Originally Posted by Bohemian1 (Post 29071545)

Based on reputation alone, and having cooked several of their dishes, I've always been interested in Quay. But our next trip down under has us in Auckland and Melbourne only (for big cities) so Quay will not be in our sights regardless.

Originally Posted by PsiFighter37 (Post 29091506)

Quay has a great view but for all the hype, I was not that impressed with the food, and our meal dragged on interminably long. At least in Sydney, I much more enjoyed the food at Tetsuya.

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Originally Posted by Bohemian1 (Post 29093332)

Plotting reservations already for a trip to Melbourne next May. I may have some inside connections, but any front runners amongst this crowd worth a look?

Originally Posted by oh_lol (Post 29163587)

Anything in particular you are looking for?

Quick list off the top of my head:

Attica
Saint Crispin
Osteria Ilaria
Atlas
Cutler + Co
Tulum
Vue de Monde
IDES
Embla
Tipo 00

Originally Posted by Bohemian1 (Post 29165327)

Thanks!

Our first time in Melbourne, so looking to sample a nice cross section of the culinary scene there. We usually go for at least one tried and tested local legend as well as one young and upcoming. Past that point, we just aim for some diversity.

Will definitely research your suggestions over the Xmas break. Thanks again.

Originally Posted by oh_lol (Post 29167716)

That works well! Only a couple are very fancy/high end, the rest are just straight fantastic food.
Maybe once you've researched a bit, let us know what you're leaning towards, then we may be able to recommend more.

Originally Posted by bhrubin (Post 29069107)

@aa213bb I ask because of being so disappointed at Quay and Sepia in Sydney—both of which I’d liken to 1* Michelin restaurants but which really didn’t stand out as much as I’d have expected. Quay was better than Sepia, but The Bridge Room blew both of them away in my opinion.

I’ll be sure to add Brae to my list. We couldn’t manage the time to include Melbourne in our most recent Aussie travels.

Originally Posted by Bohemian1 (Post 29165327)

Thanks!

Our first time in Melbourne, so looking to sample a nice cross section of the culinary scene there. We usually go for at least one tried and tested local legend as well as one young and upcoming. Past that point, we just aim for some diversity.

Will definitely research your suggestions over the Xmas break. Thanks again.

Originally Posted by bhrubin (Post 28906127)

Steirereck was a shocking disappointment for us. While the food was very good, and we enjoyed the service team, the restaurant has issues. The food itself was a study in subtleties, which for us lacked punch. Everything tasted good, but nothing really stood out. But the wine pairings were wonderful. Service had issues with timing throughout--the worst being a ridiculous 30+ min wait for the cheese course. We had to actually go hunt for our servers to complain. The lighting was too glaring on our table on arrival, and only ours, which we complained about. It took 5-10 min to fix. Then some staff flunkie turned the entire room lights back up to glaring not a short time later. Course card descriptions went missing for a few courses. Different wine pairings were brought for the same courses--though all wine pairings truly were outstanding. Felt a bit like a lot of pomp yet missing some important circumstance, resting on laurels long ago earned but perhaps not quite as deserved today. Looked like a 2* restaurant but delivered at best a 1* dinner. Overpriced. Definitely not a top 10 restaurant as its San Pellegrino rank suggests. Our concierge at the Hotel Imperial was stunned when he read my letter and email of complaint. It's been 3 days and still not a reply to our letter or email. Unlikely to ever bother returning.

Originally Posted by alanslegal (Post 29264143)

I would rate the Vue De Monde experience and its luxurious ambience much much better than Attica's - even though Attica is Australia's best restaurant.