Review Ryne - Melbourne

The dishes certainly don't worth the cost. It takes them more than 30 minutes to prepare each dish, to give you an idea how long we have waited, we arrived at 7:10 and left at 10:45. Most of the time we were there starving waiting for food. A couple sit on next table even got so angry and left without having the dessert. Apart from that, the dishes looks good, but taste bad. The salmon is slow cooked but doesn't even have a taste, and the feel in mouth is also bad. None of their dishes are good. Worst place I've been to in Melbourne for fine dining. And now the owner replied it is normal to have such a long wait, we obviously have requested the dishes to come faster, we even asked them twice to serve our dessert. I have been to some other fine dining in Melbourne, they have waiters to adjust the time the meal comes up based on the speed we eat it (obviously they don't want to keep you hungry, if they notice you consume it fast they will speed it up). I don't know why they are short staffed but still take that much of bookings at Valentine's Day, and refused to take my comments, probably it means they will not improve in future.

I have to say our Valentine’s Day was ruined at Ryne tonight. We are the table sitting next to Richard, and I totally agree with him the service was so slow, we have to wait long time between courses, there are couple waiting staffs obviously on their first day here, even the manager was running around… Let’s talk about the food… butter was store brought, no salt no garnish, fine… bread ordered from Noisette about $1 each, come on!! First course, the clams didn’t clean probably I had sand in it. Second and third course both cold dishes, they won’t take that long to plated… fourth course, the duck, I just had bad luck, the duck breast was fatty you could see the thick fat layer just not nice to eat at all, plus it had no seasoning(before I booked Ryne was advertised as authentic French cooking, that’s NOT!) you would expect a hatted restaurant rendered their duck better than this, right? So I called the manager to show the chef Donovan, they said that’s a mistake, we said we didn’t enjoy the food and we won’t want the dessert anymore, both the manager and chef Donovan came said “other 90 guests don’t have any problem with it, why will you question it?” And left without us finished our sentences. So we didn’t have the dessert, paid in full $180pp. Come on guys, please respect the food, respect your customers! Average food, terrible service. Very bad dining experience, First and last time.

We came to Ryne restaurant for Sunday lunch and the food and drinks were simply excellent. The fish just melts in your mouth and the duck was very tender. Couldn’t fault any of the the desserts and the staff were really friendly and attentive. Thank you Donovan and Ryne team for the great experience, will be planning to come back again!

If there is a negative star, this restaurant definitely deserve negative 5 stars! First, The first course New Zealand Storm Clams service with sand. Second,last course Milla’s farm Muscovy Duck, duck fat not render properly, taste so greasy. And the worst thing is the customer service from the manager and Donovan Cooke, full of attitude ‘apologies’, that’s really really really disappointing us. As an hatted restaurant owner, I don’t think so Donovan Cooke knows what call Good Food+Nice Service.

The food was delicious and the atmosphere was great. We weren’t rushed through (like many places seem to be doing in Melbourne at the moment) and the tables were spaced out really well.

Gorgeous ambiance, exceptional service from Donovan and his son. The food was meticulously prepared and absolutely delicious! Will most definitely be back! Thanks for a brilliant night!

We went there on my boyfriend's birthday, and I have to say we were very angry at the first place because of some critical issues caused by the front of house and kitchen. That night they were super busy and we understand why all customers complained. The manager was super charming though and he handled our issue extremely well. He is pretty smart than others,plus he strike different angles to meet my need and saved my day. Now I will tell my boyfriend not angry and give your restaurant two stars back. XX One of the best restaurant managers in Melbourne. Services Good. Praise! Can’t wait to sit there again and give him second chance.

Beautiful food and prompt service. Great place for a special occasion. One thing I'd change is the hard surfaces make the room a little loud.

Had the 7 course tasting menu at Ryne last night and we are both still saying wow! It was perfection from start to finish with many dishes being the one to go back for. Each dish was cooked so perfectly with amazing accompaniments on the plate. The staff were pretty slick, few little errors but nothing to put us off. Venue is huge, nice fit out but did get a little noisy at times. Overall It was a wonderful, exciting food journey, one that will return often to have.

