Last night I had my third visit to Igni. Each time I have dined with different sets of people, and each time everyone has had an amazing experience. The food is elegant in its simplicity, but each dish reveals deep complexities of flavour. The focus is on sourcing the best produce and executing it with a deft touch to honour the ingredient. The kitchen is really maximising the use of the wood fired grill, with aspects of smoke, char and cooking in embers being real highlights. On the floor, Jo, Drew and crew create a fabulously welcoming atmosphere that is extremely friendly and comfortable, but also extremely polished and professional. Wines and drinks are always interesting with a focus on small and left field producers. What an absolute treat to have a restaurant of world class level in my town.
What an amazing place to eat...Couldn't think of a nicer place to spend our 15 year anniversary. Food was absolutely to die for and the atmosphere fabulous. Service first class and my only comment...we went with some wonderful friends and that made the night for us...but if we go on our own I would just love to watch the chef. It was well worth the night..you definitely didn't disappoint! Thank you.
What an experience!!
We had the matched wines and it was an absolute treat and must have.
Well done Aaron and amazing wait staff on showcasing the best local produce Geelong has to offer incorporated with international ingredients.
A treat for all the senses.
An unique, creative, perfectly balanced, surprising, and "there's a party in my mouth and everyone's invited" dining experience. Coupled with knowledgeable, friendly, approachable and attentive service, as well as a fabulous subtle, modern and spacious fitout, Igni should definitely be on any food and wine lovers list of things to do while in Geelong/the Bellarine. Highly recommend!
Amazing experience. We sat at the kitchen bar and it impressive watching the chefs at work. This was our second visit and it didn't disappoint. Service is impeccable. Food is fresh, delicious and original. Wine matching is superb. We chose 8 courses and after the 5th savoury dish we were asked if we were ready for dessert. We weren't so they happily inserted a 9th course for us. Couldn't recommend it more highly.
We went there yesterday for our 6th Anniversary celebration.....and I must say we were totally happy to have visited this delightful restaurant! Good food should appeal to all the senses....and the various starters and courses we had just did that...beautiful looking food which tasted amazing and surprised us at every course...never thought red cabbage could go in a dessert!
And not to forget the hospitality...I had multiple questions about the ingredients but got answers for all of them!
Thanks #AaronTurner and #TeamIgni
Our first experience of Igni, A-mazing! The food was devine and so unusual but delicious! The staff and the atmosphere were fabulous. I have several dietary requirements and they catered to my every need (but give them prior notice). This is my new favourite restaurant and I will recommend them to everyone! Thanks for a wonderful night, unforgettable!
Wow. What a flavour exploration. While the portion sizes left you wanted a. It's or two more, it was a treat.
Highly recommend.
Absolutely amazing experience! Everyone needs to eat at Igni at least once in their lifetime.All the dishes were sensational . The unique combinations worked well together, truly amazing taste.I sat at the bar and the hygiene was excellent.Friendly and happy staff.You all deserve No 1 in Victoria!
We had the great pleasure of sitting at the chefs counter for lunch on Friday. We thoroughly enjoyed the eight course with matching wines experience. The food, together with service, staff, atmosphere is amazing. We look forward to our next meal there.
Melbourne Lifestyle Blog
+5
I’m totally loving that Geelong and Bellarine are now food and wine destinations.
Welcome to IGNI. The small, sleek restaurant in the backstreets of central Geelong is not what you would have expected for the city ten years ago. It is
Came here a few years ago so this is a very belated review, but I really enjoyed the atmosphere of Igni and the intimate but casual space. The food was very good, with an emphasis on local produce cooked with smoke/fire. The portions are on the smaller side, but there was a good amount of food and I left neither hungry or too full. My favourite plates were probably the entrees, but the asparagus was cooked perfectly and very tasty. Other dishes were nice, though not quite as memorable. Innovative and fun concept. Recommend.
What a stunning and friendly restaurant - sit at the bench and watch the cooking and assembly if you can
Great selection - multiple courses of very interesting tastes and textures - very few you will have had before
Loved the simplistic interior of Igni, where you can see and smell the wood burning grill.
The appetizers were amazing and very different to most places I have been.
The food is extremely interesting with unique tastes and textures. I would suggest that if you don't like eating things that are a little out of the norm, this might not be the place for you.
It was approx $660 for 4 with a bottle of wine.
