Pretty Little
It’s all about wine, dine and a rollicking dinner party vibe at Pretty Little, which is, just as it says on the tin, pretty little.
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296 Carlisle St, Balaclava
9525 8730
It’s all about wine, dine and a rollicking dinner party vibe at Pretty Little, which is, just as it says on the tin, pretty little.
This diminutive diner offers cosy communal seating for just 16 along a single oak table that runs the length of the room where, after that bottle of Heathcote shiraz, you might find your next-door neighbours turning into your new best friends.
That’s due in no small part to co-owner and host Mike Byard who does laps of the room pouring worldly wines from a tight list and ferrying plates and making sure everyone’s having a good time.
Chef Josep Espuga works the small open kitchen turning out a daily-changing line up of creative, wine-friendly fare.
Chicken mousse might come studded with potato crisps and roasted chicken skin for the year’s most decadent dip, while terrifically sharp pickled veg on a cloud of sheep’s yoghurt is an equally confident opening act.
Seared swordfish wrapped in its cured belly and glazed with honey is a fantastically inventive dish of fish, though confit sweet potato topped with bottarga offers simple sweet-salty pleasures.
A cosy lounge out back – with turntable upon which retro tunes are spun – completes the dinner-party vibe.
Must-try dish: Seared and cured swordfish
Cuisine: Contemporary
Chef: Josep Espuga
Price: $$
Open: Tues-Sat dinner (drinks from 3pm)
Bookings: Yes
BYO: No
Instagram: @prettylittle3183