Final dinner on The Finest Cut trip 2. It was spectacular...confit of salmon that was flawless and the beef cheeks were deliciously tender. Service ftom the FOH was at its best . Thank you for a memorable meal.

After a year of living in Victoria, I finally have found a favourite restaurant. The perfect balance of great service (Thank you Nathan) and mouth watering pleasure to the palate. Every dish was a delight. The entire package. We will return.

Quietly classy. You can get equivalent around Melbourne but be prepared to pay twice the price. Great service, great wine list and food match advice. And these guys are not hovering over you every minute for an opportunity to whisk your plate away. In summary “relaxed competent quality” But don’t tell too many people!! �

Amazing dinner....esp the very melt in your mouth confit salmon and the beef cheeks. And the outstanding service by the front of house. Thank you so much for such a great night

I was there on Tuesday night with a group of clients and collegues as part of the Finest Cut . The food was outstanding the service impeccable. They easily accommodated my vegan requirements and i was not dissapointed. It was a treat to meet the owner / Chef and I would certainly reccomend Ryne to others . Nick

We had 7 courses with matching wine. I found the food a little bit hit and miss. Staff very friendly however they had very limited knowledge of what they were serving. We had there special martini which they recommended, it was terrible, staff then told us they wasn't very Nice, not sure why they recommended it. I don't think we would return.

Amazing food amazing service!! Can't wait to try their 5 course meal!!

We went to Ryne last Friday and had an amazing evening. Food was impeccable and the service was perfect. We will definitely be back.

amazing place. it deserve a michelin star.

I eat out a lot. I am so excited about this place. My usual rule is not to go to places too soon because usually processes need time to be fine tuned but everything here was exceptional including the staff member whose first night it was. We loved our entrees and our mains. Like the idea if the fixed price. The cocktails were fabulous and the attention to detail was great. Definitely going back.

Stunning restaurant, Wonderful setting - Excellent food

Lovely ambiance, friendly staff and sumptuous food!highly recommended. Looking forward to the next dining experience�

Great service and enjoyable food �. Had a lovely lunch.

Really great night. On a night Melbourne nudged a 100 cases, we never felt more relaxed. Food was first class and the service, as always , was brilliant<br/>Thank you Donovan and team :)

A beautiful venue but overall was not an great experience... the salmon was a nice dish however when the chicken came out it did not look very appealing, the skin should always be crisp, who likes soft chicken skin? It was however cooked well on the inside <br/><br/>Probably won’t go back

We dined at Ryne on a weeknight for an early dinner. The space was nice and spacious. My partner decided to go with the 3 course menu and I decided to go with the 2 course menu. We also ordered the salt cod croquettes to start. I didn't really enjoy the croquettes as they were dry and slightly overfried. The pork belly was succulent and the crispy skin was to die for. The black pudding was surprisingly nice and paired well with the pork. For mains, the salmon was sous vide and the main highlight was the bouillabaisse which had a nice hit of spice. The duck had a crispy skin and was cooked well. We thoroughly enjoyed both our mains. I was a little reluctant to order the souffle for dessert because they tend to tatse quite eggy but our waiter recommended it. To my delight, the souffle was moist and had more of a lava cake texture and was a lovely way to end the meal. Service was friendly and attentive. To sum up, the food was simple but executed well.

