The Moor's Head

The Moor's Head

The Moor's Head (owned by the Rumi folk) opened quietly in Northern Thornbury in 2011 but quickly built momentum for its fantastic food. Thanks to a very favourable review in the 2012 Age Cheap Eats, it is now a book-a-week-ahead kind of place.

The Moor's Head serves inauthentic pizza (it's words, not mine) and they are flavour sensations! Eggplant, spiced chicken, bastourma, fetta, nuts, fresh tomato, the list goes on. The accompanying salads are also special, as is the service. If I ordered takeaway from here as often as I desired I would be the size of a house. Enough said!

Royal Hotel Clifton Hill

Royal Hotel

I have been eating at the Royal Hotel on a semi-regular basis over the past year. It is nothing short of a divine find. (You don't get reviews like this from the fussy Urbanspoon community unless you are seriously impressive)

The Royal does steak well. A big cut of scotch or porterhouse with hand cut chips for $29-34. Green beans on the side ($8 for a two person serving). They also do pastas and risottos of the day plus plenty of fresh market priced fish- all food is of the standard of a classic gastropub, but the Royal has savoured its low-key vibe which makes it an extra pleasurable place to eat, no pretentiousness, just extra friendly and attentive staff and a killer beer list. Walks all over the nearby Terminus any day of the week.

St Jude's Cellars

St Jude's Cellars

St Jude's earned 10 points automatically for their booking system. I was looking for somewhere nice for a Saturday night dinner for four with two hours notice (terribly ambitious). They use Dimmi and I was able to make a booking for 8.15 at 6pm with no fuss, and, miraculously the table was ready for us when we arrived. We shared a platter (nice but unremarkable) and I had a steak for my main. I loved the salad and the hand cut fries but I wasn't blown away by my beef, pre cut for me (the nerve!). Overall, the place was pretty good, the service was friendly and professional and the price was fair. My biggest gripe was with the positioning of the bar tables for the drinkers. I do acknowledge that it was Saturday night but my dining buddy had to put up with standing patrons leaning into him/over him/next to him while he tried to eat his meal. Not good.

Masons of Bendigo

Masons of Bendigo

Bendigo has a new eatery! Masons was positively buzzing- even as someone who has never lived in Bendigo I am aware of how desperately the local dining scene has needed a spot like this for years.

The service was almost flawless, prices fair and the food was outstanding. We started with fried chicken ribs (something akin to KFC yet strangely delicious), Harvey Bay scollops with Skipton Eel and a creamy sauce (almost as good as the jamon scollops I have dreamed about every night since first visiting Movida years ago).

For our 'bigger' dishes we ate beef cheeks with celeriac mash and octopus with chorizo (pictured) and a salad. Presentation wise, the octopus looked a bit busy on the plate but worked well- the beef cheek was probably the winner of the day. Slow cooked, rich, balanced, exquisite.

Highly recommended.