Is this one of the best restaurants in Australia? Click here to see the 8 course menu where almost all dishes are treated to a lick of flame from the massive centrepiece kitchen fire. The menu extends only to the physical quantity of ingredients available at the time – so you will most likely be eating a different dish to your neighbour… uh-oh, FOMO….
Linnie Eats All The Food
+4
I’m a big fan of Regional Victoria’s dining scene with their fresh local produce and great community vibe. When I heard about Restaurant Igni, I knew I had to make a booking a check them out. For an 8 course degustation for $150 per head, it’s still quite affordable compared to those in Melbourne with a price tag of +$200 per head. There’s plenty of parking on the main street so that’s not a problem at all. Moving along, it’s a very discrete restaurant and when you get inside there are only 10 or so tables thats spaced very far apart so you’re not bumping elbows with the next table. The atmosphere is very casual and friendly yet the staff are very professional. They’ll ask for your dietary requirements including what your likes and dislikes are so they can be sure to cater for you. It was already a good start to our lunch!
As good as we expected. Service was impeccable and every dish was colourful, tasty and interesting. Good value for what you get and an endless supply of delicious warm bread and foam butter - my weakness. I found the ceiling a bit of a put off and table and chairs were basic but there was a nice relaxed and warm ambience and not at all pretentious.
Igni is a nice little surprise hidden in Geelong. We had the eight course plus matching and opted for an extra course, which was nice but not as fullfilling as the other dishes. The snacks were the highlight and were small packets of flavour prepared with such care. Each and every dish was a piece of art. Compared to other matchings we felt as though the wine was poured a little on the light side though. Staff were very knowledgeable, we did have one instance though where our waitress simply put down our plate without an explanation, this was quickly remedied by one of the older staff members.
We came here on a Saturday evening for dinner. The restaurant was cosy and warm. The wait staff did an excellent job by making us feel welcome. We informed our wait staff that we couldn't take the cheese course and opted for a 6 savoury courses and 2 dessert courses. We started off with the snacks and they were delicious. My favourite was the chicken skin snack which was absolutely more-ish. The common undertone of each course was a hint of citrus which I enjoyed. My favourite course was the cuttlefish with red bull peppers. I also enjoyed the quail which cooked to perfection. My least favourite dishes were the potatoes cooked in whey and the eggplant. The potato dish was cloying after two spoonfuls and the eggplant dish was not very inspiring. The desserts, on the other hand, were well balanced and not too sweet. We had an enjoyable night at Igni and would recommend it to anyone.
DO: Everything that they serve you. Since it's a set menu. Also, do provide them with feedback as they're very accommodating.
DON'T: Be afraid to sit at the counter. It's awesome to see Aaron and his team work wonders.
TIP: Stay overnight instead of trekking back to Melb
Here is a restaurant that channels the spirit of Noma, wielding the philosophy of Brae. But while I can say that Igni is a reflection of Turner’s past, there’s absolutely no way I can say that there’s a restaurant in Australia that’s quite like this one. Turner has – whether he intended to or not – flipped a massive bird to the haute fine dining establishments of Melbourne’s bright lights and groovy laneways.
Amazing!
Well lit and funky tunes for a fine dining experience which I loved, the chairs were super comfy, the staff were bubbly and we haven’t even eaten anything yet.
My fiancé and I enjoyed the 8 course Dego and couldn’t fault a course, I won’t go into to much detail here but the onion and squid with bullhorn sauce wowed us both to say the least and the Tri Tip with garlic chives was the best steak she had ever eaten!
Highly recommend to anyone and everyone
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Igni's food photos caught my attention on Zomato. Delicate looking dishes, simple, clear cut decor. I booked via their web site. I wanted a Saturday lunch. There was a few weeks wait based for this slot. When booking on the web, you have the option of table seating, bar or kitchen counter seating. Based on the many seating options, I assumed it was a huge place. But it's nice n cosy. Around 30 Ish seats. I booked for table. Both the bar and kitchen counters have a back on their seat, so looks pretty comfy as well.
The kitchen counter is actually just a really long high table. I guess when there is large groups, this would be a great fit. The bar counter had around 6 seats.
The lane they are on is actually quite short. But as we walked half way, I thought we must of gone into the wrong lane. It's very quite, I couldn't find any signs. Then we saw the black building.
Upon entering, we were immediately greeted with a warm smile. She checked her list for our reservation, then handed to a wait staff to take us to our table. The wait staff says something like "pls come with me"..The funny thing is, our table was the first/ closest to the door. There's no going anywhere. It was a step away from where we were greeted. Greeted by one, taken by another, and our table was just right there. Lol
The decor is comfy to the eye, relaxing. Plenty of table space. The cutlery setting gave a bit of excitement.
I particularly liked the fact they asked whether we were on any time limits. We weren't, so I guess the timing of when the dishes came out was based on a leisure lunch. I was happy with when the dishes were served.
They have a 5 course or a 8 course degustation.
Without know the size of the dishes, we decided to take a 5 course for one and a 8 course for one.
By the time the second dish arrived, hubby decided that we both needed the 8 courses. In hindsight, we prob could have stuck with the 5 and 8.
In terms of the dishes, all were explained in details what they were (but as always, I have selective hearing when in comes to this stuff). I just heard a lot of "cooked xxx hours" / " it's cooked this way, then cooked another way". I do remember saying out loud to the staff "ohh. Lots of effort". The dishes all looked very delicate and was presented beautifully.
I hardly drink mocktails cos it all sounds the same, but I like their list. I chose one of them (can't remember exactly what)... but then the table next door had ordered something that raised our curiosity. I found out that it was the honey mocktail. I tried and loved. Drank several glasses of this stuff. Tangy, sweet, Refreshing.
I rated this on 4 based on these two factors:
All dishes tasted nice. But there wasn't one particular dish that either of us could rave about or determined to go back to try again. I would certainly go back to experience another set of dishes. Good quality food, made with passion is always gonna be thumbs up. But this round, it was just based on our tastebuds. For others, it could be one of the best taste ever.
Given I had added hubbys opinion in my Attica review, it was only fair to add his 2 cents to Igni's as we had them within a couple weeks from each other. Hubby had compared the "value" with Attica. He felt that Attica was still more worth it.
Knowing hubby, I would say the "value" perception didn't come from the actual real $$$ value. He didn't find a dish that jumped out at him. So $150 later, he had a nice meal, which he could have had a nice meal at $100 elsewhere. He felt $120-$130 was more reasonable. But Attica's damper took his breath away, so it became "very worth the value"...
Absolutely amazing!!!! From start to finish!!!! Everything in the 8 course lunch we had was outstanding!! We had lunch at Brae the day before and both agreed that Igni was better!! The black shop in the middle of a Geelong laneway, the unpretentious atmosphere, the open kitchen, the open fire, the small numbers of staff and patrons, the "lack of" menu... everything... Just everything was amazing!!! In fact so amazing that we made another reservation while we were still eating our 3rd course!!! Can't wait to see what the genius Aaron Turner serves up in a few weeks!
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
IGNI has been on my list for a while, after it's many awards of late and write ups I finally managed to get seats! Yay ME! On arrival we were welcomed by the friendly team, ambience had a lovely warmth with Australian natives as part of it's décor. The big mirror at the back of the restaurant made the room look bigger but also gave us a view of the kitchen (as I love a good sticky beak). We chose the 8 course for lunch and were definitely not disappointed. Each dish packed a punch, it really paid tribute to the actual produce with no waste' which drew out so much depth in flavour. Favourites were the 'Marron, Macadamia and Nasturtium' - actually the best Marron I've ever had! The 'Cod, Wallaby and Yolk' was delish and to finish with amazing dessert 'Mandarin, Cultured Cream and Honeycomb, such a fresh way to end a meal! Lastly, I wanted to compliment the wait staff in particular Drew whose passion and product knowledge really enhanced the entire experience. Thank you team Igni - it was absolutely amazing!
The simple combination of a good bread and butter is heavenly. IGNI's house made sourdough rolls with whipped cultured butter redefines the word heavenly. Seriously. Good. Bread. You'll be delighted to know that seconds (and possibly more?) are offered, but you run the risk of filling up on bread. Although that doesn't sound like quite a bad thing...
A Chronicle Of Gastronomy
+4
Igni is an unassuming performer. It’s all too easy to walk right past the nondescript entrance without realising what’s inside. The restaurant is small, pared back, and relatively casual for fine dining. It seats about 30, and diners are treated to the spectacle of the open kitchen: the smell of cooking butter, the sight of flames coming up during service, the sizzles and crackles from the wood-fire grill. Aaron Turner is the chef and also co-owner, returning to regional Victoria after closing Loam, which earned the accolade of Regional Restaurant of the Year in 2012.
