The Advocate

The Advocate is a recently opened bespoke restaurant and cocktail bar. Located in Balwyn, once inside I felt as if I had been transported into a another world. The space is beautifully decorated in a rich mahogany colour and gorgeous plush velvet seating. It is evident that every detail has been well thought out by the venue’s owner interior designer, Jane Gorman.

Visiting for lunch we opted to try a number of share plates. We had the braised beef intercostal pinchos, the goats curd with truffled honey and sourdough, chorizo croquettes, seasonal vegetable salad and the kingfish with horseradish, fennel, apple, squid ink & sea herbs. Everything came out refined and beautifully plated. Head chef, Tim Malligan has brought a touch of fine dining to the menu.

Although relatively simple, the goats curd with truffled honey, fine herbs and sourdough was a standout. I found it highly addictive and couldn’t get enough. I’m normally not a big fan of goats curd but when paired with the truffled honey it was just divine. I highly recommend this dish.

The seasonal vegetable salad served Parmesan custard was unlike any salad I have had before. Vibrant and full of colour, the presentation was reminiscent of a veggie patch. The creamy Parmesan custard beautifully complimented the vegetables.

The kingfish was beautiful and delicate. I loved the combination of textures in this dish, the crunch of the squid ink puffed crisp provided a lovely contrast to the kingfish and roe. The flavours all worked really well together making it an enjoyable dish.

Overall I highly enjoyed the culinary share plates at The Advocate and would also recommend it to someone looking for nice place for a drink in the area. I give The Advocate ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5. Thanks very much for having me.

We ventured to the heart of Balwyn to visit the gorgeous restaurant @advocate3103. While it certainly looked like a classy restaurant, the prices were very reasonable which was a huge plus.

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Overall score: 19/25 or ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
in 5 words: classy Balwyn bar for conversations
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💬 review: we were honestly blown away by the advocate’s ambience. With carpeted floors and classic English decor peppered throughout the place, it’s quite easy to relax and have a good conversation here. Not surprised that deco is good - the owner, Jane Gorman, is an esteemed interior designer.

Service was really friendly, and we quickly settled in and ordered a pint of beer and gin & fever tree tonic (my favourite tonic, which is already a huge plus).

for food, we had the barramundi and pork belly as our mains, alongside duck fat potatoes. The potatoes were crispy and went well with our main dishes. While I loved the pork belly flavour, I was hoping for the top to be crispier. In contrast, the barramundi skin was cooked better than the underlying meat.

All in all, this six week old restaurant is a place that I’ll be keeping my eye on. This venue is also highly recommended for dates and birthday restaurants. I’ll definitely be back with friends to enjoy the ambience and have drinks here.
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Taste: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ambience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Price: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Service: ⭐️⭐️⭐️