Reed House restaurant review 2024

It’s been open one month, but this charming new British-inspired restaurant is behind an impressive line-up of food, cocktails and good times — and it’s stolen the heart of our food critic.

Reed House Melbourne has something for all tastes. Picture: Wayne Taylor

I’m not sure why, but I felt it instantly.

A wave of comfort, confidence, a cosy sense of homeliness — and all we did was walk through the door.

Talk about a restaurant with superpowers.

Sometimes all it takes is a stranger’s warm smile, a room full of happy people and sense of order to elicit that response.

But what makes Reed House one of the most exciting new restaurant openings of the year is so much more than ‘a feeling’.

The ramen scotch egg. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Ox-tongue skewer. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Chef Mark Hannell, life and business partner Rebecca Baker and Michael Bascetta (ex-Made Well Group) have nailed the ‘dinner at our house’ brief in their first city project.

They have meticulous attention to detail in all they do, charming staff you’ll want to make your besties and a playful, no-fuss approach to the ‘British brasserie’ inspired by their time in London.

And then there’s the food, which Hannell (St John, Ottolenghi, Three Blue Ducks) executes with high-skill and ease — it’s not stuffy, pretentious or overpriced.

The 80-seater lives inside in old Manse building, opposite Wesley Church, designed by architect Joseph Reed, hence the name.

But today, it takes on the form of a Gothic-style home with tall-ceilings, pale grey walls and timber floors.

The main room’s home to an L-shaped bar flanked by stools and ‘the duck’ decanter; spruiking a weekly changing boozy nip (orange curacao by Victorian producer Marionette on our visit).

Rarebit crumpet. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Raw Tuna. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Unsure of where to start?

The builders tea punch ($23) or the house martini ($24).

Maybe one of two beers on tap, or many more by the bottle, or an interesting wine haul by Baker and Blake Meyer. There’s nothing over $24 a glass, most bottles sit under $200.

If that doesn’t win you over, the snacks will.

The ramen scotch egg ($14) hides a perfectly runny googer within its porky breadcrumbed mass, dabbed in a sparky mushroom sauce.

More please.

Chicken with bread sauce. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Chicken salted potatoes. Picture: Wayne Taylor

While the Welsh rarebit (or grilled cheese) crumpet ($9) is a riff on the St John classic made with cheddar cheese and Guinness, and best gobbled with a generous slosh of worcestershire.

Go heavy, kids.

Reed House also tackles Melbourne’s overdone menu hits with class. Wait till you see what he does with those oxtongue skewers ($7) and raw tuna ($27)

Hannell’s rendition of Sunday Roast chook ($39) is impressive; the whole bird splayed, brined and oven-roasted, roughened with za’attar and saltbush over a chunky bread sauce and robust gravy. It should be illegal to charge that price for food so generously portioned and expertly crafted.

You must also follow my new self-imposed Reed House rule: order the spuds ($16).

Picture a dry potato bake with millimetre fine layers, deep fried and dusted in chicken salt, served with a malt vinegar mayo: wowee.

And the most surprising dish?

Rice pudding. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Rice pudding ($16). The claggy, glutenous gloop is magically transformed into posh post-dinner porridge thanks to poached quiches, toasted granola and dimension-shifting chocolate mint that takes this to delicious heights.

Is Reed House the result of beginners luck, or smart tricks?

Hannell, Baker and co know exactly what they’re doing — and they do it oh so well.