Where did Rick Stein eat in Melbourne
From a “grumpy” Greek icon to a “fabulous” pub lunch, British chef Rick Stein has been enjoying fine dining outside of work while filming in Melbourne this week.
Classic pub fries, a table full of Greek favorites and a stroll down Fitzroy food street: British chef Rick Stein, known in Australia for his cookbooks and TV shows, is dining in Melbourne. All in the name of research for the new SBS program. Rick Stein’s AustraliaIt’s a six-episode travel show premiering on Thursday.
Stein owns three restaurants in Australia (all in NSW) and has been visiting our country since he was 19.
While she’s already shared a list of her favorite NSW food finds on her Instagram account – from party burgers to lunch at Three Blue Ducks in Byron Bay – she’s kept her Melbourne adventures more closely guarded. (An exception is a shout out to Collingwood’s long-running, loud and loose speech.) Jim’s Greek Tavern.)
When Good Food asked where he ate, he replied through a spokesperson, “I can’t talk about any of the places we visited while filming.”
These points will emerge in the coming weeks. Rick Stein’s Australia It is published weekly. Meanwhile, the 79-year-old chef shared some of the tastiest meals he’s eaten while off duty in Fitzroy, Collingwood and the Melbourne CBD.
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Albion, Collingwood
The former Punters Palace on Smith Street was reborn more than two years ago, reverting to its former name The Albion Hotel, and outfitted with a retro pub. It hit the spot for Stein, who stayed nearby. He says he’s tried the beef and pork sausage rolls and the crumbled fish cakes served with curry aioli. Albion co-owner Peter Walsh says Stein originally ordered one fish cake, but he liked it so much he added another. “He was quite friendly. It’s not often that a superstar like this comes.”
Jim’s Greek Tavern, collingwood
As chaotic as the best family celebrations, Jim’s Greek Tavern is loved for its low-key approach to both cooking and service. Rick’s wife, Sarah Stein, described the latter as “Very grumpy” after asking for a menu and being told Jim’s hadn’t had one in 40 years.
“I like restaurants [on] Trip Advisor bemoaned and loved in equal measure,” Stein shared on Instagram, a video of himself filleting a whole halibut at his whitewashed brick dining room table. “You know it’s all probably going to be pretty special,” that’s certainly what fans feel about this Collingwood institution.
Gertrude Hotel, Fitzroy
Of Fitzroy’s many pubs, Stein’s entourage chose the Gertrude Hotel for Sunday lunch, sitting outside in the plant-lined parklet dining area. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the chef’s English heritage, he opted for the Sunday roast, which was pork “with all the trimmings” including Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, pancetta and peas in gravy. According to co-owner Iza Dawkins, Stein was impressed by the portion size for $38.
Dawkins had no idea the celebrity chef was coming, but he was happy they introduced their Sunday fries a few days earlier. “Everyone [in our team] “Noting that Rick has put a little pep in his step,” he says.
The Builders Arms Hotel, Fitzroy
But that wasn’t the end of the pub crawl. “We also really enjoyed the Builders Arms Hotel in Fitzroy,” says Stein. The only pub in Andrew McConnell’s hospitality empire, it has a reputation beyond the suburbs for its top-notch wine list and sumptuous pub fare. Stein and her friends voted for Sydney rock oysters, pork and peanut casserole, and twice-baked cheese soufflé.
And in Melbourne’s CBD… Flower Drum
Currently Restaurant of the Year Age Good Food Guide It’s also an “old favorite” of Stein and his wife Sarah, who managed to get a table at the ever-popular two-hat restaurant during their visit. This was their second visit this year. At the last stop, they ordered plenty of seafood, including Patagonian toothfish lightly battered with scallions and ginger and steamed mud crab claws. “I think Chinese seafood is the best, very light and cleverly thought out,” Stein said he wrote on Instagram in January. Among Flower Drum’s many signatures, Peking duck and pearl meat sautéed with chives were chosen.
Emma Breheny- Emma is Good Food’s Melbourne dining out and restaurant editor and editor of The Age Good Food Guide.
