On Spice Street

After teasing us for months with just a sign in the window, Spice Av. is now open to traffic. Providing welcome competition for Khansama at the other end of Bay Street, the colourfully decorated establishment is run by veteran Indian restauranteur Sarita Rahal.

Whilst a selection of traditional favourites can be found on (the "Memory Lane" section of) the relatively short menu, each offered with rice or naan, emphasis is given to four contemporary dishes evolved from those classics. Barramundi is offered with sweet potato and elsewhere a quinoa salad accompaniment can be found.

Room 101

Having done their part in the ritual humiliation of the English soccer team, Italy themselves bowed out of the World Cup ... with a little help from Mick Jagger. Which must've hurt, at least as much as a shoulder bite, at number one hundred and one Bay Street where, everywhere you look, there's reminders of the heritage of Port Melbourne's latest in a long line of pizza parlours.

Despite The London's rather excellent transition to Middle Eastern cuisine, there's still a lot of local competition in the melted mozzarella stakes. Fortunately the pizza at Bay 101, though not wood-fired, is undeniably authentic; the thin, yet airy, dough up there even with the recently opened Albert Park branch of legendary D.O.C. And their cheeses are far from one-dimensional either with tallegio, provola, asiago and fontina all on offer alongside a similarly authentic range of cured meats.

The wall of customer graffiti has now gone, replaced by black and white images of Vespas, supplanted by shelves filled with San Marzano tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil, and seemingly exclusively Italian wait staff. And along with the superb patisserie counter at Noisette opposite, their chilled display unit makes the beach end of Bay Street resemble a certain cake-laden stretch of St Kilda. However, despite the tempting delights, it's hard to resist the call of the huge tubs of Nutella used to make their delicious sweet Calzoncino

Masala choices

After a short-lived run as Badyals (complete with misguided World-on-a-plate external graphics which made it look like it must be a travel agent) the tired exterior of the former Bengal Tiger has been stripped back to reveal the original exterior tiling of the Nelson Hotel. Following successive failed experiments now at operating a successful Indian restaurant on this corner (and with Montague Street's other pub building currently laying empty) I'd imagine that there's a plot twist in store in the next chapter of the landmark. 

Which is good news for tiny upstart My Masala, who popped up unexpectedly not far along City Road last year, in the narrow terrace next door to the wondrous Wayside Inn. Peering through the window it really does look like this is a restaurant of just four tables; although in reality there is a second, even more bijou, room behind. However some tasteful decorative touches manage to make the modest little restaurant welcoming once you step past the vivid livery.

Hidden treasure

Since providing refreshments for the Port Royal street party, there has been a steady increase in numbers of people undeterred by the challenge of actually getting to, what I believe is, one of Port Melbourne's greatest hidden treasures.

Not only does Matilda Bay have the widest (and most frequently) changing set of brews of all Melbourne's craft breweries, it also has the kitchen to warrant making a night of it. And, poms rejoice, they even provide that bastion of Great British pubs ... malt vinegar to drizzle over your hand cut chips!

Mains hover around the $20 on the menu, however there's a teasing nine dollar burger which, while not massive, easily outclasses the phantoms and legends of Bay Street. Moving up the price scale, the dishes become more adventurous, though still unashamedly beer friendly. With its appealing bare wood and brick expanded seating area the brewery/restaurant would be overflowing if it were anywhere near a tram stop. For those of us in the know (and with a bike) its kind of nice that it's not.

Smokey and the Bhuna

The New Year saw new owners taking over from Rouse Street neighbours Shagy's Pizza and India on Bay. The latter is a straight switch for Khansama Tandoori, whose familiar looking menu is reflective of a bolts and all business sale, with even the religious trinkets remaining.

Shagy however has undergone much more of a makeover to become Smokey's BBQ, with the booths gaining a barn roof and the remnants of the wall mural giving way to license plates that leave no doubt that this, bizarrely, is Rouse Street's second American eating joint (with Third Wave café having been plying a successful evening American BBQ trade for a while now).

Though probably appealing to different markets it's hard not to draw comparison between the two new starters, with Smokey definitely putting more effort into winning over new custom to their somewhat red-necked meat-fest. Unfortunately their neighbours appear to have fallen into the complacency trap of not trying to be better than their predecessor; which is a mistake, because inevitably in some ways you'll be worse ... and in this case I'd say it's in the service.