Was very excited to go to Ryne as it had really good reviews.<br/><br/>We were welcomed nicely and seated on a table in the middle of the restaurant near the bar. I'd say the window spots are the best spots as you can look out the window at bypassers, which I would love. Those were all taken (except for one, but that one was taken minutes after we arrived).<br/><br/>They let us taste some of the wines, which was great and helped us picking which one we wanted.<br/><br/>We took two of the croquettes to start with, then we had two entrees and shared one main with a side. This was enough for the two of us (we did go and have an icecream at Billy a few doors down after, but we definitely didn't need that icecream - it was yum though!).<br/><br/>We started with the corn croquette and the black pudding croquette. Both of the outsides of the croquettes weren't great (the crumbly, deep-fried bit). The filling of the corn one was quite bland, the black pudding one was nice but not mind-blowing. The two entrees we had were great. The scallops and chicken was super yum, also the soup/sauce that came with it was amazing. The pork belly was super flavoursome as well. For main we had hapuka with a side of potatoes. The fish really wasn't up to standard at all, and that for a $48 main (which is very very steep, so it would have to be very good). The potatoes also weren't great, we didn't even eat them.<br/><br/>All and all the two entrees and the wine were really good and good value. <br/>The croquettes, the main and the side weren't very good and the main was very expensive.

Melbourne is home to a plethora of amazing restaurants and cuisines for any foodie to get lost in, so when we recently visited Ryne, in Fitzroy North we took a second to appreciate what we were fortunate enough to be enjoying. Helmed by industry heavy weight Donavon Cooke, Ryne is his latest offering in a distinguished career. Opened in 2017, to rave reviews, Cooke is continuing his stride in producing amazing menus to indulge in.

We had my Birthday here, it was a few months back but I totally forgot to praise what amazing food we had. The restaurant was so immaculate and not to mention the service was perfect. The dishes were so tasty and truly a work of art. You can tell the chef have put in alot of effort to produce such great quality food.

Exquisite meal at what must be one of Melbourne’s finest. Beautifully fresh oysters, a marron entree that is one of the tastiest dishes I’ve had in years, and the exotic slow cooked pigeon. First time I’ve eaten pigeon and it was something else, especially the sauce. Staff were exceptional too. Can’t wait to go back.

The food here is delicious. Beautifully fresh oysters, mouthwatering scallops (the puree was heavenly), succulent pork belly (never thought I’d say yum to black pudding, but yum), and tender and tasty lamb loin. The marron and duck were good but not standouts. Service wasn’t great - slow and riddled with errors. Staff were lovely and apologetic but it felt like an off night. The food was so good though that I’d happily return.

Had the truffle degustation here for our anniversary and the food was absolutely divine. Service was okay. I would definitely go back to try all the other dishes they offer

An amazing and delightful dining experience.<br/><br/>Every dish was visually stimulating and tantalised the senses.<br/><br/>The food tastes as good as it looks.<br/>

A delightful new find; another new selection on the hatted list and it’s well deserved. First things first, $20 corkage for BYO. While their wine list is well chosen, nothing beats a good bottle of wine that you’ve cellared for ages. I’m personally not a “good wine for special occasion” person, there’s champagne for that, but a good wine to match with good food.<br/><br/>The restaurant is spacious with not too many tables and we were greeted by a very enthusiastic and friendly front of house manager who continued to look after us for the rest of the night. He tells us his parents own a NZ vineyard and there may be some wine coming from there eventually. <br/><br/>The difficulty was of course choosing what to eat. It all looked good and we ended up sharing all the courses. The oysters were excellent.<br/><br/>For entree we had pork belly and the king fish. Both were fantastic; works of art as well as being quite delicious with the pork belly perfectly done.<br/><br/>For main we had the duck, Patagonian toothfish and the lamb. The duck was excellent, not too gamey and very nice taste and texture. The lamb was probably my favourite of the night. The Patagonian toothfish was a little disappointing; wasn’t much taste to describe a little boring really. <br/><br/>The soufflé for dessert is a nice choice.<br/><br/>Overall a good choice but it does fall into the $100 or more per head price point and that was including one bottle of BYO wine which has a cost as well. Definitely a special occasion fine dining restaurant. A good choice but an infrequent one.

