latest reviews

Great food and service, stopped in there for breakfast recently and was not dissapointed.

Can make coffee as well. Which is something alot of cafes get very wrong.

Matteo's has long been an outstanding restaurant. Years ago it served excellent Italian influenced modern European dishes. That's all changed now except for the quality which remains excellent. At 533 Brunswick St. the restaurant is little changed with well spaced very good sized tables in three rooms. White cloths, well weighted cutlery and copy cat Villeroy and Bosch crockery set a quiet sophisticated tone. As always the staff are courteous and efficient. What's really different is the food.

Chef Brendan McQueen has introduces a strong element of Asian fusion, particularly Japanese and done it very well. I started with a 'Pithivier' puff pastry pie filled with minced turkey, pork belly, 'lup cheong' sausage crushed peas and red currant sauce.

The name comes from the French town of Pithiviers where this domed pie was traditionally served as a Twelth Night pastry (filled with broad beans) for X'mas. For those in search of further knowledge the lup cheong is also known as a Chinese sweet sausage. It is air dried, not cooked, usually made up of pork, pork fat, salt. honey or sugar, soy sauce and Five spice (Starbulletin.com). It was a fantastic start to the meal ($20). There was a slight mix up with the Tempura zucchini flowers with chevre, watermelon, radish and coriander salad. ($18) however the absence of the watermelon hardly seemed to matter. Others at the table thoroughly enjoyed a Japanese seafood plate with Hiramasa kingfish, Ocean trout tataki and teriyaki glazed smoked trout with suitable Japanese sauces ($24)

For mains the roasted, five spiced, Chinese style duck breast, spring roll with creamed leeks and soya beans, fresh cucumber, coriander and peanut pesto, hoisin duck sauce sounded very elaborate but the flavours melded well in this substantial sized dish ($40).


The milk fed veal loin rolled in porchini dust, taro and root vegetable rosti, spinach and feta and leek cannaloni with crumbed herb butter was frankly delicious. ($39). Sides ($8) were a little unusual too. Asparagus spears in oyster sauce, large wedges of Desiree poatoes with lemon thyme and garlic and Iceberg salad with tomato, bocconcini, toasted pita bread, dried black olives lemon and oregano dressing deserved recommending.They also have a tasting menu ($99) or $159 with wine. Desserts and cheese, all $18, all looked good but we had only the warm dark chocolate fondant pudding, coconut milk gelato - rich and lovely.

Order it early as there is a 12 minute wait. I strongly recommend Matteo's for a special night out.

Wine: They have a good list including some quite inexpensive We enjoyed a Chandon NV bubbly ($50) and a $35 New Zealand white.

A $15 all you can eat hot breakfast.... That is such good value I'll have three please.

This is an oddity among the popular strip in Glebe. It always seems to have quite a number of patrons, the smells wafting outside are usually enough to make you hungry and wish you were in there eating that pizza goodness.

The oddness however, is how this restaurant has survived for so long. The pizzas are quite average, you can get better simply by going next door or across or down the road.

Perhaps one of the strangest parts, for me, maybe not for others? was chips with breakfast. I don't recall any time or any place in my life that chips have been part of the breakfast menu. My conclusion is that they were there to take away from the blandness of the rest of breakfast on my plate.

Everything here seems better elsewhere on the Glebe Point Rd strip.

This completely vegetarian cafe, complete with amusing and helpful staff serves up some of the best tofu and lentil based dishes I've had in quite a whiles.

On the menu, there is an option for you to let the staff surprise you, so for someone like myself who loves surprises, I couldn't go past the option.

The lovely young man serving me asked me to turn around while he chose my dishes, as I did so, only to be faced with a wall size mirror looking back at him, I laughed and waited while he chose my dishes at lightning speed anyway.

There was a combination of rice, some tofu based dish, some vegetables, something with chickpeas if my memory isn't failing me yet, and a very nice sauce of some kind on top.

Individually, each of the dishes was delicious, full of flavours, and as a combination it also worked very well. It has definitely inspired me to go back when I'm not in a hurry to have a relaxing sit down meal as well.