Smokey's (All) American BBQ
Main prices: $15 - $23
Beer range: Millers, Coors, Budweiser, Sierra Nevada
Wine range: $8 - 9.50
Quantity vs quality: As you would expect in an American diner
Nearest Tram: Beacon Cove (109)
Bookings: 9646 4719

Sunset mimosas

The balmy evenings have made Corté a favoured spot for a Friday evening sangria; and rightly so, it's a genuine oasis in the midst of the bustle of Bay Street, with quality live music to boot. But, for the canny, there is an even better option...

Sat on it's own at number one Beach Street, Harold Holt has already carved itself a niche as a waterfront café with city credentials. And now, for two happy hours, on a Friday night they're offering $4 beers, wines and mimosas, with laid back melodies from the likes of No Strings Attached, all overlooking the ocean as the sun heads inexorably towards the horizon. It surely ticks just about every box there is.

Beers (bottles): Cascade, Carlton, Pure Blonde, Crown, Coopers, Grand Ridge, Becks, Heineken, Peroni, Corona
Wine range: $7 - $10
Parma: No, shared plates are more the thing
Gastro: Getting there
Tradie vs Yuppy: Could take anyone happy with table service

Lawrence of London

It's not just Harold Holt adding personality to Beach Street these days. Over at Station Pier, the Blackbird café has just reopened as Mr Hobson, and in between the latest incarnation of the London Hotel is now formally known as Mr. Lawrence (at) the london.

It's not entirely clear why The London closed its doors last time around. It's food was superbly executed, if lacking in originality, and it was a huge improvement on its forebear. Perhaps for this reason Mr Lawrence has made relatively few aesthetic changes; even retaining the art deco light cubes, albeit with glass now following the amber colour theme. Although the newly stripped external tiles add to a feeling of a not-quite-complete renovation.

Nevertheless it continues to be a stylish yet cosy place for a meal, in an almost unmatched location across from the beach. Where things have changed, they are exclusively for the better. The menu now fills an Arabian sized gap in the Port Melbourne dining scene. It now also offers fantastic (Lebanese) breakfast at the weekends. And its taps provide without question the best range of craft beer in town (sorry Prince Alfred your reign is officially over).

Shagy grown up

It appears that the original Shagy has moved on to a new venture in Elwood, with the original teen-styled pizza bar being taken over by new faces. Thankfully he seems to have left his recipe book though as the pub-style menu, which was always their strongest point, is still reliable although perhaps not exactly fancy.

However one thing that has changed is the décor, with the furniture having been reupholstered and the fittings switched to a somewhat older generation's tastes. However in white-washing the walls they couldn't quite bring themselves to completely cover over the murals ... which now makes for a confused ambience.

Whereas before the occasional patchy service was somehow forgivable within the context of the whole college café vibe, now it's half way toward being somewhere with higher expectations that I'm not convinced it can meet. Nevertheless it remains a safe, family friendly, option for a good feed without excessive pretensions ... especially on warm evenings when their outdoor booths come into their own.

Main prices: $13.90 - $23.90
Beer range: Keenly priced selection of the usual suspects
Wine range: $8 - 9.50
Quantity vs quality: No going hungry here
Nearest Tram: Beacon Cove (109)
Bookings: 9646 2322

$29.99 or less

Now sporting the catchy title "Good Food Under Thirty Dollars (for two courses)", The Age's annual bible of cheap eats has down-sized but still remains a reliable guide of where to find high quality cooking for reasonable prices. In the absence of a handy Readings store (surely it's only a matter of time before someone decides to open another pizza restaurant there?) to peruse the $10 booklet, below are the local entries.

Compared to last year, Port's humble contribution to the 500+ entries has declined from 8 to 6. At first glance this is merely due to the removal of the 'Neighbourhood Lowdown' feature (and hence mention of Noisette and Café Di Lido), however over the same period neighbouring South Melbourne's entries have risen from 13 to 20...

Of the remaining local entries only one, the stalwart Hunky Dory, opens after dark. Consequently there is a close alignment with the town's premier coffee merchants. Flying the banner this year are the usual suspects of Balderdash, Salford Lads Club, My Sister Says and Third Wave. However somewhat controversially Little Rose has usurped Seven:AM, and one can only assume that the new kids on Station Street began their trading a little too late to be reviewed.