We had the pleasure to wine and dine to a bespoke menu at Ryne recently. Mid February was the height of the French Perigord Black Truffle season, and we were craving Scarlet Prawns at the same time. We tasked Donovan with the challenge of sourcing and creating a menu to our specifications. We asked, and Ryne exceeded our expectations. <br/><br/>Freshly baked bread with white truffle butter<br/><br/>Pithivier of Foie Gras and Truffle, truffle purée, morel ala creme <br/><br/>Whole Grilled Scarlet Prawns, salad of shaved fennel, apple and celery, truffle sabayon, shaved French winter truffle<br/><br/>Free Range Chicken “en versie”, confit potato, leek, asparagus, morel sauce, shaved French winter truffle<br/><br/>Caramelised Hazelnut “Moc Truffle”, truffle ice cream, Manjari truffle chocolate sauce, shaved French winter truffle<br/><br/>The wine list at Ryne is short but on point, showcasing the best marriage to Donovan’s creations. <br/><br/>We were served by a very hospitable front of house, who looked after our every needs and made our evening extremely relaxed.<br/><br/>Ryne has to be our favourite Melbourne restaurant at the moment, and we have a gut feeling the second Chef Hat is not far away. We look forward to returning soon!

Actually the food are good and the atmosphere was alright. Quiet and not busy on a Sunday night. We were impressed by the duck breast and squid ink crackers which ware put on top of kingfish. So the waiter had been made wrong order at first, there was only one table except us at that time. After we finished the meal and would like to have our birthday cake as we came here to celebrate birthday. The waiter was noted but they cut my birthday without asking for permission and delivered on plate to us. That night I was happy so I told the waiter I didn’t mind and just wanted them put it back and I needed to take a picture. So, I didn’t make any birthday wishes because my cake has been cut by others. So annoyed. We expected the restaurant would apologize when we paid the bill again but he didn’t and nothing seemed to be offered to apologies. I mean that was a basic respect and manner to apologize again even the guest said she didn’t mind at first. The food is good but the service is not good enough.

Note that thefo0die.com rating is a 4.5 but in Zomato's rating system, it is closer to a 5.<br/><br/> Fo0die dined as a guest of Ryne and as such, the rating does not give any consideration to customer service. On a Thursday evening, we arrived at Ryne after taking tram route 11 from the CBD. Our little excursion after work. It’s not often that we would ‘go on the job’ for our foodie hobby during the week but we made an exception for Ryne which is described as a modern French dining experience offering inspired cuisine executed with classical French cooking techniques by Donovan Cooke and his team.

Was really excited to try this place after hearing some great reviews but was quite disappointed on the night. There was a mix up with my pre-ordered food in which I emailed exactly what I wanted to pre-order but they cancelled all of it. Instead of an apology which I would have been happy with, I was instead bombarded with excuses about how the mix up happened. When it came to ordering to begin with it took over 20 minutes to get a waiter’s attention and we were the only two diners at the restaurant. When the food did arrive we had a waitress who had no idea what she was serving us and explained the dishes very unprofessionally. She also tried to offer us the dessert menu after entrees thinking we were finished with our meal and was unaware we still had three mains to arrive. When it came to desserts, we ordered two and one of the two we received were incorrect however they corrected this by giving us the incorrect dessert for free and still providing us with the original dessert we ordered. Despite the poor service the food was absolutely delicious (particularly the pigeon and the desserts) and it is still worth the trip to eat the food.

Tried the Tasting Menu of $140 and it was worth it. There were 5 dishes and a dessert (forgot to take a picture of the salmon), everything was so good except the souffle was slightly too sweet for us. Arrived at 8 and finished off at 11, didnt expect it to be that long but the ambience was really good to just chill and talk.