I like how this place is still relaxing even though it's usually vibrant with people hopping off Lt.Collins for a break, hanging out at the library or waiting for their courses at the CAE.

Despite its central location it's surprisingly cosy. Also, it sits right next to the library and adult education centre so I actually feel smarter just by sitting there. I sometimes pull out a book, cross my legs and nod every now then just to look intellectual.

But usually I just have a cup of chai or herbal tea while listening in to people practising their Spanish or French with friends. I don't often eat there but the light food looks pretty tasty and healthy.

Plus today I found out they have plugs for my laptop which is great- presence of wireless still unknown.

Stepunka

This no frills takeaway/cafe is located in the back of an arcade but has a real Hawker feel to it. Often packed to the rafters you can be guaranteed of a quick and cheerful meal. From the signature dish of laksa...there are several versions including fish head or seafood.. they also do a range of Nonya and Chinese dishes to varying success. Definitely worth a punt.

I have been enjoying the brekkie roll here for ages. Delicious. The mayonnaise is so rich and creamy. Good strong coffee tops off the experience. Their special muffins usually cover one savoury or one sweeter version...and they are mighty good. There is a great selection of tasty prepared salads and one of the few places I know who does shanghai eggs...fried eggs with oyster sauce and scallions. This is one of those comfortable places where you are happy to return to again and again. The service can be a little obtuse but that's Fitzroy for you...just don't buy into it. They are usually so busy that they don't have time for the niceties of a smile.

I have eaten here a few times now, and I have to say it's quite pleasant.

They make an absolutely divine porridge, which I highly recommend. Last time I ate here, I had mushrooms on toast. Now, I love mushrooms. Some might say ridiculously. However, Mixed Businesses mushrooms were... adequate at best. Not a taste sensation. Which I found somewhat disappointing. My meal companions all thoroughly enjoyed their meals, which were all egg variations.

The best thing was the coffee, which was beautiful. Not too hot, not too cold, not too bitter... it was immensely enjoyable.

This place is so cheap! - Two adults and two children cost us $40.00.

The restaurant is a buffet, self serve, all you can eat.
I very much enjoyed the ginger beef and the black pepper ribs. My 7 year old loved the chicken and sweet corn soup and my 4 year old loved the dessert/fresh fruit bar!

There is a choise of 38 different dishes and they advertise 'No Added MSG'. BYO, good parking, air conditioned, take away available.

A great cheap restaurant for when you can't be bothered cooking.

There are a lot of recipes that never seem to work out well when you try to follow them and here’s one for opening a restaurant that is astonishing because it worked. Open with no fanfare, don’t have any sign with the name displayed, don’t even have the street number displayed and don’t take reservations. Just have very good food.

That’s Gigi Baba which is between 100 and 104 Smith St. Collingwood! Yes it is at 102 if you like.

There is a bar and a table, also for sharing, at each end of the room which is sparsely decorated with a few photographs of a Turkish theme and a large rug on the wall.

In fashion, the dishes are all entree size and designed to share.

They are small, sometimes very small, quite lightly spiced with nothing overwhelming the delicacy of the dishes. We had what amounted to a 13 course menu of considerable variety. The first three dishes were a bean salad, a slice of air dried beef and a piece of barbecued haloumi. Again very tastily seasoned was a fish salad followed and then a superb prawn wrapped in eggplant. A very, no pun intended, moorish lamb cutlet followed by a most delicate serve of Murray cod presented in a small finjan. Quail and fish in batter came next. And then a broad bean saladand a vine leaf wrapped 'cigar' of rice.

Before the dessert an excellent hazelnut mousseaccompanied by an apricot and a prune creation.

Wine: There is a modest range at either as 120, 240 or 500 ml.

Price: By the time we finished it ran to about $75/ person with only a small contribution from the wine.

Comments: This is the sort of place that makes Melbourne dining so exiting. I loved the meal tho' other elements of the restaurant were a bit ordinary.

