Gimlet has a timelessness perfect for the times. With escape from reality at a premium, Andrew McConnell’s newest diner, a gorgeously renovated, high-ceilinged space in 20s-era Cavendish House – that’s all leather booths, rippled glass and chequered tiles – is the perfect bolthole, infinitely more appealing than the world outside. The drinks help, from complex cocktails to a superbly collated wine list that offers many thrills (few of which come cheap). The menu, a superbly balanced mash-up where French bistro meets Mod Oz meets New York grill, means you can eat brilliant oysters and/or caviar, tuck into a whole lobster or an 800gm T-bone from the wood-fired grill, rediscover the tarragon-infused joys of salade Lyonnaise and understand why some chefs go to the trouble of making their own gelato. The two-tiered dining room has exhilarating, genuine bustle, assisted by a highly credentialed service team that’s one of Melbourne’s best. Leave the real world behind.
This review was made independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way.
Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide 2022
Our guide gives a yearly snapshot of the best restaurants to eat at right now. The best-rated restaurants, as judged by the reviewers’ first-hand experience, form our national Top 80.
Sharyn Cairns