We were invited into Ryne to experience their French-inspired seasonal lunch. Greeted by the warm and friendly staff we were sat by the window. The interior of the building is lovely and open, with a high roof and exposed beams, and the originally painted advertising still visible on the brick wall. <br/><br/>Warm dinner rolls accompanied a G & T and a Pinot noir while we read through the menu. <br/><br/>The melt in your mouth Yellowfin tuna tartare and the lovely and sweet Beetroot salad were both great starters. Next pair of dishes served was the elegantly presented Crispy Skin Berkshire Pork Belly, and the Curry Roast Cauliflower. The flavours from both of these were fantastic. <br/><br/>Choosing a main each was difficult as all on offer looked so tempting. Deciding on the Flinders Island Saltgrass lamb, and the Roast of the day being Angus Beef, root vegetables and a Yorkshire pudding, were both delightful. <br/><br/>Dessert was an Artisan Cheese selection and a relationship testing Valrhona 64 Manjari Soufflé! A little jug of Coffee Anglaise was poured over the Soufflé at the table. Oooooh oh so yummy!<br/><br/>Overall we had a great experience, fabulous food, and fantastic service. <br/><br/>We thank Ryne Restaurant for having us. We experienced Ryne Restaurant as guests, and all of our opinions are genuine and are based on our experience at the time of our visit.

Wonderful ambiance, attentive staff, and delicious food that has been cooked to perfection and looks amazing. Really enjoyed our experience at Ryne.

Loved our experience tonight at Ryne- nice ambience, excellent service and the duck dish and potato side dish were defs our favourites of the night! 😬

Excited to finally try this restaurant. Met all the hype. Love how the menu is constantly changing. Flavours were very rich. Make sure to try their happy hour cocktails.

4.5 Spearheaded by Donovan Cooke of ex-Atlantic, Ryne offers a modern French dining experience that’s excitable yet refined, allowing you to explore the skilful combination of traditional concepts of French cuisine coupled with contemporary influences.<br/>For an unconventional and extraordinary dining experience that’s bound to tantilise all of your senses, Ryne is the place to be.

4.5<br/>I was extremely excited to visit Donovan Cookes newest restaurant after being a fan of his for the last few years. We decided to go for the 6 course tasting as degustation is easily one of my favourite dining choice<br/><br/>Amuse bouche– To start we were presented with a complimentary dish which was raw wallaby with a wasabi dressing. Unfortunately I do not like wasabi so my partner had most of this dish, he thought the wasabi was just enough to not overpower the delicate meat <br/><br/>Yellowfin tuna tartare – The tuna was diced perfectly in cubes and had a delicious jalapeno dressing with chives , Although this was a very tasty course, I do wish the surrounding flavours were a bit more subtle so that the taste of the tuna could shine through more. <br/><br/>Prawn Cannelloni – A top contender dish - it had all the flavours of a prawn. The squid ink pasta had a delicious prawn paste inside whilst accompanied with a butter poached prawn which was just melting in the mouth. The shellfish foam added another flavour of the sea whilst the orange marmalade enhanced and tied all the flavours together <br/><br/>Crispy skin pork belly- A fancy take on sweet and sour pork , we enjoyed the pineapple flavours with the crispy pork belly which was cooked to perfection ( perfectly rendered fat , crispy skin and soft meat)<br/><br/>Olive oil confit King Salmon- My pick of the night , the salmon was one of the softest pieces of fish I have tasted this past year! I remember the first dish I ever saw of Donovan was his confit salmon from The Atlantic that was featured on MasterChef and I could never forget how much my mouth was leaking of water that night, it was good to finally be able to try a rendition of this dish. The curry flavours , spiced carrot and raisins was a bold combination and really worked well with the delicate, flaky , buttery fish <br/><br/>Braised Wagyu Beef Cheek- Braised beef cheek is already a melt in the mouth dish if done right but when it is a wagyu cheek, the melting factor is intensified. We really enjoyed the gelatinous meat which has been slowed cooked and broken down to create a flavour sensation. The mushroom combined with the meat was a match made in heaven <br/><br/>Vanilla Cheesecake- Last but not least we had the vanilla cheesecake which was presented like a piece of artwork, loved the honeycomb, chocolate and blood orange combination <br/><br/>Overall we had an amazing dinner experience at Ryne . Thankyou so much for having us!

