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Besha Rodell

Chief restaurant critic

Besha Rodell is the chief restaurant critic for The Age and Good Weekend.

The prime burger at Cutler.
Good Food hatGood Food hat16/20

‘Ordering a burger here seems weird’: Our critic reviews Cutler’s flexible new menu

The restaurant formerly known as Cutler and Co. switches from pricey degustation dining to a more casual format.

  • Besha Rodell
Melbourne’s Ministry of Crab.
Good Food hat15/20

It borders on cringe, but this international seafood chain restaurant is hat-worthy

There are so many things here that feel positively out of place in Melbourne in 2025. But the service is faultless, and the crabs are exceptionally good.

  • Besha Rodell
Jia-Yen (J.Y.) Lee (left) and Thi Le’s Anchovy is celebrating 10 years in business.
Good Food hat15/20

Why Anchovy is a shining example of what makes Melbourne a great restaurant town

Thi Le and J.Y. Lee’s Viet-Australian restaurant is not a slick machine, but it has soul − and creativity − in spades.

  • Besha Rodell
Knafeh Nabulseyeh’s chicken shawarma wrap.
Critics' Pick

I’ve waited up to half an hour for this $16 shawarma. I’d do it again in a heartbeat

Besha Rodell is a sucker for shawarma, and Knafeh Nabulseyeh’s perfectly proportioned wrap is her latest obsession.

  • Besha Rodell
Molli has reopened after a reboot.
13.5/20

This office block restaurant was rebooted within a year. Does Molli 2.0 hit the mark?

It’s helmed by an exciting new chef, but feels like a small neighbourhood restaurant trapped in an airport lounge.

  • Besha Rodell
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Rodell, The Age’s (formerly anonymous) chief restaurant reviewer, recently revealed her identity.

‘I’ve been chasing that feeling ever since’: Besha Rodell reflects on her most formative meal at a Melbourne icon

As a child, Besha Rodell lived in a hulking terrace house, but it was another majestic old home that kick-started her journey into a life in food.

  • Besha Rodell
Agnolotti with comte and nutmeg.
14/20

Your guide to ordering at this of-the-moment wine bar (once you manage to snag a table)

Dining at Suze feels like you’re watching the zeitgeist evolve in real time, reviews Besha Rodell.

  • Besha Rodell
Pear monaka, a pear-shaped croissant brushed with amaretto syrup and filled with pear compote and hojicha ice-cream. It rests on a bed of dulcey whipped ganache, ginger caramel and brown butter crumble.
14.5/20

How many croissant-based dishes can you eat and still be excited about croissants?

“For dessert? More croissant!” Is Lune Lab’s $90 menu an experimental novelty or Melbourne must-do?

  • Besha Rodell
Melbourne restaurant critic Besha Rodell reveals her identity.

Anonymous no more: Why The Age’s chief restaurant critic is finally revealing her face

Melbourne’s biggest dining secret has been revealed as Besha Rodell, one of the world’s last anonymous critics, exposes her identity after 20 years.

  • Besha Rodell
Chef-restaurateur Ben Shewry at Attica in 2024.
Good Food hatGood Food hat17/20

Ben Shewry no longer consents to Attica being reviewed. Here’s why we did it anyway

Trailblazing Attica is still a world-class restaurant, and too important for us to ignore. But critic Besha Rodell finds the whole experience a little odd.

  • Besha Rodell

Original URL: https://www.watoday.com.au/goodfood/by/besha-rodell-h29n0x