toasted. I'm still thinking about this meal hours later as I write this review. Service was wonderful. 5+ stars all the way! I would absolutely return. read more

Punch Lane Wine Bar Restaurant - Restaurants Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

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We were well taken care of by Joseph despite being pretty busy coving most tables. Rump Beef and lamb were cooked very well and complimented by some fine wines. All in all, a very pleasurable dinner & we'll certainly be back soon read more

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Sorry no pictures on this one but I had the butchers cut and my colleague had the dry aged peppered sirloin. They were really good although my colleagues must of missed the sharing training in kindergarten because they did not share ;-). I don't know if this is a culture thing but I got mine medium but it was more like done. It was still great. We also got cheese cover cauliflower that was amazing. Expensive for lunch but sometimes you have to live large. read more

I'd heard about Punch Lane for years, but I never went as I thought it was the kind of place your parents would really like to hang out. And they probably would. But, after finally coming here for some pre-theatre food I realise it's such an excellent restaurant there's something for everyone. We just had pieces off the tapas menu - fresh oysters, prawns with lime and chili salt, soft egg with trout butter and then a whole lot of CHEESE. It was all awesome! We drank an affordable Heathcote Sangiovese, but they've also got an extensive range of European wines, mostly from Italy and France. We sat at the bar so got the full attention of the flirty barmen - a definite bonus... I'd happily head back to Punch Lane again. read more

Punch Lane Wine Bar Restaurant - Restaurants Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

I always walk past this place and curious about it. I have also recently been told by one of my friend that she has had the best meal ever here. So guess where I ended up on Valentine. We were given an option of choosing a 3 course meal or a 5 course tasting plate. My dining companion decided we should go for the 5 course tasting plate. This is what we had: - Tuna sashimi which was fresh, there was pieces of tuna and watermelon - Duck Terrine, which was delicious - Barramundi wrapped in vine leaves - Rump steak - Shared dessert The meal was very nice, but I am not sure its the best meal I ever had. The wait staff was attentive and very polite and helpful. I certainly would like to come back and check out their a la carte menu. Some lucky ladies were also given roses from the wait dress and unfortunately I wasn't one of them....deduct one star! read more

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Dark timber tables. Dim lighting. Carefully selected wine. Jazz music. Did someone say romance? Did someone say date night? Did someone say pour me another? I am about to make a very huge call - Punch Lane is my favourite place in Melbourne for atmosphere. Something about it always makes me feel sophisticated, stylish, gorgeous, desirable. Sit opposite someone and talk and drink the night away. Just one thing though, don't come with a light wallet (unless someone else is buying!) read more

Punch Lane absolutely made our weekend in Melbourne, my brother and i came flying in 5 minutes after our reservation time with the intention of surprising our mother for her birthday. Summer has us seated where we couldn't be seen until she was in the restaurant, organised beers/champagne in seconds and made sure the greeter on the door knew not to give away that we were there - surprise was a complete success! Customer service was fantastic, I cannot thank Summer enough for the care she took of our table, she made sure Mum always had bubbles or a glass of wine, she took some lovely photos of our family, she organised a candle for dessert and essentially made a night where everyone was running late run so smoothly! The food was delicious, the lamb special was melt in your mouth perfection, the fish special disappeared quickly so it was also a hit. In all we tried: Entree's: Pan roasted Scallops - delicious and fresh Roasted Quail - smelt and tasted amazing Mains: Fish special of the day Lamb special of the day - melted in your mouth Twice baked Gruyere souffle - delicious Sides: Broccolini with fresh ricotta - yum! I cannot recommend Punch Lane highly enough, the wine list is spectacular and the cheese options are definitely worth a visit, Go! read more

Cute hidden gem on the edge of Chinatown with wonderful wine selection. The quail was beautiful as a starter. We also had the kingfish which was a delight. read more

Punch Lane Wine Bar Restaurant - Some of the wines at Punch Lane Wine Bar Melbourne. - Restaurants Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

Punch Lane positioned at Little Bourke St, known for their wine bar for almost two decades. Their interior sets in comfortable European theme. The room full of mix match red leather chairs, wooden chairs and wall full of wine. love the food read more

Wow! All I can say is this was a 5 star! Food was extraordinary. Our group was on a city tour of Melbourne and we ended it with this hidden gem of a restaurant...Understated, kind of cool edgy atmosphere. I ordered the Golden Cauliflower purée, pickled red onion toasted almonds with a hint if coffee flavor.. my main a terrific Twice Baked gruyere soufflé! Service friendly!! read more

Loved it for the classicly Melbourne dining experience. Great enivronment with knoweldge charismatic staff who are not prentious! We had an 8.15pm booking and stayed for over three hours... Great Cheese selection - Try the Riverine Blue - OMG - amazing! The Grass feb Beef, beetroot and dill was the stand out for mains. We thought the entrees were ok... Tuna Sashimi and the picked mackeral, which was too fishy for us. But this did not take away from the night. I'll be back for sure. read more

