The thing with being in lockdown meant that I couldn't go out and visit the pub, or travel much…read morebeyond 10 kilometers. That actually gave me the opportunity to go and visit some places that were a little closer by, such as this place. I've been meaning to do it for a while, but I just never got around to it. Well, as I mentioned, lockdown changed that, so I decided to make the trek here, and yeah, it wasn't all that bad, but then again it wasn't particularly great either. I guess my biggest gripe, and it is certainly a pretty big one, and that is that they use styrofoam for packaging, which I positively hate because it just adds to non-biodegradeable landfill.

That chicken is juicy fresh that chips are the best chips I've ever tasted the salad lovely the…read moreshops very clean. The service was brilliant. Recommend everyone try it at least once or twice.

Souvlaki in an actual restaurant. Yes, that's right. No longer the post-pub 2am food of shame,…read moreJimmy Grants has made eating souvlaki a legitimate life choice (thanks George Calombaris). I don't really know much about Jimmy Grants but I think this Ormond one is relatively new and I was excited to head there for dinner. You can book online (for this restaurant only) and the space is really interesting - kind of bright and futuristic which isn't really what I'd expect a souvlaki place to look like but that's ok. We were seated at the back and my only complaint was that the table & bench seat made it a little hard to get in and out of, but then maybe I need to stop eating all Melbourne's most delicious foods. The menu is simple - souvlakis, sides/dips, salads, a couple of plated options and desserts. I was excited to eat ALL the things so ordered: Taramasalata - served with a couple of pieces of pita (four would be better for the amount of dip) it was lush, creamy and the perfect flavour. One of my favourite dips in the world (I got hooked on it from trying it at The Press Club bar years ago!) Dim sims - OBVIOUSLY. Why isn't this delicious food available in the UK? It's kind of like a dumpling but bigger, and eaten with lashings of soy. These were pretty damn good but I like the old school ones with thicker pastry. No big deal, I'd get these again. Chiko roll - I know, by this point I was in Aussie-food-nostalgia heaven. Chiko rolls are only on the menu here in November. When they arrived there was actually two in the portion which was exciting, I was giddy enough to think that for $8.50 I was just going to get one. They weren't fat like a normal chiko roll but had the right taste. If you're wondering what a chiko roll actually is, it's an Aussie version of a spring roll and the pastry/skin is quite thick and chewy. Yum. Chicken souva - the main event. I can't remember the last time I had a souvlaki, I suspect it was around 2006 on Smith Street. So as you can imagine, this one was always going to be amazing. I don't know why but it's a George thing to put chips in the souva (I think they do this at Hellenic Republic too) and I really like it - sure, it's weird but it works and who doesn't want extra carbs?! The only thing I didn't love was the mustard aoili so I might get a different souva next time instead. (A souvlaki is a pita bread with a filling of lamb/chicken smothered in some delicious Greek sauce). Service was a little slow and haphazard but we were catching up with friends so it didn't bother me too much. I did want to get dessert but as I said, service was all over the place so we didn't bother. My only other complaint is that the loos are unisex - please Melbourne, stop doing this. It's just not ok. Prices were good - about $70 for two with some wines and all those dishes so I would definitely go back.

After hearing over and over how amazing Jimmy Grants was and never being able to make it to any of…read morethe other locations, I was super excited to hear that it opened up down the road from my work! We opted to get a whole bunch of stuff to try and share to get the full experience. I started with the Nonna Maria which I the chicken souva with mustard aioli and I can honestly say that if they are all as yummy as this one, I can't wait to try the other ones! The souva was jam packed with chicken AND chips and finished off with that lovely mustard aioli! The one thing I was disappointed with was it was gone before I realised because they are so small BUT at least it was jam packed with flavour! The next thing I tried was the grain salad which had the right amount of crunch and flavour to make it worth the purchase! The chips with feta on top were good but I was expecting a bit more feta on top (based on the photos but we all know that it never ends up like the photos)! The sim sim however was definitely not the best that I've had. I wasn't too fond of the flavours in it and there was a bit of crunch on there that o just didn't expect and really didn't like much in a dim sim! All in all, I can't wait to try more!!

We just finished lunch here and were super impressed with the young lady and the young man who were…read morerunning the place. They were professional and had folks dining in, pick ups for deliveries and were overall quite busy and they were still so friendly and helpful. We ordered a Mexican HotDog and a cheeseburger along with chicken wings to try. The hotdog wasn't quite what I was used to, but it was tasty and there was no shortage of toppings. Hub's cheeseburger was as close to an American burger as he had anywhere in NZ or Aus and seems to be their signature dish. We both loved the chicken wings, they were wonderfully crispy, bone in and had a little spice to them that really set them off. They also provided a little sauce to try that reminded us of a currywurst sauce. We liked them both ways.