if you appreciate fine dining and want to tantalise your tastebuds then Ryne is for you. Every dish and course we ate was as good as the next. The service is impeccable and the drinks are fantastic too. We loved the interior and vibe as well. Top picks included the tuna tartare, mulled wine, tortellini and the chocolate soufflé

Was warmly greeted when arriving. A large open restaurant with a modern fit out . A short concise seasonal menu.<br/>Happy to see chef Donovan Cooke on the pans.<br/>This is experienced hands cooking classic French food. His pigeon on lentils the standout dish for me.<br/>Minor letdown was the friendly but inexperienced service staff but hopefully that will sort itself out in time.<br/>The BYOW policy for this month was a bonus.<br/>Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

The point is, this elegant restaurant situated on St Georges Road in Fitzroy North is worth adding to your list of places to dine. Donovan Cooke has a built solid repertoire with over three decades across three continents and includes opening up iconic restaurants Est Est Est, Luxe, Odine and The Atlantic. Ryne represents a homecoming to what Donovan loves most.

Been twice, on my way down now for the 3rd time. I love that they let me take my own wine as I keep a cellar so I can enjoy sensational food with great wine. The ambiance is lovely the staff very friendly and the food excellent. We are so lucky to have food like this in Fitzroy North. I plan to be a regular here.

Outstanding. <br/><br/>Ambiance, Wine and Service is Exquisite. The food is understandably amazing but the sauces on each dish are breathtaking and demonstrates the extraordinary skill in the kitchen<br/><br/>Highly Recommended. Go. Go Now!

Nice vibe and truly special food! Would recommend to pre-order the trotter! Pigeon! Beef cheek melt in your mouth!will definitely come back again:)

My friend and I popped in for a drink after dinner and were absolutely delighted with the friendly service and unique ambience. <br/><br/>We had the mulled wine and I have to say it was one of the best I have ever tasted. Whilst we were on our first drink, the waiter brought over some complimentary bar snacks including arancini and croquettes which were a lovely touch. The food menu looked amazing so definitely keen to go back and try the food for a fine dining type night.

Came in here for a coffee late in the evening. Was suprised to walk into a very modern and inviting restaurant with prompt service.<br/>Such a great mix of restaurants on this street. Must be back to enjoy a meal next time.

I’ve been Ryne 4 times since December 2017. Almost once a month. Every time was very satisfied. They provided excellent food and fantastic service. Never let me down and I will keep supporting them by visit more and recommend to everyone. It’s my favourite restaurant in Melbourne 😋😋😋

Ryne isn’t bad. It’s just disappointing<br/>Given the hype around Donovan Cooke and his re-entry into the Melbourne culinary scene, I expected better<br/>I reckon he’d get away with it in Sydney, especially, if he hooked into waterfront and celebrity guests. But I think Melbourne is more about the actual food...<br/>And the food at Ryne isn’t memorable or outstanding. The produce is beautiful. And the wines are good too. The staff seem a little baffled, like they auditioned for the greatest show on earth, but are still waiting to see it performed. And that’s how we felt. Deflated. Nothing shone. And in this market, and at these prices, it ought to

Went to Ryne for lunch, 4 course meal for $68. Walked in was wowed by the ambience and layout/furniture. Food was amazing. Definitely enjoyed everything and wait staff were amazing. Will be back.

It was a bit of a disappointing experience for me after reading great reviews. Food was better than service.<br/><br/>Overall service was poor and inattentive. We were told what the special was- sounded delicious- but by the time she took our order it was sold out. The empty plate from my friend’s starter was sitting there for about 20 minutes as staff walked by and ignored it. Water wasn’t topped up until a long time had passed either. <br/><br/>The amuse bouche of gazpacho was pleasant. Bread was too hard, flavourless and the butter was rock hard. I love bread but when offered more even though I was hungry as main was over 1 hour I still didn’t want any more!<br/>Confit prawns were ok but lacked flavour. Main of lamb had nice flavours but portion too small and were not even asked if we wanted anything. These looked small too but I was still hungry after main!! Chicken was ok too. Had the raspberry tart which was pleasant too.<br/>Restaurant charges for credit cards but used debit and they still added a charge.... took it off as highlighted but otherwise would have just left it on.<br/><br/>Won’t rush back as disappointing meal.<br/><br/>

Had the first Sunday lunch at Ryne - 4 courses for $68. Incredible menu, service and food. Highly, highly recommend and quickly become my favourite fine dining experience in Melbourne.

