Another nice little find in my local neighbourhood... Sarands presents a Mediterranean-based menu of seafood or meat dishes. The restaurant itself is light and airy (with an upstairs private dining area for functions), service is pleasant, the wine list small but well chosen and the (mains) servings huge. The prices are reasonable too. Coffee is excellent.

532 Hampton St, Hampton
3188 Vic (200m south of South Rd)
Ph 9598 8944

www.greateats.com.au/restaurants/au/Melbourne_Inner_South/Hampton/14489/Sarands_Mediterranean

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Dining at Mirka is a tasty visual experience. Surrounded by murals by Mirka Mora, you dine on food from the kitchen of Melbourne's famed Guy Grossi. Based widely on a mediterranean style (Grossi is Italian), the menu here is about making one feel cosseted and at home.

The wine list is superb with wines from France and South America as well as the best of Australia. Superb service along the art of the dining room makes 'Mirka' one of Melbourne's best culinary experiences. We will be going back.

42 Fitzroy St
ST Kilda
03 9525 3088
100m from St Kilda Light Rail station

www.mirkatolarno.com/

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Strange name for a new restaurant in suburban Hampton. However, it's one with an upmarket atmosphere, very good food and superb service and that makes for a very fine dining experience. It's a touch above our other local Chinese restaurants.

356 Hampton St Hampton 3188
ph (03) 9521 6066

100m south of the railway station

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Salix restaurant at the Willow Creek Winery on the Mornington Peninsula south of Melbourne is simply superb.

Local produce and seafood, a great view and the fine wines from the winery and other areas create a high-class dining experience. Go for lunch or dinner and enjoy!

Willow Creek Vineyard
166 Balnarring Road
Merricks North 3926

Salix Restaurant
ph: 5989 7640


www.willow-creek.com.au/index.php?page=salix_restaurant

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Recently renovated inside, the Flinders Pub has moved to improve its eating areas with a formal dining room in addition to the bistro.

The pub is a favourite of motorcycle riders (it's a great place to start or end a ride) who frequent the bistro but the dining room is a nice place for those wanting something more formal... nice thick linen and quality tableware. It's a nice place to eat for those who have been tramping the wineries in the area or having a hit at Flinders Golf Club.

Cook St
Flinders
Mornington Peninsula
about an hour from central Melbourne
ph 59890201

www.flindershotel com.au

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Just opened, Kushi Indian Flavour Restaurant (strange name) presents seriously good Indian food in a restaurant setting that has some class. Nice seating, crisp white tableclothes and super service from the young black-clad waiting staff.

The wine list has been well thought out and there is also a good range of beers (which suit Indian food). A choice of the various Indian breads are offered on the menu. Vegetarians are not forgotten with quite a few selections in the Entree and Mains area of the menu.

504 Hampton St
(near cnr with Littlewood st)
Hampton 3188
ph 95984023

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Cafe Latte is not a drink, it's a nice little Italian restaurant in swanky Toorak. Great pasta dishes (mainly southern Italian style), nice wine list, central bar and a fantastic atmosphere make this a place 'to eat out' at.

521 Malvern Rd, Toorak, VIC, 3142
Phone: (03) 98265846

www.cafelatte.com.au

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Wheelers is a pub that has gone through a bit of a transformation and turned into a top class hotel with good food, good entertainment (especially Thursday and Friday nights) and a view to die for.

Having a lazy lunch in the fancy class restaurant overlooking the valley is a great way to spend a Sunday. The Wheelers is a fave with locals. And did I mention the views too?

Wheelers Hill Hotel
Ferntree Gully Road (cnr Jells Road), Wheelers Hill (about 20 mins from the centre of the city along the freeway) Tel. 9560 8922
car parking on site is free

www.melbournepubs.com/v/794/Wheelers-Hill-Hotel.html

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Tucked up in the ranges overlooking Melbourne is a series of small villages, most with little restaurants, cafes and bistros. At the small village of Olinda is 'the Cuckoo' restaurant probably one of the best known and famous for its Bavarian (German) based entertainment and food.

It's been there for about 50 years and thrives with families going there for a great night out.

The food? A huge variety of seafood, meats, side dishes, hot and cold. The freshly made pancakes are a favourite for desert, with cream of course!