A mixed experience. Ordered a mixed meat snack pack, the garlic sauce was delicious, but the chips…read morewere very overcooked. The chicken was cooked well, nice and tender, but the lamb was overcooked a little and a bit dry. I also ordered some wings, and they were delicious. But for me, the real disappointment was the nerve to sell me way overcooked chips. It's half the damn meal and ruined it completely. If the chips were not ruined, I would have given an extra star. It's just some chips, how can you stuff that up? And what respect do you have for your customers when you send off chips cooked to oblivion for them to eat? They were visually dark and like biting into wood. Wont' be ordering again. Places like this need to understand customers are not beholden to them, and we have options to order elsewhere that will give us better food at the same price. Burnt chips... my god.

Great place to watch the world go by. Semi outdoors but good cover from sun and rain. And the bonus…read moreof heaters on the wall on this cold morning. Great coffee as yo be expected in Melbourne. I had raisin toast st $7. Two large pieces. Would have preferred smaller better quality bread - tasted like an average supermarket loaf - nothing special. My partner had poached eggs which he said were good , nice and yellow , so free range.

This is another of a number of cafes that line the alleyway called The Causeway, and one that I…read morehaven't been to all that often (if ever). As such, when I was wandering through Melbourne early one morning looking for a place where I could grab a bite to eat for breakfast I decided that I would pay this place a little visit. Honestly, there wasn't anything about this place that really stood out for me, though their eggs benedict was quite nice, and arrived on my table fairly promptly. However I have to admit that this place didn't stand out all that much to me, and considering the countless other options available in Melbourne it is one that I would unlikely visit all that often. I do like the laneway feel about the place, but then again this isn't the only cafe hidden away on The Causeway.

Fast service. I got the Pad Thai and it was passable. I wanted to order the laksa but it was…read moreprobably too hard to carry onto the flight. If I had to order the Pad Thai again, I would ask them to skip the chicken (not great quality), baby corn (always taste like canned baby corn in Chinese restaurants), and broccoli and cauliflower (not fresh). Instead, ask for extra peppers which were great in the pad Thai. Don't be fooled by the picture of Pad Thai on the menu - there is no bean sprouts or cilantro on top.

My girlfriend got some food from here and I literally thought she'd left me - it took that long!…read more For airport food this is pretty good, while it took ages it was fresh unlike all the other options. Don't go if you're in a hurry to catch a flight.

Everything was really fresh tasting and bursting with flavour…read more They even had free range chicken option for the soup. Portions were very generous. The table and settings were very clean, they just forgot to top up our serviettes/napkins. Highly recommended.

After eating up and down both sides of Victoria St for 30 years, I am continually drawn back to…read moreNinh Kieu , more so with friends lately. The food is always brilliant, seriously fresh ingredients perfectly put to gether for the ultimate in crisp fresh taste and textures, the service always just right thanks to Clare and her friendly staff.

Grill'd seems to have become my friend and I's dinner hangout of choice. Not only are they a…read more'healthy' choice, but they have a wide range of options for their burgers, vegetarian and gluten-free options and their chips are just AMAZING! I'd say to die for, but dying for chips hardly seems worth it. At the Knox store, they also give you a bottle cap with each order which is used to vote for a local club or charity, and whoever gets the most caps gets the largest amount of donation money from the company. Anything charitable is fine by me! The prices are reasonable for the quality. It's something like $10-$12 for a burger, which uses fresh, quality ingredients and actually looks good, unlike the squashed, greasy $3 burgers McDonalds may offer you. This does mean the burgers can take a little longer to make, but we generally only have to wait 5-10 minutes during busy hours which I'd say is rather speedy! The staff are friendly and the venue gives of a 'cool' vibe.

If you want a burger that isn't from McDonalds or Kentucky Fried Chicken, and you're not up for…read moreHungry Jacks, then Grill'd is really where you should be heading towards. Yes, it's expensive. The food isn't terrible. It's quite okay, really. I mean, for lunch you could do much worse. My favourite is the Kung Fu Fighter, which is beef with carrot and satay sauce. Now that I think about it, it sounds pretty average, but it's not too bad really. The service is fast food service. Nothing amazing. I haven't had them screw up my order yet, and I'm one of those customers who always asks for a burger without the something-or-other. Try them for yourself and see.

I love me some Nando's. Every time I am in Australia (or really any country with one), and need a…read morequick, cheap, satisfying meal...a Nando's has always worked for me. There is just something about this Nando's in particular that I like above the others I have been to in Melbourne. I think it's the feeling...it's on Toorak Road in a neat little laid-back area, and the layout of the restaurant itself feels a bit more intimate than a standard "open square floor plan" of many other places. You can grab a seat in back, around the corner from the counter, and just enjoy your chicken. The food at this location is the same as other Nando's in Melbourne...or Sydney...or Dubai...or Cape Town. Solid, tasty chicken with some delicious sauces to pour on should you so desire. The food comes fairly quick, nice and hot, and is served by friendly people at a decent price. So, in conclusion...I like Nando's, but I like this location a bit more than the norm.

On a date night one simply does not go to Nandos. Well actually this time I did. LOL…read more Being stuck back in the office on a night that I had planned to go to the movies, my hand was forced to plan b my date night into nandos. My usual burger was unfortunately not available as they had run out of brown rolls. I've got to say that the server did make it up with friendliness and service. Will go again if I have further date night fails! :)