Best places to eat and drink this Grand Final long weekend
Sure, all roads lead to the ’G this weekend, but for those leaving the madness of Swan St and getting out of town — or at least, out of Richmond — here are the best spots to eat and drink.
Eating Out
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FOR PORT FAIRY FARE
In terms of tiny towns that punch above their weight in the eat-drink stakes, Port Fairy stands above all others. And much of that deliciousness is thanks to chef-restaurateur Matt Dempsey, who has a trio of venues in town, including the newly reborn fine diner, Gladioli.
In historic Seacombe House, you’ll find one of the state’s best-value degustations, but where three courses of a la carte is just $65 a head.
It makes such plates as confit Great Ocean duck served with beetroot many ways — roasted, cubed, curled, puree — taste even better, where country-style generosity is teamed with city-style smarts.
Team with a local-loving selection of Grampians goodies and other central Victorian drops at very fair mark-ups, service that’s charmingly professional and a finale of Shaw River buffalo milk cheese from just down the road, and you have a lovely little regional restaurant.
Down the road at the more casual Hawker Kampong and taking the hawker centres of Singapore and Hong Kong as inspiration, you’ll find dim sum and spring rolls and samosas and bigger dishes such as Cantonese fish and stir-fried Hokkien noodles and range of curries.
With brewed-to-spec Kampong lager and a great Vic-leaning, well-priced wine list, you have a weekend’s great eating covered — especially if you can squeeze in a pizza from Coffin Sally.
FOR BISTRO BITES
What was Greek fine diner Press Club has been transformed into a more casual — though no less fine — eat-drinkery where snacks and sbagliatos might seque into steak and shiraz, though those after quick bites or three-bottle nights are equally welcome.
The menu by executive chef Reuben Davis features such dishes as beef tartare served with bone marrow and pickled octopus with blood orange to start and smoked cauliflower cheese dumplings or Torello Rose veal schnitzels to follow.
But for our money, all roads lead back to the future with Lune croissanterie vol-au-vents filled with “the world’s best butter chicken”. With only a dozen or so a night, they are sure to be a get-in-quick sellout hit.
While the golden ocean liner bones of The Press Club remain, the room has been given a refresh, as has the cellar, with an eclectic, worldly line-up featuring 30 wines available by the glass.
A few cocktails — twists on classics such as a smoked pina colada — and a kitchen open until 12.30am or later, seal the deal.
FOR COUNTRY STYLE
For the past six years, Birregurra has been synonymous with just one word and while Brae continues to burn ever brighter, Dan and Jules Hunter have always hoped people would stick around after visiting them to explore their town.
Now, with Yield, there is finally a terrific reason to.
Simon and Kara Stewart took over Birregurra Farm Foods and, on the first day of spring last year opened Yield, a one-two restaurant and provisions store.
In a handsome Main St storefront space, Simon’s cooking a daily changing set menu of four courses served with gentle humour by Kara, who’s charged with telling the stories of the produce’s provenance which is, spoiler alert, from as close to the restaurant as possible — often their own backyard.
Simon’s cooking is generous and clever yet as accessible for the Friday night farmer in for a treat as the out-of-town blow-in doing a lunch-dinner double act with Brae, which is highly recommended.
You might find haloumi from Geelong’s L’Artisan topped with a caper and walnut salsa, and an alluring pumpkin “tofu” wrapped in daikon, before slow-roasted lamb served in country-generous style with crunchy roasted goodness in the form of purple and trent potatoes, and comforting creaminess in the form of baked polenta with pumpkin and Meredith’s goat’s feta.
Booze is an equally considered evocation of the shop local ethos, with the dozen-odd well-chosen whites and reds drawn from the Greater Geelong region teamed with a good looking range of beers from Forrest Brew and Prickly Moses as well as a line in farmhouse ales.
Yield is a simply delightful little country restaurant. Well worth the drive.
FOR (VERY) LATE NIGHT DELIGHTS
Whether it’s a plate of crisp duck frites at 10pm, or a perfectly made Manhattan at 3am, or a bowl of French onion soup at midnight, Bar Margaux has you covered.
This subterranean pleasure palace offers “burgers and Burgundy, vins and dins” in a gorgeous white-tiled space, where the Art Deco charms of the bar give way to red-leather booths at the back.
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Serving French bistro classics until the wee hours, it’s a clever carte of comfort — croque monsieur, roast chicken and the like, including a monstrous, messy burger that’s perfect past midnight.
Cocktails are exquisite (this is the latest venue from The Everleigh team), wine is interesting and open until 5am weekends, Bar Margaux will be all the go this weekend.
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