Dill

Ciao Cielo

Bacalhau ravioli with broad beans, capers and dill

A pretty yet unmemorable dish.

★★★☆☆

Fried calamari, dried oregano, rocket, garlic aioli

Light crispy batter, fantastic use of oregano.

★★★★☆

Truffled potato dauphine, truffle pecorino

Golden balls of fluffy potato that practically melt in your mouth! I couldn’t eat very many though as they were quite rich.

★★★★☆

Pan fried potato gnocchi, roasted pumpkin, walnuts, dolce blue, spinach

★★★☆☆

Rockling fillet, peas, goats curd, roasted fennel

★★★☆☆

Overall:

The food was good but I was expecting amazing after reading all the positive reviews about this place. The decor was sleek however all the tables were positioned quite close to one another due to the venue being so small. Service was fine except there was one particular waiter who kept on wanting to clear our plates even though we hadn’t finished.

Ciao Cielo

171 Bay St, Port Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9645 1568

http://www.ciaocielo.com.au/

Alimentari

Toasted muesli, baked granny smith, lemon thyme yoghurt

The steaming hot apple was nicely unexpected however the muesli to yoghurt ratio could have been improved (more yoghurt, less muesli).

★★★☆☆

Fried eggs, harissa baked beans, braised greens, whipped feta, flat bread, olives, hash browns

Fantastic combination of flavours with the whipped feta being the highlight.

★★★★☆

Hash brown, baby spinach, poached eggs, bacon, hollandaise

A reasonable dish that could have been bigger in terms of portion size.

★★★☆☆

Spanikopita, ricotta, mixed greens, dill, feta, poached egg, with hash browns on the side

With flakey delicate pastry and a tasty ricotta filling, there was a lovely homemade quality about the spanikopita.

★★★★☆

Pan fried ricotta gnocchi, broccolini, garden peas, lemon, fresh ricotta, chilli

Fresh and zesty with delicious light clouds of gnocchi.

★★★★☆

Overall:

Pleasant staff, warm atmosphere and quality food with a beautiful deli at the front. Whatever you decide to order, make sure you get a side of their fantastic hash browns!

Alimentari

251 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, VIC

(03) 9416 2001

http://www.alimentari.com.au

Sir Charles

The Smash

(smashed avocado with dill oil, dukkah, goats cheese croquette, poached eggs on multigrain toast)

Crispy cheesy croquettes, perfectly poached eggs and an ample amount of smashed avocado that was a little salt heavy for me.

★★★☆☆

Salmon Benedict

(panko crumbed eggs with Sriracha hollandaise, smoked salmon rillette, baby spinach and burnt chilli on roti)

My first reaction was: WHOA LOOK AT THAT HUGE CUT OF LEMON! Who actually needs that much lemon squeezed onto their dish? Massive lemon aside, this Salmon Benedict was seriously amazing! The combination of delicious ingredients worked very well together and I loved how the Sriracha hollandaise and burnt chilli gave this dish some gentle heat.

★★★★★

Eton Mess Waffles

(Belgian waffle with crispy meringue, jelly tip ice cream, marshmallow and fresh berries)

This was without a doubt one of the most colourful brunch dishes I’ve ever had! The waffle itself was incredibly crispy and subtly salty which provided a wonderful balance to all the sweetness from the meringue, marshmallow and ice cream.

★★★★☆

Overall:

Excellent food, quick and friendly service, bright relaxing space. Sir Charles, I will see you again soon!

Sir Charles

121 Johnston St, Fitzroy, VIC

(03) 9415 7077

http://www.sircharlesfitzroy.com.au/

Feast of Merit

Jerusalem artichoke and chips, Iraqi spices, dill

I love jerusalem artichoke and devoured this in no time!

★★★★☆

White BBQ fish, yogurt, sesame, lemon, herbs

Moist succulent fish.

★★★☆☆

Pumpkin, baharat, almonds, moghrabieh, barberries, garlic aioli

Great combination of ingredients. Plus I am now a big fan of moghrabieh (Lebanese couscous).

★★★★☆

Overall:

Delicious Middle Eastern influenced food, efficient staff, cosy rustic atmosphere. Portions were small considering the prices however I didn’t mind too much as 100% of the profits directly support YGAP (a movement of entrepreneurs who launch ventures to improve the lives of people living in poverty). Kudos to Feast of Merit for supporting a great cause.

Feast of Merit

117 Swan St, Richmond, VIC

(03) 9428 8480

http://www.feastofmerit.com

Dip In Cafe

Dip In The Atlantic

(scrambled eggs with dill and chilli, served with smoked salmon and a cherry tomato, pine nut and basil salad)

★★★☆☆

Mushroom Madness

(spinach and cream cheese dip with poached eggs, halloumi cheese and a medley of marinated mushrooms)

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Bread bowls are such a simple and delightful concept. It’s a shame that very few places offer bread bowls these days. Perhaps it’s to do with wastage seeing as the soft fluffy interior is taken out and not used. But that is definitely not the case at Dip It Cafe where we discovered that the bread interiors were all donated to charity. We also discovered the bread bowls to be surprisingly very filling. Service was friendly and the décor charming with lots of quirky ornaments and a superb wall mural.

Dip In Cafe

20-22 McKillop St, Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9670 5379

http://dipin.com.au/

Serotonin Eatery

Positive Pancakes

(three organic banana flour pancakes with house-made banana ice cream, mixed berries, yogurt balls covered in roasted almonds, organic agave)

★★★☆☆

Happy Zucchini Linguine

(raw zucchini spirals in red pesto with walnuts topped with fresh basil, mint and dill)

★★★☆☆

Super Smashed Avo

(smashed avocado topped with house-made beetroot relish, fresh chilli and poached eggs on organic sourdough)

★★★☆☆

Overall:

The menu at Serotonin Eatery simply screamed HEALTHY. The words ‘organic’, ‘raw’ and ‘house-made’ appeared everywhere, while the familiar words of ‘bacon’, ‘french toast’ and even ‘fried eggs’ were nowhere to be found. In fact everything on the menu is vegan or gluten free or both. Having said that, the food we tried offered great flavours and I left feeling wonderfully guilt-free. I can’t say that I also left feeling completely satisfied though as portions were a bit on the small side. The service was average, the atmosphere bright and cheery, and the decor simply unique with their shiny gold cutlery, comfortable Japanese style couches, and awesome swing chairs! The perfect place to head to for those who are health conscious or for those who just really like swings.

Serotonin Eatery

52 Madden Grove, Burnley, VIC

(03) 8658 3124

http://www.serotonindealer.com/

Donnini’s

320 Lygon St, Carlton 9347 3128

Capricciosa pizza

(Fior di latte, tomato, leg ham, mushroom, marinated Ligurian olives)

I liked the thin and crispy base however I didn’t like how the olives came with pits.

= ★★

Ravioli Con Salmone E Burrata

(salmon, burrata and smoked ricotta ravioli, butter, dill, asparagus)

A light ravioli served in a delicious sauce.

= ★★★

Tris Di Pasta Donnini

(Tagliatelle Al Ragu Nostro, Tortelli Di Ricotta, Gnocchi Al Pomodoro)

Hand made pasta cooked in fresh sauces.

= ★★★

Overall:

Although somewhat pricier than your typical Lygon St restaurant, what you get here at Donnini’s is quality Italian fare, good service and a great atmosphere.