I’m a big fan of Regional Victoria’s dining scene with their fresh local produce and great community vibe. When I heard about Restaurant Igni, I knew I had to make a booking a check them out. For an 8 course degustation for $150 per head, it’s still quite affordable compared to those in Melbourne with a price tag of +$200 per head. There’s plenty of parking on the main street so that’s not a problem at all. Moving along, it’s a very discrete restaurant and when you get inside there are only 10 or so tables thats spaced very far apart so you’re not bumping elbows with the next table. The atmosphere is very casual and friendly yet the staff are very professional. They’ll ask for your dietary requirements including what your likes and dislikes are so they can be sure to cater for you. It was already a good start to our lunch!
TAS: Aloft, Hobart
A getaway trip can’t be complete if there isn’t dinner plans at a hatted restaurant and of course, trusty Mr D had made a reservation at Aloft for our anniversary dinner and I’m glad he did because it did get quite busy. Stepping inside, it was beautiful. Set in a glassed restaurant that sits over the water, it was totes romantic. The staff gladly showed us to our table by the window and we chose to do the $80 set menu. The good thing about Aloft is there’s set menus for people that eat everything, vegetarian, vegans and pescatarian so there’s something for everyone.
Yering Station, Yarra Glen
Yering Station is known for its view, winery and food so of course we had a girlies’ date there. We made a reservation 2 weeks in advance and there is ample of parking so you don’t have to worry about that. Our initial impression was WOW with the friendly front staff and how delish it smelt inside.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Melbourne (Crown Casino Complex)
Heston Blumenthal, the name which every food lover recognises and everyone dashed madly around putting their names down in a ballot in order to snag a seat in Fat Duck when they were in Melbourne for 6 months. After that frenzy, Heston opened his first international restaurant – Dinner by Heston at the exact spot which Fat Duck had sat. After harassing Mr D, he finally booked it for our anniversary and I was super duper excited when Saturday rolled around.
The Meat & Wine Co Launch, South Yarra
The meat and wine co is known for their well, meats and wines and have multiple locations throughout Victoria and New South Wales, they are still going strong. So when I heard that they’re opening one in South Yarra, it wasn’t a surprise since South Yarra was pumping with eateries and shops already and it would be a great addition to the area. The Meat & Wine Co is located in the Como Centre and there were two entrances, one on the outside and on the inside.
Rockpool Bar & Grill, South Bank (Crown Casino Complex)
It’s Mr D’s birthday which means, we get to go and fill up our tummies!! This year was the year that Mr D finally decided that he was going to have steak so I decided to try out Rockpool in Crown Casino, thus made a booking. On the night, we skipped our way into the restaurant.
Eureka 89, Southbank
Thanks to the trusty stooges, Mr D and I got to have a lovely date day at Eureka 89 which is located in the Eureka tower. We both dressed up and made our way there. There was a red carpet and everything (unfortunately I took the photo when we left so they packed it away). So inside we skipped in.