Nicky Reimer (formerly of Richmond Hill Cafe & Larder and Langton's) is in the kitchen at Trunk and her menu of personable, rustic but skilfully realised Italian food is a good match with the surrounds. There are great snacks like arancini flavoured with porcini and salt cod balls for those just there for a quick drink and a bite while diners are treated to dishes such as spaghettini with smoked eel and breadcrumbs or slow-cooked Rutherglen lamb served with borlotti beans.
The wine list harmoniously mixes Old and New World labels and there is a good selection by the glass. Once you have settled under the branches of the heritage-listed tree on a balmy night in the big city, however, a glass may not seem enough. It is the sort of outdoor space perfectly suited to the long haul. 275 Exhibition St, City; phone (03) 9663 7994.
One of Melbourne's most serious cocktail bars, 1806, has been recognised for its pursuit of alcohol excellence, winning the Best Cocktail List in the World award at the Tales of the Cocktail Festival in New Orleans. The list, complied by 1806 owner Sebastian Reaburn, is constructed like a timeline, with a cocktail from every decade from 1806 (the first year in which the word cocktail made it into print) until the present day.
Jacques Reymond's Federation Square eating house, Arintji, not only has a new chef (Joseph Grbac, recently returned from London, where he was sous chef at The Square) but a new member of its management team, Jacques son Edouard. The aim of the changes, according to Jacques, is to lift the standard of food and service without altering the flexible, casual approach that has made Arintji such a crowd pleaser.
It seems that too many restaurants are barely enough for The Press Club owner/chef George Calombaris. In addition to his Flinders Lane flagship with its separate restaurant and bar, the Middle Eastern restaurant Maha and his Mykonos outpost of The Press Club, he is also opening a large, old school-style taverna in Lygon St, East Brunswick. And if that wasn't enough, he is in the process of establishing Melbourne's first dessert-only restaurant.
The genteel suburb of Armadale is traditionally better known for its antique dealers than its restaurants and cafes but there are changes afoot. In the past year or so several new eateries opening along High St have given the strip extra spark and taken some of the weight of responsibility from Phillippa's as the epicentre for good food in the neighbourhood. One of the recent arrivals is Grapeseed, the second restaurant from the people behind popular city stalwart Punch Lane.
Whereas Punch Lane's clubby atmosphere, leather chairs and emphasis on robust reds and meaty dishes obviously caters for a blokey city crowd, Grapeseed is a much lighter, more feminine place, quite deliberately targeted at Lunching Ladies. There is lots of natural light, plywood seating and shelving, twiggy lightshades and glass display cases full of salads and designer sandwiches.
The menu, particularly at lunchtime, leans towards the light and salady, mainly European-based but delving into Asia here and there with dishes like a sparky, coriander-tasty grilled calamari salad. But for the non-dieters, there are heftier dishes, mainly crowd pleasers like sausages and mash or spaghetti bolognaise or a coconut chicken curry, that are presented and cooked with a sense of style and finesse. There are good charcuterie and cheese to be had, too, and a short but interesting Australian and Italian wine list with a decent selection by the glass. It is this flexibility that makes Grapeseed such a good addition to the neighbourhood. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and drinks, Grapeseed covers all the bases confidently and competently. 1084 High St,, Armadale; phone (03) 9500 2566.
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