Laura
3649 Frankston-Flinders Road, Merricks North VIC
Best Known For
Lobster
Features & Facilities
Payments Accepted: Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Eftpos, Apple Pay
Seats: 40 Chef: Culinary Director - Josep Espuga Sommelier: Amy Oliver
3649 Frankston-Flinders Road, Merricks North VIC
Lobster
Payments Accepted: Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Eftpos, Apple Pay
Seats: 40 Chef: Culinary Director - Josep Espuga Sommelier: Amy Oliver
Absolute perfection
Every dish was perfectly thought out and balanced with beautiful flavours creatively used- unlike anything we have had before! Excellent service and a gorgeous view- would definitely recommend
Fine dining in Red Hill
There were two options – an 8 course set menu and a 4 course al a carte menu. We opted for the latter ($150 dollars per person).
Oysters started, served natural, with a champagne sauce and a squeeze of lemon. While tasty, what really got me salivating was the perfect brioche bread rolls served with a robust olive oil from Cape Schanck. The only thing better was the second roll snuck to me by the wait staff which felt decadent as artisan breads in restaurants seem a heavily regulated commodity (hand heart for carbs).
Courses were well paced which gave some time to admire the view of the sculpture park. The staff were friendly, attentive, and service could not be faulted. The 40 seat dining room is a modern, bright, and spaciously cosy.
Amongst the perfectly good entrees of olive pasta and a pumpkin crepe was the arrival of the small ring of deliciousness - confit king oyster mushrooms draped over a pineapple quince mousse resting on a galette served with a moreish vegetable jus. It features on both menus and was a highlight.
The main was a perfectly cooked lobster flambéed at the table served with a shavings of Red Hill truffle and a rich Noilly Prat sauce (additional $80 dollars). It was a luxe plate served with a side of truffled potatoes. Individually both were pleasant. The potatoes certainly helped mop up the sauce (I wish I had saved that second brioche) but eaten together I was searching for something acidic like a squeeze of lemon or freshness from a side salad to bring balance and complete the meal. I think next time I would save the cash and order the Japanese Wagyu (additional $35 dollars) that my dining partner chose– we both knew she had won mains while she smugly devoured the king of steak.
I finished with the creamy custard tart served with white chocolate which didn’t quite hold up to the refreshingly tart feijoa sorbet. We left with a well presented box of cinnamon macrons which were gone before we passed the iconic bottle tree.