NOW EXPERIENCING:Gimlet at Cavendish House
Drinks Directory|Fancy occasion|Restaurant|Melbourne – CBD

Gimlet at Cavendish House

Thursday: 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM
33 Russell Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000
Phone
03 9277 9777
Website
gimlet.melbourne
Instagram
@gimlet.melbourne

Read time 3 Mins

Posted 29 Apr 2022

By
Michael Harden

The newest venture from Andrew McConnell, one of Melbourne’s favourite chefs, is big, glamorous and gorgeous and as focused on cocktails as it is on food.

image of interior sitting of gimlet bar in australia
Why you goAndrew McConnell covers a lot of bases with his stable of food businesses – fine dining, wine bar, pub, Japanese canteen, butcher shop, corner grocery store – and with this, his latest venture, he turns his hand to a big-city diner. Though it’s only a year old, Gimlet feels like it’s been around forever (in the best of ways). The room helps. An airy, high-ceilinged corner space in the 1920s Cavendish House building, it’s one of the most beautiful restaurant spaces in Australia. Its central timber and marble bar is complemented by a two-tiered dining area that includes leather-upholstered horseshoe booths and linen-dressed tables. With dimpled glass panels, tiled floors and chandeliers, the mood is set to Mad Men-era New York, so it would be ridiculous not to have at least one well-made Martini at the bar. And, if you’re really into roleplay, order up some caviar or a massive char-grilled T-bone to go with it. The service is as charming as the room, so it’s the kind of place that fits many bills, whether you’re trying to impress your new squeeze, celebrating your best (and most stylish) mate’s birthday or proving to out-of-towners how special Melbourne’s drinking and dining scene really is. And if we haven't already persuaded you, it recently stormed onto the global stage, achieving 84th place on the World's 50 Best Restaurants annual 51-100 longlist (the only Australian restaurant to make the 2022 longlist). 
Why you stay

It’s difficult to pinpoint the best seat in the house at Gimlet. The good news is there are no duds. The sight-lines from the tables on the raised tier that runs around the two street-facing sides of the room are brilliant and the booths are their own mood, but it’s the bar that has you at the centre of the action so it might just nudge ahead in the best-seat race. From comfortably upholstered and backed bar stools, there’s front-row action from both the semi-open kitchen, its wood-fired grill doing wonderful things to seafood and meat, and bartenders shaking up a storm of cocktails. Once you get settled in this beautiful room, the question becomes not so much why you stay as why you would ever leave.

 

image of two cocktail glass ready to serve on tray in gimlet bar
image of a waiter holding tray with cocktail
What drink to orderThe four-page cocktail list of course includes a Gimlet. Bar manager Cameron Parish’s take on the classic is a mix of gin, moscato and citrus cordial garnished with a Geraldton wax flower. Other twists on classics include the Golden Cadillac Milk Punch with Madeira, caramelised white chocolate and orange Chantilly cream, and some excellent no-alcohol options such as Hojicha Soda, which pulls together the flavours of pear and vanilla with a Japanese green-tea soda. And that’s even before you get to the wine. That list is designed by one of the best sommeliers in the country, Leanne Altmann. She favours small producers from Europe and Australia so plenty of labels may be unfamiliar, but wine service is always a strong point in McConnell restaurants so you’re in safe hands. 
What to pair it withEven if you told yourself you were just popping in for a quick drink, the lure of superb bar snacks and beyond will keep you happily in place for longer. Who would deny themselves freshly shucked oysters served with rye bread and salty seaweed butter or devilled spanner crab and prawn with baby cos lettuce and fresh horseradish? Or delicious roast duck breast? Or house-made gelato? The flavours change daily, so you might find blood orange, white peach or rose petal versions, depending on the season.
Image of a cocktail served with snacks
image of bartender making ddrinks
Regular’s tipGimlet has a handsome private dining room called the Palm Room that maintains a connection to the appealing bustle of the main room. Up a flight of stairs from the tiered seating, it has views over the central space and can treat up to 12 people to cocktails, wine and a multi-course set menu in comfort and style, with the added attraction of feeling like the lord or lady of all you survey for a night.
Make it fancyAmong the many (many) ways to fancy it up at Gimlet, one of the most appealing is by ordering caviar. Gimlet’s menu has a couple of different varieties (including the prestigious Giaveri Beluga from Siberia) with a choice of portion sizes. The caviar is served in a tin on ice, accompanied by traditional condiments like crème fraîche, finely chopped onion and crumbled boiled egg. Very fancy indeed.
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In partnership with Melbourne Food & Wine Festival
image credits: Sharyn Cairns & Jo McGann
Authour image
Michael HardenAfter 25 years writing about wine and food, Michael Harden is getting the hang of it.
Tags
Drinks DirectoryDate nightMelbourneBarMelbourne – CBDA+ spirits listFancy occasionRestaurant
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