Reviews by bluepenguin
This is a true family business-the whole family works there, Dad and son in the kitchen and Mum and daughters front of house, with the occasional non family member in addition to this. The name of the restaurant means the hunter and this theme is reflected in the decor with paintings of hunting and hunting paraphenalia on the walls, and in the menu with a range of game dishes offered in the very extensive menu. The other specialty of this restaurant is pizza by the metre, and the pizza comes out on long rectangular metal trays. The pizza is outstanding and trully different to the run of the mill pizza you find everywhere in Melbourne, with delicious toppings and crisp bases. The quality of the other food is also good and there are often some very interesting specials. The style of cooking is traditional, with no trendy dishes here. The service is efficient and can be a bit idiosyncratic, which adds to the charm of the place!
This restaurant has a lot of history, and has Mirka Mora's amazing murals on its walls, but it has been updated and has a stylish comtemporary feel to it. The style of food is European, including the comtemporary Mediterranean dishes which you seem to find everywhere. The standard of the food is high, and they charge fine dining prices, but overall the food falls a bit short of top notch fine dining quality. The service is also of a high standard reflecting their up market ambitions. I left feeling that my meal although very nice, hadn't quite reached my expectiations-given how much I had paid for it! They do offer a lunch special which is relatively very good value.
Donninis is yet another Italian Restaurant on Lygon street, but it manages to stand out from the crowd. A few doors down is a store also called Donninis where you can buy fresh pasta, which is owned by the same people, and that is where their point of difference lies-in the quality of the pasta. It is melt in the mouth, as fresh pasta should be, and the sauces are also of excellent quality. They also have a wood fired oven and produce delicious wood fired breads. The ambiance is also not your traditional Lygon street Italian, they have gone for more contemporary look with open spaces and skylights. The service however feels authentically Lygon st Italian, and is friendly and attentive. Reflecting the more upmarket approach are more upmarket prices. Don't expect to have a $10 bowl of spag bog here-but if that's what you are after, there are plenty of other places nearby that can oblige!
Orsini is conveniently located across the road from the Rivoli Cinemas, and caters well for the precinemas goers with an early dinner special which is great value. There is also a good value lunch special. However, this is a restaurant worth going to at any time. The standard of the food is consistently good, with quality ingredients expertly cooked. The seafood is particularly fresh. Don't expect ground breaking experimental food, or unusual flavors just the old favorites cooked by a chef with a lot of skill. The service is attentive and professional, and the ambiance is classy but relaxed.
This local cafe obviously has a commitment to quality, and has some interesting sounding menu items, but the food can be a bit hit and miss. Some items like the big breakfast, and chicken caesar salad are great, but others can be a bit bland. The service is efficient but can sometimes be a little brisk. The decor is a quite plain, but not unwelcoming.
Enoteca is a very classy dining experience-from the refined surroundings, to the very smooth service and the authentic regional Italian food. The flavors are subtle with the ingredients top quality. They serve only Italian wines, and you can also check out Enoteca Sileno which is part of the same space, were fine imported Italian produce and wine is on display for sale. The prices are quite high, but in keeping with the upmarket nature of the experience.
I have had 2 printing jobs performed by eplot. They are efficient, competent and pleasant and are very competitively priced. They are happy to do small jobs and will give you advice as to the best approach if you lack experience.
Shira Nui is great quality for a suburban Japanese restaurant. The omikase menu, where you eat at the sushi counter, and the chef produces dish after dish until you are full, is a great dining experience, although not a cheap one! The lunch menu however is fantastic value, with set meals of high quality all under $20. The ambiance is very pleasant and the service efficient.
Cafe Lagom is one of several family friendly informal cafes along glenferrie rd in malvern, which can seem hard to distinguish from one another, but Lagom serves food of above average quality. The ambiance is pleasant, and the service is friendly. The restaurant has various specials on different nights of the week, such as 2 pasta dishes for the price of one, which represent good value.
Sustainable Plumbing Solutions specialize in installing rainwater tanks and grey water systems. They installed 2 rainwater tanks at our home. They were reliable and the work was of good quality. Their prices are probably the market rate. Brendt the chief plumber was always very pleasant to deal with. However, the after sales service was suboptimal. We had a minor problem with our pump that could have been diagnosed and solved over the phone without a call out, but instead they sent one of their plumbers and then charged us for the call out at a high rate, which was very disappointing.
Approximate cost: $8000