Commoner - Melbourne - 122 Johnston Street, Fitzroy

The Commoner is true Fitzroy of the 90s - not so common and quietly understated.

You can eat a roast on Sunday or otherwise there is a good range of home-feel food which you could never cook at home.

Rabbit prune and pinot pie or pine mushrooms or grilled snapper with braised fennel and mussels. Whatever you order here you can't go wrong - that is what makes this such a great place.

Everything is cooked to perfection and the atmosphere is cosy and made for winter with some good red wine.

The wait staff are quirky and honest. For example, we were told that the trifle is really not the best around town but the brown ale pudding is to die for - good advice.

Cost is around $80 for two for a casual meal but can go up to $100 or more.



 7.5/10

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Red Spice Road - Melbourne - 27 McKillop Street, Melbourne

It is like I have just discovered the happening place in Melbourne.

I had heard about Red Spice Road but for this to be my first visit, I felt like I was a bit behind the times.

In terms of decor and atmosphere, this is up there with the likes of New York.

The main room has a massive (I mean "50 people on the inside and outside" massive) round table with an enormous red lantern in the centre.

There is a fantastic bar to the side full of super hip people; although with dark moody lighting I find that everyone looks a bit more hip.

The menu is expansive, on the Thai side of Asian.

We started with eel mixed with chilli, coriander and lime in betel leaf - the eel was smoky and succulent and overall super tasty.

Next was ocean trout tartare with lime, chilli and herbs which was as fresh as anything and great eaten on top of prawn crackers.

Twice cooked coconut lamb ribs with chilli jam were crunchy and moist; if you are not in fatty foods then avoid, but if you are me then enjoy.

Finally, pork belly with apple slaw and chilli which my friend says is the best in town.

Overall a great vibe and a place to keep coming back to try tasty bits of this and that and everything else.

Great variety of wines too.

Cost is around $75 per head including a bottle of good wine.



 7.5/10

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Golden Fields - Melbourne - 2/157 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda

And so my love affair with Andrew McConnell continues.

This is my second time at Golden Fields. The first time for dinner, we had to wait 2 and a 1/2 hours for a table - apparently 3 is an awkward number and they don't kick people off tables - good when you get one early. Although feeling faint, I did not lose the plot by the time we started eating at 10pm but I did just inhale every bit of food to live.

But it was excellent.  And when we asked for a free vino,  the maitre d Leeroy gladly said yes.

This time we went for a lovely leisurely ladies lunch and no wait because for lunch you can make a reservation.  Good o.

I will talk about the meals at both visits as the menu is generally the same with changes to the salads and mains from time to time.

You have to eat the lobster role not just because it is the signature dish but because the slightly sweet warm bun with cold poached lobster is just perfection.

Next, you must have the twice cooked duck in steamed bread - this for me is the best dish on the menu. Better than any peking duck you will ever have.

Like Cumulus Inc, the oysters are ok but not outstanding so you can take or leave these.

The rolled Berkshire pork belly with white kimchi yuixiang sauce and the soft-shell carb with dragon sauce are also interesting dishes.

Although not always on the menu, if you get the poached chicken with house made rice noodles you will never want to eat rice noodles from the packet ever again - the decision is yours.

Fish here is particularly good.  The first time we tried the flounder with burnt lime and sorrel - seriously the best fish dish I have ever had in my life.

If you feel like meat, then you can't go wrong with the slow-roast lamb shoulder with cumin seed and salted lemon.

All dishes have an Asian twist - Korean, Japanese, Chinese.

I love them all - although the desserts don't excite me (except the peanut butter parfait with salted caramel).

You will never ever cook this food at home and for around $65-$70 per person with wine, I call it great value.



 8.5/10

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Otsumami - Melbourne - 257 High Street, Northcote

This is definitely a North of the river Japanese restaurant - quirky waitresses, mood lighting and not so clinical and efficient.

This is a menu that has most of the Japanese favourites.

We tried way too many dishes for two people. so here are my bullet points on each:

• Eggplant - too much miso
• Sashimi - very good
• Pirikara tiger prawns - perfectly cooked and flavoursome
• Gyoza with chicken and mushroom - a tad chewy and mushroom a bit dry
• Kingfish - fresh and quite good
• Japanese scallops with rice - the best

Overall the food here is decent and better than your average Japanese local. The service is excellent (even if they confuse orders every now and again).

Price is around $100 for two including a glass of wine.

6.5/10

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The Italian - Melbourne - 101 Collins Street, Melbourne

Don't try and be footloose and fancy free on a Friday night. Don't go searching for a restaurant without a reservation otherwise you will end up at The Italian or KFC on Swanston Street.

Look this place is actually good for a business lunch but you don't want the buzz of Macquarie Bank when you are trying to have a relaxing dinner.

I ordered grilled whiting which was very fresh but a tad dry.

My friend ordered beef which was cooked well but too rich.

Just come here for a pasta during the week.

Good wine list. Cost is around $85 for two.

6.5/10

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Pier - Melbourne - 1 Pier Street, Port Melbourne

We thought we would make a trip to the other side of town to Port Melbourne.

We rocked up at Pier with no booking and got in straight away - a worry.

There were many cuisines on the menu - greek, italian, french, spanish, Aussie - and worrying a little bit more.

And my friend added "Look at the prices babe, my steak is $40 and I get shit wine and paper napkins."

Despite this, the whitebait was surprisingly edible and moorish. My rib eye was cooked perfectly medium rare and the vegies were rightly crisp. My friend's eye fillet was also well done or rather done well medium rare.

Restaurants on this side of town have a more exclusive and chandelier feel about them, as do the beautiful people. The menu is just outdated - try-hard sophistication does not mean hip in my book.

Cost was around $65 with a bad glass of wine.

Overall quite good but nothing to rave about.



 6.5/10

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Senoritas - Melbourne - 16 Meyers Place, Melbourne

Faced by voodoo dolls on the counter, voodoo paintings, voodoo candelabras and voodoo statues I was like "I love it already!"

There was a seediness masked by sophistication about this place that just draws you in.

Reading through the Mexican menu I was super excited and I gotta feeling that this was going to be a good night - a good good night.

The guacamole was excellent, lemony and smoothe and a great beginning.

But then the seared tuna and octopus came out and it looked like burnt bugs on a plate. No flavour

and I was like "mmmm maybe this is a minor mishap."

The pork tacos were good, but then the prawn tacos looked a bit blue and the duck rolls were rather cakey.

My hot chocolate was lumpy and the coffee was served on a saucer with the drink split all over.

It is great that Mamastita has opened our mouths to the door of Mexican cooking but those that follow like Senoritas need to execute well. This was just not well.

Despite this, the place is full and people seemed to love it.

But for us, we were feeling it at the start but then it just went down hill from there. 

And waiting for the bill and the screw ups with all that, felt like climbing Everest in thongs.

Price is around $55 each including a cocktail but no dessert.

6/10

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