Had the pleasure of dining at Ryne for their first public Sunday lunch. Absolutely fantastic 4 course dining experience and service. Front of house staff were sensational.<br/><br/>The food was light, refreshing and perfectly presented. Highly recommend.

Our visit to Ryne was very much spontaneous, having found ourselves unexpectedly child-free on a Saturday evening. We had heard little about Ryne other than it was a Donovan Cooke restaurant. I’m old enough to still have strong foodie nostalgia for Est Est Est. <br/><br/>Ryne certainly delivered on all fronts. The food, decor and service is all unpretentious and generous. We had the three course menu, which at $80 is brilliant value for the quality of the food and experience. It’s not a highly creative, knock your socks off type menu, but rather perfectly executed modern classics. On each plate the sauces always added a sparkle to dish. Our bill came to about $300 for three courses each, an aperitif, a bottle of wine and dessert wine. <br/><br/>Already planning the next visit - lunch with Mum.

I love, love, love this new restaurant! The decor is beautiful, the service is fabulous and the food is amazing!! Will definitely be back. A big thumbs up!!

Had a lovely evening enjoying the option of 2, 3 alacarte or 7 course degustation. Our table opted for the alacarte. They had a special of scallops which was delicious. They also had a crispy pork belly a dory fillets both well received. The place is a little loud once full but the staff and service was fabulous. Wine list very good. Thank you to Donovan who came to each table after kitchen closed. That’s the best to be able to talk to the chef who has his own great story to tell. Well recommended.

Donovan Cooke makes the best sauces in the country. If he offered a bar menu that consisted of little sauce boats filled with his various staple reductions to dip fries and other morsels into (I’m thinking sweetbreads, chicken skin and so on), I’d go there weekly for a few beers or a negroni, sit at the bar and dip away. Then maybe stay for something a little more substantial.<br/><br/>You can select a 2-course ($65) or 3-course ($80) menu or you can go all of the way and pay $150 for the 7-course chefs menu. You can then opt for a cheaper wine match at $68 or a premium match for $110. Off the bat, with the cheaper wine match, you’re well in at over $200 per head and like any reasonably-minded diner; you’ll start with a cocktail or two. Now you’re in for over $250 per head and for mine, this pushes you into the upper echelon of dining in Melbourne, where the entire experience is factored into your evening. Is it worth it? It will get there with a few tweaks that go beyond the food. <br/><br/>For one, the acoustics; it’s very, very loud. Unfortunately, it was difficult to hear and understand what our very excellent Sommelier had to say about our wine pairings.<br/><br/>Service overall was consistent and genial. The manager that greeted us seemed a little too intense, but the other wait staff, the aforementioned Sommelier and bar staff were all attentive and naturally affable. There was one instance of a longer-than-usual gap between the fish and the pork courses, but it was simply fixed with a voluntary wine top up.<br/><br/>As for the food, it was all extremely well executed, but don’t come here searching for new techniques or ingredients that are designed to challenge or confront diners. This is very traditional cooking, but done so bloody well. The quail was cooked to perfection. Every single dish was seasoned with meticulousness. This is the kind of stuff that makes you well up with joy when it’s done so well… (especially when there’s a great sauce!) One dish though was quite pedestrian and I would happily not have again; the compressed watermelon, cucumber three ways, lemon gel and mint was quite mediocre. Not an exciting opening stanza to precede the rest of a great menu. However, the amuse bouche of lamb tartare was brilliant. Perhaps they need tweaking and swap places?<br/><br/>Overall, I am very happy to have Donovan Cooke in my ‘hood. I don’t think I can stretch my hard-earned to have a blow out on a degustation once a month, but I’d happily pop in for a smaller number of courses and happily support my new neighbours.

