Tag: dining

by Davin Lee

Saint.Urban

Saint.Urban are brought to us by the same team as Punch Lane. To say that we had high expectations of Saint.Urban is an understatement, because Punch Lane ha​s​ served us high quality food consistently for years. Sometimes we forget what a difficult task it is for a restaurant to maintain food standards of high quality, yet able to constantly change their menu. Punch Lane is a restaurant who has achieved this, and we can honestly say that we’ve never had a bad dish there. As we have found out, Saint.Urban has kept with this trend.

Located on bustling Swan Street in Richmond, Saint.Urban ​is​ on the quieter end. However this did not help us much on a Saturday night, as we couldn’t find any parking and found ourselves parked 600 metres away from the restaurant. Not a big deal for us as a bit of cardio couldn’t hurt, but you should be mindful if you’re someone who leaves the house at the last minute.

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As soon as I walked in, I instantly fell in love with the decor of the restaurant. The use of arches were prominent throughout the restaurant. It was used from their ​menu ​specials board to their windows. Speaking of which, I sat in awe as I watched how the windows opened up! Each arch has the ability to open up to let air in, I have never seen this design before, it was beautiful. Raw exposed concrete walls provide the perfect backdrop.

Well as for the food, it was exceptional! I’d say it more than exceeded our expectations. The Wagyu bresaola had some of the most intense beef flavours I’ve ever experienced from Wagyu beef. It was also a generous serving for the price. The sheep haloumi with peppered beetroot compote was a brave dish, but boy did they pull it off! Who knew beetroot and cheese could taste so good, the texture and sweetness of the beetroot blended seamlessly with the haloumi. The beetroot also served it’s purpose of taking away the gamey edge of the sheep haloumi. The mains dishes, confit duck and snapper were equally satisfying. Neither were overcooked, and the honeyed pear looked stunning on the plate, well played Saint.Urban!

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Saint.Urban has firmly planted themselves as one of the best culinary eateries in Richmond. Over 20​ ​yrs of experience at Punch Lane has been carried over to Saint.Urban, and the results speak for themselves. Two thumbs up from me, and I can’t wait to go back!

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Saint.Urban
Approx $45 AUD per person
Website: sainturban.com.au
Address: 213 Swan St, Richmond VIC 3121
Phone: +61 3 8456 0933

Saint.Urban Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

by Davin Lee

Heartattack and Vine

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I’d like to share with you guys today a refreshing Italian restaurant located on Lygon Street. Now I know what you guys are probably thinking. Italian men standing at the front of their restaurant with menus, herding people in like sheeps! This is actually one of my pet hates, and I would never recommend a restaurant that does this. Heartattack and Vine is the total opposite of this unwelcoming stigma. They let their showcase of food, and the faces of happy diners do the marketing. We’ve walked past Heartattack and Vine many times after dinner. Everyone always looks happy and relaxed dining here. Having missed out on trying their food so many times, food frustration kicked in, and we made an exclusive trip to Carlton to try them out.

Heartattack and Vine is an Italian tapas style restaurant. They have an outdoor seating area outside, but since it was a warm day when we went, we opted for some indoor air con goodness. Dimly lit lighting sets a romantic and intimate scene. They showcased all their beautiful cichetti (tapas) at the front behind some thick glass. Staff were welcoming with big smiles on their faces, and we were seated straight away on the communal curbside bench. The dining area was small and cosy, and they soon realised how big our appetites were! We ended up taking up the space of 4 people with our food. The concept was simple, you walk up and pick what cichetti you want and either pay on the spot or start a tab. Cichetti were $3.50 each or 3 for $10. More substantial items such as oysters or house salads, had their own prices.

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After ordering 2 Italian reds, we were on a mission. The cichetti were great value and we pretty much tried them all. I was asking what everything was just to satisfy my curiosity, but I knew I was going try all of them! We were truly impressed by the variety offered, and it wasn’t too carb heavy, which was a bonus. The dishes were simple yet with all the ingredients combined they worked effortlessly. The produce was extremely fresh, proof is with the seafood. It’s hard to disguise freshness with seafood, the mussels and oysters here were spot on! Figs, quail eggs, mascarpone cheese are some of the other delicious delights you may find on the day. I say ‘may’ because they are constantly changing their dishes to the seasonal produce. I’m not expecting to eat the same things next time I come to here, and that’s an exciting thought!

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Heartattack and Vine offers an abundance of food to cater for any picky or adventurous eater. I don’t expect any two persons to eat as much as we did, but if you do decide to go a bit crazy, it certainly won’t send you broke. You’d be hard to find value like this, with quality to match. I have a feeling this will be one our regular go to places, and I hope it will be yours too!

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Heartattack and Vine
Approx $30 AUD per person
Website: heartattackandvine.com.au
Address: 329 Lygon St, Carlton VIC 3053
Phone: +61 3 9005 8624

Heartattack and Vine Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato