Sometimes just walking through the door will tell you if you are going to enjoy your dining enjoyment and enjoy this place I did.
The menu was well balanced and to be honest there was nothing on the menu I would not have eaten.
My only gripe was that nothing jumped out on the wine menu and grabbed me, but you get that sometimes ordering by the glass. That being said the staff were very knowledgable .
I have an affinity with this space having been a regular when it was a pub and the lay out and decor have added to the charm.
To the food: simply outstanding and our waitress did a fantastic job of matching sides and "up selling " us on entrees. That to me is a good indication of a professional team and they are. The stand out strangely though , of a stand out meal, was a side salad of walnuts , pear, radicchio and cheese. It complimented my partners barramundi perfectly and my suckling pig. Again the waitress is to thank .
Simply one of my new favourites!!!!
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We are so impressed with our meal tonight that I’m writing this review on the tram on the way home. We live in the city but the 10 min tram ride to the burbs of Fitzroy North was so worth it tonight.
We started with the oysters, kingfish, parfait, croquettes & my 1st highlight of the night- the Black pudding & pear tartin - my new favourite dish of 2018! The flavours are outstanding.
Next we had the scallops and the stuffed quail. The scallops were beautiful but the quail was my 2nd highlight. So perfectly cooked, no bones & perfect flavours makes this a dish to return for!!
Next up we shared the barramundi fillet that left us wanting more and we finished with an amazing chocolate fondant with salted caramel ice cream - the ice cream balanced out the dish so perfectly.
Staff were very attentive and I was the best meal for a long time! The wine list was expansive with many interesting reasonably priced drips on offer. We have already booked to return in a few weeks time to try some more from the menu. Just go.
The dining area is beautifully presented and the waiting staff were very friendly and competent. The entree and main courses were beautifully presented and I enjoyed my bbq chicken. The desserts - fantastic! I had Bombe Alaska with apricots. Perfect - soft, oozy merangue inside a crisp exterior. The plum tart dessert were also fantastic. Mmmm. All in all, a lovely space for a lovely meal. P.S. Did I mention the home cooked bread and churned butter?????
Two friends and I had dinner at The Rereation Bistro dining room. The dining area is beautifully presented and the waiting staff were very friendly and competent. I have a sweet tooth so will start with the desserts - fantastic! I had Bombe Alaska (yes, an old fashioned dessert I know) with apricots. Perfect - soft, oozy merangue inside a crisp exterior. The two other desserts were also fantastic - marscapone cheescake with rubarb and icecream and a peach and raspberry tart. Mmmm. The main courses were also beautifully presented and I enjoyed my Maryborough lamb. As I was focused on dessert I didn't have an entree but the offerings looked delicious. All in all, a lovely space for a lovely meal. P.S. Did I mention the home cooked bread and churned butter?????
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4.5
We caught up with friends today who had just recently taken in a rescue puppy. The Recreation was a perfect halfway point on our walk for some wine, spritz and a few nibbles. I took a pun of the Andalusia Spritz but I knew from the combination of animus gin,fino sherry and lime. Others all took on Aperol spritz but I think I was the winner. We had some ceviche in a mild wasabi sauce and were wowed by the cod croquettes, I could have eaten a plate of these all to myself. The complimentary bread and house made butter was a nice inclusion but I was really reminded of how much I appreciated the great service in our earlier visit. Well recommended.
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Previous Review
It’s amazing how much the Fitzroy North/ Clifton Hill area has changed in the 10 years since I lived there and The Recreation is one such place that has moved into the hood. I was impressed by the fitout on entry. Quite a homely feel with exposed brick, dark wood tables and a friendly welcome. Then there was the wall of wine ... quite the collection.
The four of us sat on a round table which was very generous is size. Hungry we ordered some oysters and stuffed zucchini to go with our breads and pre dinner drinks. I enjoyed The Butcher Red IPA which was a good hoppy ale. The oysters were well shucked and had subtle lime pearls.
For mains I had to go for the scotch fillet, served with chimichurri and hand cut chips. The meat was tender and cooked the medium rare that I asked. It also came with a horseradish sauce that I was a serious fan of. Not sure why I don’t keep horseradish at home to be fair ... love the stuff.
For dessert I opted for the classic almond (frangipane) cherry tart with a rhurbarb ice cream. Delightful and I’m so glad I stuck to my guns on this one. The food of others also appealed.
Wine list was impressive and we had a European wine expert dining with us, so enjoyed some superb bottles.
Service was standout for me. Waiting staff provided an exceptional service and were friendly and helpful and gave us the space and time we needed to all catch up.
Really enjoyable experience.
A fantastic gastropub with excellent dining options and brilliant drinks. An extra mention to the staff, who are more than willing to cater to requests and give the place a very homely and welcoming feel. A really good place for that special occasion, dining with good friends or treating someone special in your life. Very highly recommended!
Real score 4.3 out of 5. It’s not pub grub here. It’s almost fine dining. The food is excellent. Everyone gets a good view of the pass which is always fun. I had the cappelletti of tiger prawns and crab with crustacean sauce. It was utterly delicious. Couldn’t fault it. Others had char grilled calamari with sweet corn which they reported as being very good too. We had a side of char grilled brussel sprouts which were very good too. Service was excellent overall and the atmosphere terrific. It’s pricey here but it’s a very good restaurant. Recommended.
Fantastic restaurant, my local favourite amongst a host of great eateries, amazing wine list, fabulous food and excellent staff. Good prices. Quintessential Melbourne streetscape with the elms on Queen's Parade. I maybe go a little often and have worked my way through the menu but never a disappointment.
We had a large group family get together at the Recreation just before Christmas. Staff couldn’t have been more helpful. Food was absolutely delicious and service excellent. Highly recommend
A standout newish restaurant in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. Wonderful wine list, BYO (!) and a menu mixing classics and some interesting creations.
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Maybe I shouldn’t give this place such a a good review... wouldn’t want it to get so busy I can’t get a table! Came to my attention when I saw it got a hat this year.
Then I realised - I could walk to it, it was BYO ($20 corkage) and the menu was very reasonably priced. Winner!
We had an earlier dinner and the next table must have been there from lunch and
sounded like that they had been drinking that whole time. A quiet word to the waiter
and they were duly dealt with and despatched outside! Excellent; quite reflective of
the excellent service we got all night. Anyway, through out the course of the evening
the restaurant became completely full; very impressive for a Sunday and I'm
guessing it's quite likely most of the patrons walked!
The food was truly impressive. They make their own bread and butter which was
really stunning in taster. The terrine was very impressive with the pickled vegetable
accompaniment. I had the roast pork - it was the most crispy crackle I've had
anywhere and contrasted by the melt in your mouth feel of the pork belly itself. Not only was the meat great, the vegetables were some of the most tasty, delicious
heirloom varieties I've had anywhere. The attention to detail was just amazing. lt is truly a fine dining restaurant disguising itself as a bistro!
Then they gave us a little candle to go with the bombe Alaska which was a nice
touch. My only complaint was they didn't light the thing on fire!
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We are so impressed with our meal tonight that I’m writing this review on the tram on the way home. We live in the city but the 10 min tram ride to the burbs of Fitzroy North was so worth it tonight.
We started with the oysters, kingfish, parfait, croquettes & my 1st highlight of the night- the Black pudding & pear tartin - my new favourite dish of 2018! The flavours are outstanding.
Next we had the scallops and the stuffed quail. The scallops were beautiful but the quail was my 2nd highlight. So perfectly cooked, no bones & perfect flavours makes this a dish to return for!!
Next up we shared the barramundi fillet that left us wanting more and we finished with an amazing chocolate fondant with salted caramel ice cream - the ice cream balanced out the dish so perfectly.
Staff were very attentive and I was the best meal for a long time! The wine list was expansive with many interesting reasonably priced drips on offer. We have already booked to return in a few weeks time to try some more from the menu. Just go.
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