The music and entertainment? Bavarian with something for all the family.

508 Mount Dandenong Tourist Road, Olinda Victoria
Australia 3788
phone: +61-3-9751 1003
Fax: +61-3-9751 2229

www.cuckoorestaurant.com.au/

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We found this restaurant provides quick takeaways and decent sit-down dining. The menu covers all the traditional stuff, like pad Thai, satay stir-fries and curries.

You can try Poppy's 'Anna and the King' dish - a combination of Penang curry with mushrooms, tofu and vegies, which apparently won them a food award.

298 Bridge Rd
(straight across the road from the Town Hall)
Richmond 3121 VIC
Phone: (03) 9428 7222
www.poppys.com.au

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A Japanese Taxi? yes! Here in Melbourne in the 'Transport' hotel in the centre of the city is a Japanese restaurant, a very good restaurant mixing modern day Oz with Japanese to produce inspired dining.

The food and service is fantastic and the interior and exterior design ...amazing

'Taxi' dining room is at Transport Hotel, Federation Square, Flinders St
Melbourne VIC
(just across from Flinders St
railway station)
Tel: 9654 8808

www.transporthotel.com.au/

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Definitely different is this japanese restaurant but lunch is great. All the usual favourites (tempura etc) are there along with some others more unusual like salmon rolls and shishamo.

Try the teriyaki beef rolls (delicious) and even their pizza!
Okonomiyaki is awesome (and Japanese for pizza). The decor is different too.

By the way, they also do dinner -
try it.

179 Russell St
Melbourne CBD

ph 9663 1938

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Extremely popular restaurant in beautiful setting in a vinery, pleasant ambience. Interesting, though not outstanding food.

Our experience was marred somewhat by rather poor customer service: our main course took about an hour to arrive, and we pointed this out twice. We were confronted by the owner when we left, asking if we were the people who had complained, and stating that he didn't think that it had taken too long for us to be served. We won't be back, but perhaps we were just unlucky.

Red Hill, Mornington Peninsula, approx 2 hrs from Melbourne.

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One of Melbourne's best Indian restaurants (and one of our favourites), the Roti Boti (pronounced Roaty Boaty, which means bread and meat) produces superb Indian dishes with a leaning towards those cooked in the tandoor. Great service and a wide choice of meals and courses, from vegetarian dishes to 'make your eyes water' curries. Kid friendly too, somewhere for the whole family. Bookings are essential at weekends, because it’s popular.

513 Hampton St, Hampton, within walking distance from Hampton Station;
tel: (03) 9598 5511;
www.rotiboti.citysearch.com.au

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Like Indian food? Authentic Indian?

The Indian Express in Hampton St, Hampton (bayside Melbourne) provides all that. There is virtually no room to eat in (it is a takeaway after all) but the queues for the takeaway say it all. People come from surrounding suburbs for their fill of Indian... it is that good!

Tel: 9598 4444
miettas.com/Australia/Victoria/Hampton/Indian_Express.html

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Our local Italian... and we are proud of it. It is somewhere we can walk on a Saturday night... with a bottle of red and enjoy a meal. (It's fully licensed or you can bring your own). Families love it because kids are well catered for here.

It is noisy and buzzy but down the back away from the large Pizza oven it is quieter. The waiting staff are very much at home dealing with us locals (even their guest Canadian waiter is no longer homesick)... Great southern Italian cooking here !

And popular?
Sometimes it pays to book beforehand...

462 Hampton St HAMPTON 3188
ph: 9598 9396
www.fazios.com.au/

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Dining in Grossi Florentino's Tuscan mural room shows that special-occasion dining in Melbourne is alive and well. The dining room has high, decorated plaster ceilings, chandeliers, dark wood panelling and the murals. Service is a delight from the black dressed waiters with their long white aprons.

Guy Grossi's menu whatever the season is magnificient... and in our case we walked away with a copy of the book on the restaurant... autographed by Guy Grossi himself.
All in all, a memorable dining experience.

And a final note - all this from an establishment that has been there since the early 1900s, which makes it even more amazing!

Address: 80 Bourke St, City 3000
Phone: 9662 1811

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