The pros: Good food, great location, good wine list, great atmosphere inside, really good mocktail, good bread with olive oil and salt to start with (and a lot of it!). The cons: We had a reservation for 6 people at 9pm, our table was ready at 9.20 and we had to wait outside. We were given water but appetisers or something similar would have been appreciated while we waited. Also I'm pregnant, which the waiter noticed as he told me that they could alter some of the food choices, but when it was time to order the drinks, he just ask my friends who took a bottle of wine and left. What about me? It's not because I can't drink wine that I don't want something else! I had to wait for him to come back to order my (very good) mocktail. Also, we ordered the fish main , which read "rocking fillet, lobster beurre blanc, etc". We all thought there was going to be lobster (and when we ordered we said we'll have the lobster) but there was no lobster! I think the sauce was made with a bit of lobster but that's it. They could have told us when are ordered the "lobster". Finally, the table was too small for 6 people and that forced the waiter to be in our personal space a bit too much. read more

I wasn't entirely convinced by Punch Lane. It's a nice place but sadly last night key things were out of sync. The food is nice but doesn't hit the lofty heights that the price tag would justify. My opening negroni was nice but felt smaller than it should be. Maybe I was just having a bad day, but looking at the drink made me pine for Romeo Lane just down the road which delivers a spectacular negroni. My mussels for entree were nice but were plonked down in front of me in a rushed way that I found disconcerting. I'm not in any way a pedant but the the lack of symmetry in parts of the dish was noticeable. It looked as it was - rushed from the kitchen to the table. The barramundi for main was pleasant but didn't ever strike me as a top restaurant dish. The broccolini side on the other hand was very good. The highlight of the night. The cheese platter to finish was lovely but again didn't seem like the type that would be delivered by a top restaurant. The choice of cheeses was innovative and good, but the plate arrangement seemed a tad limp and uninspired to me. There are lovely wines here and the choices are good. Service was uneven throughout the night. The greeting on arrival from a bubbly New Zealand woman was a highlight. She was warm, friendly and very efficient. Our servers were rather uneven beyond that. One knocked a red wine glass over that splashed the small amount of wine remaining over two of our party. Anyone can make a mistake and neither of our party was particularly perturbed despite the stains on their shirts but the incident and the slightly awkward way it was handled seemed symptomatic of the night. Our other main server was the one who always seemed rushed. She had a tight fixed smile throughout but was anything other than happy or relaxed. Watching the servers with us and occasionally around the room tending to us I suspected they were at least one staff member down as they were hideously busy. I left with a considerably lightened bank account and without the satisfied glow from a great experience. It may have just been a bit of an off night. But on this occasion Punch Lane was nowhere near a 5 to me. But, if it retains its current very impressive rating I'm likely to try again one day. read more

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I accidentally came across Punch Lane on Little Bourke Street a few months ago by chance. After visiting Chin Chin, we were looking for somewhere "new" to drink and after stumbling past Punch Lane the cold light of day, we decided to take our chances as it looked like a cool place and whenever I see the words "wine bar" I get especially excited. I was so happy after my first experience, it was my mission to return at some point to eat, drink and be merry, where I could devote the requisite time for my epicurean cause, test to see if the liver and credit card still worked in tandem and if the service remained consistently excellent. When I visited Punch Lane again last week after a few cleansing ales at Beer DeLuxe after watching Evermore perform in Federation Square, I certainly was not disappointed. After navigating through Chinatown, upon entering Punch Lane, you feel like you are in another part of the city, let alone somewhere else in the world. No longer are you confronted with the mobs or people enqueued for yum cha, restaurant workers thrusting their menus in your face, tourists shoulder charging you and the smell of old ducks hanging in the windows. Punch Lane is nothing like that. High ceilings adorned with wine bottles, dark colours, large comfortable chairs, chalkboards and happy staff are found once you enter this oasis. After entering and the formalities are out of the way, water and menus arrive. Enthusiastic service consults with you instead of just takes your order. Everyone seems to be very knowledgeable, especially when it comes to the very complex and savoir-faire wine list that not only impressed me but left me with reading material that distracted me from my growling stomach. Being intrigued by the "5 Course Tasting Menu" for $69 which changes daily it seems, I ordered it after the staff briefly described what was in store. I asked for a bottle of Spinifex to complement this mini-tour de force. Chef Luke Croston certainly thinks outside of the box and delivers. Whenever I start a meal with quail, I always hope that I am in for something special since I love eating the little bird and in this instance, what was delivered accompanied with cracked wheat, bacon and a pickled shallot dressing was just... yum! The second dish, the calamari followed with a blue cod tartare which was mixed with a jumble of scallops, chirozo, pickled rhubarb and most interesting apple. It was a complex taste and I never thought pickled rhubarb and apple would match so well with cod and scallop let alone chorizo but I was pleasantly surprised and this dish was the highlight of the gastronomic journey that I undertook. The fourth Wagyu dish was then followed by a Pear and vanilla custard which lived up to the hype as I was torn between that and the chocolate hazelnut brownie. It was easy to get lost in the large chair and let the restaurant take care of us. Other diners, including the large group by the window appeared jovial and I know that we certainly were when we ultimately left and found our way to Bar Americano. Throughout the night I thought about the blue cod tartare dish with the chorizo, apple and pickled rhubarb. It was like a ghost haunting me and constantly reminding me that I had better return soon or else I may never be able to experience it again. I really hope that is not the case. I did realise when I went to get some cash later to pay the bill at Bar Americano, I had left my credit card at Punch Lane. After the amount of alcohol that I had enjoyed in the afternoon and into the evening, I wasn't too pleased walking back however the restaurant had happily secured it and returned it to me with a smile. read more