Drive to Manly and head up to the old Quarantine station. Park at the top car park and wait for the bus to take you to the restaurant. At the bus stop you will be met by a character that will tell you all about the Quarantine station while transporting you down to the Restaurant. My Aunt had Fish and chips the fish was in a light lemon batter and she said it was fab. I had the chicken burger and was delighted with it. The lunch menu was suited to all types of tastes and the service was excellent and the price is suited to the family budget. It would be great to try the evening meal and sit out side and admire the views of Sydney harbour. This place is a must if you want to sit , relax and enjoy the day

The Thai Lily Restaurant at the Millenium Centre, Carindale, has restored my faith in the ability of Brisbane's south eastern suburbs to host a restaurant that provides delicious high quality well-priced food in a pleasant atmosphere.

I ordered a Thai green curry (chicken) - my litmus test for any new Thai restaurant. Chris ordered Tom Yum, followed by a Massaman Curry.

It was all really, really good and great value.

Highly recommended and great value for money. Also does take away.

We dropped in to this riverside restaurant in Brisbane's Eagle Street for lunch just after 1.30 today. I had to be out by 2.15; our order was taken around 1.45; after explaining my situation, we were served by 2.00 - and I was out by 2.15.

This was during a very busy lunch service - despite which the maitre de and his staff were more than attentive to us - and each of our meals was of five star quality.

One of the best restaurants I've visited since our move to Brissie.

The Green Garage is a icon business in Byron Bay...

Selling local fresh produce, cheeses, cereals, nuts, breads, organic meat and dairy... you can feel the health and goodness as you walk in.

The recent addition of a coffee and juice bar, with fresh sandwiches and salads has added another dimension to the business.

Free wireless internet, bean bags, hammocks and funky beats playing.... love it... I am a regular

A small, no-frills Chinese take-away geared towards locals. The food is cheap, fast and comes in satisfyingly large portions, and despite the shop's unassuming exterior, it is good stuff. If you live around Addison Road check it out.

I have never seen a quiet night at The Terminus, and I've only ever been there mid-week. The atmosphere is very busy, but surprisingly not too noisy considering the number of people. Being a pub I, strangely enough, don't recall the smell of stale alcohol, and long gone is the smell of stale cigarettes, something I'm very appreciative of, but am still finding it hard to come to grips with.

I'll begin with the beverages - they have a selection of local beers, which are definitely on top of my list for taste, they could almost pass as meals themselves, and probably do so on many occasions each night.

I have eaten their 3 cheese gnocchi in a tomato sauce, while not the best gnocchi I've had, it is still very nice, and you could certainly find worse on many scales below. Reports from friends on everything from steak to calamari to the humble burger are also promising.

Overall, a nice pub, with some great pub grub.

newcomer at 165 Fitzroy St. St, Kilda offering street side dining as well a large restaurant split between a back room with bankettes and larger tables and a front area split by a large chinese style room divider. The decor is simple and pleasantly Chinese too

We had the $70 banquet which was fairly typical of meals of this type. The entree is a choice between a seafood san chao bua or a spinach egg soup which were both very nice without being exceptional. This was followed by a serve of three dumplings - prawn, crab meat and prawn with chives, delicate and very freshA request for no chilli with the spicy calamari was promised to be no problem but was forgotten and arrived replete with chilli!

This was followes by a rather dry deep fried fish in batter which would have been much better steamed, The next dish described as steak with Chinese sauce was a large slab of meat, lacking any of the delicacy usually associated with Chinese dishes A very fresh prawn dish with candied walnuts and snow peaswas particularly good

The accompanying Singapore noodles were unusual agin being broad flat noodles the name of the dish deriving from the sauce.

The dessert was an exceptional custard tart.

Comments : A bit patchy with some very good dishes. The service was very willing but haphazard with special requests being forgotten.

I came across this great little Mexican restaurant by chance ,nice outside garden setting was very nice in the late afternoon very relaxing atmosphere ,nice friendly staff great selection of Mexican food all very fresh as proclaimed and at a very reasonably cost . I enjoyed my meal very much and would recommend to anyone who is in Brunswick Heads Area definitely worth trying for Mexican food lovers or those Greenhorns who have not been game to try new tastes .You will not be Disappointed I am sure

Good tasting chinese takeaway, at usual prices. They even do delivery within the Doveton/Eumemmerring area for a small fee (no fee if your order is over a certain amount). Good to know of this place if you live in the area.