My friend and I embarked on a road trip down to Geelong just to visit Igni as we had heard such great things. Right from the start, the service was incredible. They were so friendly, helpful and attentive. The degustation was delicious, each meal was amazing and creative, with so much flavour. We couldn't fault anything. The desserts at the end were absolutely delightful too. I would one hundred percent recommend coming here if you love great food and service!
Igni sees Victoria’s prodigal son return to the realm of regional dining. As quarter life and mid life crises ensue, a stint overseas is a natural cure for monotony. So off Aaron Turner went, to the BBQ capital of the world – sweet Tennessee. If you know a G-town resident or a chicken fan, Belle’s hot chicken, induces fond finger-licking memories. Pass all that aside, Chef Turner returns to the origin story. Opening a degustation only restaurant, with a Noma-esque feel is a natural progression. Seems the best chefs are moving away from the city lights? || Follow @hungrycookiee on Instagram.
Magic. How they turn those ingredients into a delicious and surprising journey is beyond me. Well worth your time and effort - cannot wait to go back and try the other dishes. Thank you to the team for a memorable experience - my compliments to everyone there.
Incredible. Food, wine, service - all impeccable. Got excited with every course that was brought out! If you're looking for a really magical dining experience, then Igni is the place.
I just have to add how irritating it is to read other reviews of people complaining that they were hungry afterwards. Seriously? This obviously isn't the kind of place you go when you are after a big feed. The price tag reflects the time, effort and phenomenal ingredients that go into each and every dish brought out to you, not the quantity of food! I personally was struggling to get through dessert. If you are really that devastated about still being hungry, then you are completely missing the point of an institution such as this and I honestly feel sorry for you.
IGNI holds the Gourmet Traveller Regional Restaurant of the Year award and also The Age Good Food Guide Regional Restaurant of the Year. Much of this acclaim can be credited to IGNI's head chef, Aaron Turner (The Age Good Food Guide's Chef of the Year), who having acquired his culinary skills from the world’s very best kitchens – those of Denmark’s Noma and Spain’s El Celler De Can Roca to be precise - brings his gastronomical mastery to this sleek restaurant in Geelong's CBD.
It is difficult to fault this place. From the entry to the service to the staff to the atmosphere to the bread to the butter to the menu to the wine list to the food to the value to the whole utter experience. Thank you for joining us Igni. Hope you stay for a while.
Steven Alexander Connors
+5
A review for a place like IGNI feels unnecessary on Zomato because, really, you're not basing your decision to come here based on a Zomato review, but it was so good I had to do it.
Went for dinner last night - opted for the 8 course menu and selected our own wine from an extremely well-priced wine list. The room is great - so few tables, well spaced out so there is a good level of buzz in the room but you can still have your own conversation. Staff were extremely friendly and attentive - professional, without being too intense. The food itself was exceptional. Wonderful flavour combinations, executed perfectly, showcasing excellent technique without overshadowing the ingredients. Highlights were many, but the surprise hit was the onion ice cream. Treat yourself to a night in Geelong and a dinner here at least once.
What a fantastic experience! Very interment dining room, great service and exciting food! Menu is made individually for your table depending on your likes or dislikes, have the option to add extra meals along the way and have the option of matching wines which we did. Professional service throughout the night and all service staff were very knowledgeable of the food and wines being served. The only little negative with our meal was the dessert, it had onion flakes on it which overpowered the other flavours, however it was good to try something so different! Ended the night with a beautiful liquor and coffee. Great experience and would recommend it for a special dinner out in Geelong.
What a wonderful night and food this place delivers time and time again. Truly local in selection yet international in outlook. Thanks again
Excellent two hatted restaurant in Geelong. Impeccable service and tasty grilled dishes. My favourite was their grilled duck breast and giant oyster w pea.. I want more!! 8 courses for $150, value for money and great fine dining dishes. The restaurant is less than a year old and won two hats. Definitely an up and rising star in Victoria.. big thumbs up.. wish their portion is little bit bigger for meat dishes..
After a couple of weeks of ill health; tonsillitis followed by thunderstorm asthma (who knew it was a thing?) it was time to shake off the germs and put on some hot pink lipstick. We'd planned to take the train to Geelong to lunch at Igni a while back. When we first arrived in Melbourne 6 years ago, Loam was on the list of must visit restaurants but we never made it before it closed and then Aaron Turner went underground...Nashville apparently according to the charming sommelier who looked after us.