Floridian Thai

It took me a long while to accept that the most contemporary of Port Melbourne's three Thai restaurants was neither named after a Lord of the Rings actor or the home of Disneyworld. Olarndo Thai takes the opposite approach in Google-individuality to the Boat restaurant assuming, that is, that you can assemble the letters in the correct order.

The food, like the decor, here is modern and crisp. Some dishes bombard you with a unruly cacophony of flavour, whilst others waltz delicately in the mouth. Service is attentive unless full capacity is reached, when the limitations of the narrow layout are reached, and parking for out-of-towners at this end of Bay Street is normally a breeze.

Main prices: $15.90 - 31
Beer range: Singha and Tiger join a standard collection of domestic bottles
Wine range: $8 - 9.50
Quantity vs quality: Wins friends in both camps
Nearest Tram: North Port (109)
Bookings: 9646 2690

TAOB

For a while the replacement for Belle Zain, the bay-facing restaurant sited at what was the end of the old lagoon, looked set to be named The Lonsdale; in recognition of the twin towers above it, themselves named after the HMAS Lonsdale naval base built there in 1942. Instead, the new owners have settled simply on the name Boat (apparently they aren't concerned about people finding them on Google).

Boat adds some diversity to the Port Melbourne dining scene with it's Greek tilted menu. It's pitched at a similar pocket to its predecessor, which puts it in a similar price zone to the Station Pier restaurants. This is justified by the quality of food and, on a nice evening, great sunset views although the black box interior lacks atmosphere.  The service meanwhile is a step up from Belle Zain, although still not in the same league as the The Graham just two blocks in-land along the former Esplanade.

Main prices: $22 -45
Beer range: No taps, but typical bottles including a house beer
Wine range: $6-11
Quantity vs quality: Quality wins out in the end

Tickets please

The Beacon Cove Pizza Bar, directly outside the end of the 109 line, is a perplexing place. Occupying (part of) one of the town's most significant buildings, it invites intrigue, yet adopts a remarkably perfunctory name.

The brash orange signs are rather at odds with the opulent interior ... and with the menu too, for this (thank god) is not just a pizza bar. Pub standard dishes are joined by Asian and Middle Eastern specials and the quality and service is decent. Add a sunny evening to the mix and the platform overlooking the palms becomes one of the nicest spots in town to sit.

But just when you've decided that the former railway station is actually a fairly fancy restaurant, with pretty views and stupendously easy access from the city ... you go hunting for the rest rooms. Sadly it has none of its own and instead you are directed outside to the utilitarian public conveniences tucked, albeit discretely, round the back. Like I said, perplexing.

Distant pier

It will likely come as a surprise to some to know that there's a waterfront restaurant, with a Port Melbourne address, that is five kilometres from Bay Street. Pier 35 Bar & Grill really is an unexpected find, hidden away between the industrial units on Lorimer Street. Even more surprising is that it's open every day into the evening (although it is part of the d'Albora Marina which also hosts a 24-hour servo for passing boats).

Round these parts you don't expect much more than a cafe, but this is a respectable licensed restaurant, priced in keeping with its waterfront view (the quality of which is rather dependant on the type of vessel moored up on the opposite bank at the time). As such it feels a little too stuffy to recommend as a bar.

However with a $14 lunch menu available every day, its a worthwhile target for a change of midday scenery, and to get a flavour of what an evening meal might be like. It's particularly handily placed for those making use of the Westgate Punt on a weekend ... or stopping to refuel their yacht.

More entertainment

As predicted last year, 2012's Entertainment Book sees a bunch of new Port Melbourne (and nearby) businesses contributing a voucher:

• (25% off total bill)
• Hollyhock (1 free main course with purchase of another up to $35)
• Nando's (1 free 1/4 peri-peri chicken)
• Noodle Box (1 free Nasi Box with purchase of another)
• Omah's (25% off total bill up to $30)
• Sloaney Pony (1 free main course with purchase of another up to $45)
• The Local (25% off total bill up to $35)
• The Palace (25% off total bill up to $45)
• The Pier (25% off total bill up to $35)

However the voucher for Omah's Malaysian restaurant on Rouse Street doesn't take account of its apparent sex change...

Bengal Tiger

Until late last year the former Nelson Hotel in South Melbourne provided the closest source of authentic Indian food for most Port Melburnians. The distinctively burgundy Bengal Tiger is hard to miss, sat as it is overlooking the busy intersection of City Road and Montague Street, just a block in between the Wayside Inn and The Palace.