Fave place for a post-dinner drop, Punch Lane has an atmosphere other wine bars must be envious of. At once carrying an air of sophistication as well as a cruisy laid-back vibe, the service is on point, the wine list mouth-wateringly astounding, and while we're yet to eat here every dish that floated past us while we were perched at the bar looked and smelt amazing. read more

Punch Lane did not disappoint! A great ambiance, a great setting with an incredible array of fine wines. The atmosphere was both romantic and chic, a venue you could comfortably imagine in the middle of Paris. With a delectable array of amazing flavors. Which left a lasting impression. Every mouthful was amazing, and although you couldn't call it a cheap eat, I think it was the best money I ever spent on a meal. Fine European dining at it's best. If you want to make a lasting impression you can't go wrong here. Happy Birthday Esther! read more

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I need a rating higher than 5, this was the most amazing dining experience I've ever had. Atmosphere, service, food and beverage were all perfect. Very reasonably priced and such a simple and quiet location. If I can give one piece of advice, listen to the staff they are very knowledgeable and willing to make sure you have an amazing experience read more

Very cozy wine bar, ideal for those winter-like Melbourne summer nights... The wine selection was phenomenal and very reasonably priced and service was attentive. Nice touch with heaters for the outside seats too. Only gripe is that I wish I was more hungry as the food, especially the cheeses, looked and smelled divine. read more

Great food and an interesting wine list. Outstanding service. The staff are friendly and professional. Well done folks. Will be back. read more

What is not to like, amazing food, outstanding service, really cozy, romantic, wine and cheese, perfect for date night. I can't wait to go back read more

My wife and I are regulars here. Always great service, probably some of the best cheese we've ever eaten, and a fantastic wine list. All in a very relaxed, chilled out setting. Love this place. read more

Tucked in down the Pinch Street Lane, Punch Lane has a great atmosphere, whether you chose to dine inside or out. Not surprisingly, the inside has the feel of a wine bar, with the walls decorated with bottles of wine and a ceiling mounted railroad station clock watching over. The service was great, the food impeccable and the wine absolutely delicious. I opted for the blue cheese stuffed dats and the roasted duck. The server told me the duck was especially breed for roasting, and i don't doubt it. It was the best roast duck I have ever had. My companions opted for the rabbit special, and enjoyed every different way they served it. The atmosphere is relaxed, the food excellent. If you're a foodie, you will love this choice! read more

We stopped by Punch Lane on a Thursday without a booking (after our primary target for dinner was closed for the holidays) and managed to snag a table on the sidewalk. Amazing service throughout. Excellent charcuterie board with in-house produce and a local cheese board along with a venison tartare made up our entire dinner. While enjoying our meal we made a booking for the following evening. Returned on Friday to a very LOUD restaurant due to a group of students attending a thank-you dinner for their hosts. Apologies from the service staff was followed by timely work from the back of the house in spite of being totally "in the weeds" from the large group. The wallaby dish was unbelievably good. Great balance of sauces, spices and acids. Each bite was unique. The balance & restraint shown by the chef in blending everything into a beautiful and tasty plate showed a high level of skill. Definitely the best 2 nights of dining we had in our 20 days in Australia. A hidden gem near Chinatown in Melbourne. Don't miss it! read more

This place (almost) gets it. My friends and I ate here a few weeks back and we all ordered the steak main. Recommended by our waiter as being the most popular item on the menu and hence, one would logically think, the best thing on the menu? It didn't disappoint in any way. For an entree I had the Victorian asparagus with gnocchi which was absolutely superb. Great blend of dressing with currants and tomatoes adding to the soft parcels of gnocchi resulted in a dish of perfection. The steak was cooked medium rare as requested and a good sized portion which was flavourful and tasty. We finished off with a plate of three cheeses which, although delicious, unfortunately seemed gravely overpriced at $19 ea (for just a sliver of a piece each), so $57 for three pieces of little cheese, as good as they were - totally not worth it, just felt like we were being ripped off! I topped off my meal with an affagato and my friends grabbed some desserts. The wine was fine, we had a bottle of Sangiovese and I had a glass of Sancerre as digestif. Restaurant has a nice rustic, cool feel to it. Our waiter was good but messed up slightly as I'd ordered an entree sized main but he brought me full size, I just ate it. All in all food-wise Punch Lane gets a "five" but it could improve on some of the finer points. I do plan to return and try something else, this time will skip the overpriced cheese. read more

Truly fantastic place. Great food, great wine, friendly staff, could not recommend more highly