Dining at Ryne is an experience. From the amazing food to the faultless service right down to the thoughtful basket to store your bags and belongings; they seem to have thought of everything. The dining room is uncluttered with clean lines and the food is definitely the star here. When you consider the cooking credentials of the owner/chef, this place could be pretentious and exclusive but on our visit it was anything but that. We were welcomed warmly and our servers were attentive and extremely knowledgeable about the menu, only too happy to help with choices from the many appealing options. We opted for the three course menu and shared a couple of side dishes. Every dish that arrived at the table looked like a work of art, a genuine feast for the senses. Between five of us we managed to sample a cross section of the menu which is well thought out and offers something for everyone. Definite highlights were the marron and artichoke salad (art on a plate), the pigeon (perfectly executed with amazing flavour), the lamb saddle (hard to beat) and the tuna pizza (more please). For dessert we were greatly anticipating the chocolate soufflé. This had amazing flavour but was more like a fondant than a soufflé so perhaps a little underdone or unevenly cooked in the (too narrow?) shaped vessel. Our only negative of the night was the coffee, which none of us enjoyed. Both the espressos and lattes had a strange taste. Not sure what beans they are using but they may want to reconsider their blend. Do yourself a favour and dine here. You will not be disappointed. This is one restaurant living up to the hype.

Had the 7 course tasting menu at Ryne last night and we are both still saying wow! It was perfection from start to finish with many dishes being the one to go back for. Each dish was cooked so perfectly with amazing accompaniments on the plate. <br/><br/>The staff were pretty slick, few little errors but nothing to put us off. Venue is huge, nice fit out but did get a little noisy at times. <br/><br/>Overall It was a wonderful, exciting food journey, one that will return often to have.

RYNE Restaurant has been on my list since opening in Fitzroy North last month. We headed in for an impromptu dinner and were certainly not disappointed. With two, three or seven course options on offer, we settled on the seven course set menu so we hold experience as much of what looked to be a beautiful menu as possible. It is really hard to pick a favourite dish! All were divine and the whole menu flowed perfectly. Although I think the dessert deserves a special mention. Despite being full to the brim I just couldn’t leave a single morsel of the whipped cheesecake on that plate! Definitely worth making the effort to get to Ryne as soon as you can come up with an excuse!!

Highly recommend Ryne for a beautiful dinner. Fitout, staff and ambience was excellent. But the food is the main star, 10/10 I had the pork belly for entree... amazing! The salmon for main which melted in my mouth and the raspberry soufflé which was to die for! Do yourself a fav and try our Ryne!! Enjoy

Impressive new North Fitzroy restaurant. Solid four star with obvious capacity to move higher in time. This is a nicely composed and fitted out space which has a lovely feel. The generous space between tables is particularly impressive. We were warmly greeted by the front of house person who does an excellent job. The food was lovely. I had the smoked trout for entree which was very tasty. I moved then to the spiced roasted duck breast for main. Again, it was most impressive. Both dishes certainly met expectations. Service though was a bit uneven throughout. Sometimes good, sometimes lacking. This is not a cheap night out and small teething issues are still evident. You get the feeling though that those could be ironed out in time.

Excellent food in a great space. Walking into Ryne reveals the amount of work they have put into the room, clean and industrial is punctuated by turquoise leather chairs and a feeling of warmth.<br/><br/>The food is the standout. The marron is simply divine, clean flavours and well balanced. One of my favourite entrees of 2017. The mains were also exceptional - generous serves of great food. The pigeon was well cooked and brilliantly flavoured. The salmon was a classic dish with a contemporary twist. Donovan has really put his mark on this food and reminds us of some of his work from Est.<br/><br/>The service was attentive but not intrusive. The wine list was good without being exceptional. Enough on there to interest you but nothing spectacular.<br/><br/>Overall, a great experience. We will be back.