Despite an incredibly high profile location, the Tiger always seemed to struggle to entice enough people to fill its many tables. For many, the slightly tired exterior hinted at a similar ambience indoors; which was unfortunate although the split room arrangement could be a bit chilly and meant that the waiter was often in the other room when you wanted him. Now however the corner entrance has been reinstated and opens into the, now cosy, main dining area.

Although at first slightly daunting, it is in fact not difficult to find places to park near the Bengal Tiger and there are tram stops on both the 96 and 109 within easy walking distance. Now's a good time to give it another go as the staff are fresh and eager to please, as is the food.

Spice oasis

It's a telling reflection of Port Melbourne's racial divesity, that if you see a turban on Bay Street ... it's almost certainly worn by Mankanwar Singh, one half of the couple that owns Port Melbourne's oasis of spice, in a town dominated by mozarella. India on Bay (on Rouse) has been open for a full six months but is not yet always busy.

Mankanwar is keen to suggest that it's ambience that people are looking for in a good restaurant, which probably explains the new feature wall in what was, a glass-fronted white box. Despite this new texture, I can't help feeling that this place would still benefit from some curios, fabrics or vegetation, to break up the space a bit, and perhaps to remind guests of the region of the world that is inspiring the, generally tasty, food.

The previously compact menu has recently been supplemented with some specials, but the pizza naan is wrong on many levels (although perhaps retaliation for La'Vero starting to offer a few Indian dishes?). Surprisingly the restaurant is still sporting BYO only signs on the windows which, with IGA just round the corner, is potentially a real money saver, but may be deterring finer diners.

Main prices: $13.90 - $20.90
Beer range: BYO only
Wine range: BYO only
Quantity vs quality: No danger of going home hungry

Good food

Ciao Cielo is an unassuming little Italian restaurant squeezed into the fast-food section of the Coles parade of Bay Street. However one thing immediately distinguishes it from its neighbours; the new sticker in the window indicating its induction into this year's Good Food Guide.

Having hopefully already saved someone $25 by revealing the Port Melbourne entries in last year's Cheap Eats guide, here are what The Age now believes to be the town's best restaurants:

• Ciao Cielo (Italian, mains ~$32)
• Dalmatino (Croatian, mains ~$30)
• Eurodore (contemporary, mains $22)
• The Graham (contemporary, mains ~$36)
• Salford Lads Club (café, mains ~$15)

The other new addition for this year is the Salford Lads Club, which pulls off the enviable coup of an entry in both the 2012 Cheap Eats and Good Food Guide (in the café section).

Borderline

The Floodgate hotel used to mark the Northernmost tip of Sandridge Lagoon; the large saltwater lagoon onto which Esplanade East and West used to face. It was somewhat daringly built four years after the great flood of 1863 in a spot almost guaranteed to live up to its name.

Now, however, the pretty pub on the corner of Ingles Street is home to Madonna's; one of Port Melbourne's many many pizza joints (they do do pasta, risotto and a few other mains too mind).

It's an unpretentious restaurant that manages to balance a smart contemporary atmosphere with a family-friendly menu. The pizzas are topping heavy (which I guess is one of those love/hate things) aboard a relatively thin traditional base, and good value too at around $13 for a dinner plate-sized small.

A tale of two parmas

Port Melbourne might not have the most diverse restaurant scene, but it seems that when it comes to pub parmigiana, it is a bit of a Mecca. The authoritative ranking at parma.com.au currently has both The Local and The Exchange in the top twenty nationwide (at #11 and #19 respectively). However many of the top venues are in regional Victoria - once you limit the search to venues currently trading within 25km of the CBD, they leap to second and fifth place (shame this wasn't a criteria for suburb livability)!

With scant regard for my own health, I set about comparing and contrasting these pub's offerings to see if their accolades were justified. The pictures above show the dishes offered by The Local (on top) and The Exchange (below).

India on Rouse

Finally, after months of vigorous campaigning (well, the odd grumble here and there), Port Melbourne is set to get its very own Indian restaurant.  

Contrary to the implication from its name, the India on Bay is on Rouse Street, the short section of which either side of Bay Street must surely have the highest density of eateries in town. The owners already run a couple of restaurants in Richmond, so I am hopeful that it will be not just authentic but high quality too.

21-12-2011 Update: The restaurant is now open for business :-)