A seriously good, in fact …… fabulous dining experience. Loved everything about the place …. the food, flavours, presentation, wine list and impeccable, friendly, knowledgable service. Every box was ticked and more if that’s possible! Team Igni, you are amazing, thank you!
This is the latest fine dining venture from very clever chef Aaron Turner who provides a sensational tasting menu that will leave you satisfied but comfortable. The snacks to start are worth the price of admission alone, especially some amazing chicken skin with cod roe, 'duck on a stick' and salt and vinegar saltbush - you'll swear you were eating potato chips. Read my full review here: http://thefoodieworld.com.au/2016/08/igni-geelong-fine-dining/
Had a memorable meal at Igni last Saturday. We did the 8 course degustation +1 extra dish which was definitely a good call. Total time was 4 hours. The dish of the night was the hay smoked duck which was a glorious intersection of a perfect level of smokiness, super crispy skin and full flavoured duck meat from Great Ocean Ducks. The Western Plains pork neck along with the young pepper icecream with pickled strawberries were a close second. Overall the experience was excellent with high quality food that paid respect to the produce, along with excellent service. A huge foodie drawcard to Geelong!
Fantastic food and service. The staff were extremely attentive (in a good way) and the 8 course degustation pretty much covered off most meat types and vegetables that were perfectly paired. Thank you for a very special night!
What a great restaurant...clearly the best in Geelong!!! The food is locally sourced and perfectly matched and presented. The degustion is to die for, taking you on a flavour adventure.
Great service, knowledgeable staff, amazing food with paired wines. Reasonably priced amd we will definitely be heading here again. What a great geelong gem.
Absolutely amazing food, service and experience it was an absolute pleasure to eat at IGNI and will be returning ! Great to have this restaurant in Geelong surely to be hatted this year
Good fortune is the only way to describe finding out about Igni opening up in Geelong not long ago. With dinner plans for the Thursday night before Easter still not set, this seemed a must visit. Aaron Turner, head chef and part owner of Igni, closed Loam only a few years ago just as it was getting to the top of my regional list of places to try. Hearing about the new venture propelled it immediately. The street Igni is on is very quiet, and not overly attractive, but as the maitre’d opened the door for us, we enter a world far away. There is a wide dark walled rectangular room with polished concrete, a long wave curtain shutting off the outside, and soft wooden tables on the floor, with a good space to eat on the bar, some right around the chefs. It is beautiful and strongly reminds me of Penfolds Magill Estate.
Fabulous restaurant tucked away in the alleyways of Geelong. The food, staff and experience was wonderful- one of the best meals we have ever had and the paired wines were all local and fabulous. The staff are a talented team of professionals.
Fine dining can be a hit and miss. Thankfully our experience at Restaurant Igni today far exceeded my expectations from the moment we walked in to the moment we left. The warmth and professionalism of the entire team made the four hour lunch just fly by. As for the food, I really love that they source sustainably and use leftovers/discards to make rich stocks for the savoury dishes, in their plethora of fermentations to make non-alcoholic beverages, and in desserts eg today's tart shell. I enjoyed every single one of the 17 different things served to us matched with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. However, dining experiences are not just about the food. It is the entire package of service, food, ambience, price and most importantly how one feels walking away. And for me, I walked away wanting to go back again. Thanks to the best crew ever.
Actual tears were shed yesterday, over the multitude of tastebud explosions experienced at Igni. Shaved tete de Moine with apricot and honey (pictured) possibly the most delicious thing I've had the pleasure of tasting. Impeccable staff and an exquisite dining experience.
Amazing experience, non-alcoholic matching is recommended that everyone should try .
Excellent food, wine and service. I can’t fault anything. We were so impressed from the moment we sat down to the time we walked out the door. It was extremely good value too. A gem of Geelong. Thank you for having us.
Edited Our IGNI date night was back in 2019 now we had it booked for ages but is still vivid in my mind and I just added some photos I found on my phone.
From the moment we entered the restaurant it felt comfortable. It was a friendly and cool vibe, we sat at the bar and it was comfy. The staff made us feel so special. Every course came with a story, where it was sourced and how it was cooked.
We only went the 5 course but even John who is a big eater was satisfied. We experienced some new tastes and love every minute. I liked it that much took My daughter who is a chef for lunch the next day we sat at the kitchen which was a whole new experience. All the staff made sure it was a new menu for us so I didn’t have any of the same foods again. The night and lunch were incredible a fabulous experience I still tell people about
Loved it
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