Ripponlea, Victoria, Australia
Simple Comfort Food
Dined in March 2015
My tour of wine country in the Yarra Valley had come to an end, and now that I was back after a long drive with traffic included, it was time to eat dinner close by to where I was staying in Ripponlea while visiting Melbourne. I had reservations to Attica, a top 100 Restaurant of the World, for the following evening, and had walked from where I was staying the night before to see how far up the street Attica was located. I passed by Ripponlea food and Wine while walking, and decided to stop in for dinner.
Scroll down to read the main review
World’s Top 100 reviewed:
| Alinea Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| The Test Kitchen Cape Town, South Africa |
| Vue de Monde Melbourne, Australia |
| The French Laundry Yountville, Napa, California, USA |
| Quay Sydney, Australia |
| The Tasting room at Le Quartier Français Franschhoek, South Africa |
| Tetsuya’s Sydney, Australia |
| Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud Dublin, Ireland |
| Zuma Dubai, UAE |
| Attica Ripponlea, Melbourne, australia |
| LA TABLE de Joël Robuchon Paris, France |
| La Petit Maison Dubai, UAE |
Follow Wine, dine, and Play:
Star ratings chart:
5 stars
|
Extraordinary |
| 4 stars | Outstanding |
| 3 stars | Exceeded expectations |
| 2 stars | Above average |
| 1 star | Average |
| No star rating | Basic, poor, or appalling |
Review basics:
Overall Star rating by Wine, Dine, & Play:
|
2 of 5 |
| Quality of food: | 6 of 10 |
| Presentation: | 6 of 10 |
| Wine selections by region: |
8 of 10 Old world: France: A). Bourgogne: (Chablis). Spain: La Rioja Italy: Venito New World: Argentina: Mendoza Chile: A). Central Valley) Australia: Barossa Valley, Yarra Valley, New Zealand: A).Marlborough: (Wairau Valley, Awetere Valley, Waihopi Valley, B). Hawke's Bay: (Havelock North, Gimblett Gravels, Te Awanga, |
| Customer service: | 5 of 10 |
| Ambiance: | 5 of 10 |
| Corkage fee’s: | American Restaurant standard is $25.00 per bottle |
| Restaurant style: | Casual |
| Dress code: | Casual |
| Reservations: | Not Required |
| Walk-in: | Accepted |
| Child policy: |
The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a child’s menu or cater to them; however for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended for children not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette. Hire a Babysitter. See Alinea Baby Gate, god I love Alinea. |
| Cuisine style: | Contemporary, Bistro, Modern, New Zealand (Kiwi), Australian, Vegetarian |
| Music styles: | Background instrumental |
| Experiences: | Rustic, Trendsetting, Tourist grabber, and a Neighborhood gem. |
| Gratuities: | Industry standard is 18-20% added to parties of 6 or more |
| Payments: | Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express |
| Parking: | Street Parking |
| Transport options: | Bus, taxi, personal vehicle, and walking |
| Wifi | The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails. |
| Noise level: | Medium |
| Smoking: | Nonsmoking restaurant |
| Patio: | No |
Food price per person
(Excluding tax & gratuity)
$43.00
Price chart:
$£€¥ - Under 50.00
$£€¥ x 2 - Under 75.00
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00
**Currencies chosen reflect the world’s major travelers and restaurant connoisseur’s**
My food bill:
|
Currency: | Price chart: |
| $43.00 | Australian Dollar (AUS) | $ |
| $34.00 | United States Dollar (USD) | $$ |
| £22.00 | Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP) | ££ |
| €31.00 | European Union (EUR) | €€ |
| $41.00 | Canadian Dollar (CAN) | $ |
| ¥206.00 | Chinese Yuan (CNY) | ¥¥¥¥ |
To get up to date currency rates:
From restaurants home page:
Ripponlea Food and Wine is just a stone’s throw from the Ripponlea train station and a go-to for foodies and lovers of simple comfort food and conversation. Boasting an open kitchen, rustic surroundings and a cocktail list that will blow your mind, Ripponlea Food and Wine plays host to a menu of staple dishes with a twist. Whether it’s for a quick creamy latte, a Saturday long lunch or a cheeky Tuesday afternoon cocktail, Ripponlea Food and Wine is all about every day dining with a difference.
Main review:
The klaxon alarm went off in a steady tone and the barriers lowered to stop all vehicle and foot traffic as the train passed by and rolled into Ripponlea Station, which was only a hop, skip, and a jump from the Restaurant Ripponlea Food & Wine. As I sat sipping on a local beer, (not Fosters lol) the train would come in every ten minutes or so, as it was the main route in and out of Melbourne. I had taken the train a few times already for tours in Melbourne and rental cars. Luckily the restaurant was a very relaxed experience, because if it was finer, the trains would ruin it.
With my dinner, I wanted to relax after a long driving day, and tasting wines in the Yarra Valley had me craving beer instead. The menu consisted of small starter plates, large entree, and dessert selections. There were sixteen starter selections, and eight entrees, which told me that a lot of people would come here for splitting food or small plates to enjoy after work or on a weekend. The small plate selections varied from Olives, Pita Bread, Organic Quinoa salad, to Tuna Tataki. I asked what one of the best starters was, and was moved to the Stuffed Buttered Mushrooms, served over a grilled olive bread with goat cheese and ricotta, topped with a balsamic glaze, a very good starter indeed.
For the entree selection one item caught my eye on first sight, and even though I scanned all items, I kept looking back to what I would order. They had Ribeye Steak, Chicken Breasts, Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli, and a Wagyu Beef Burger, which was originally recommended, and I was tempted. Instead I chose the Confit duck Shepherd’s Pie, with wild forest mushrooms, leeks, duck fat Brussels sprouts, with a red wine jus. The pie was topped with a puff pastry style crust versus mashed potatoes like a typical Shepherd’s or Cottage Pie dish, but all the same it was interesting in taste, and enjoyable.
After this meal, I was unable to enjoy a dessert from their selections of apple Crumble, to Tiramisu, even though they looked good as well.
This Restaurant reminds me of:
Nice bistro, close to home, and a very relaxed atmosphere with good quality comfort food. With this style Ripponlea Food and Wine reminds me of Ecco Restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia, and Hanks Seafood in Charleston, South Carolina.
Other Australian Restaurant favorites:
Aria
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Pizza Republica, in Centennial, Colorado
Wolfgang Puck, in Orlando, florida
Safar Restaurant, in Dubai, UAE
Restaurant address:
15 Glen Eira Road
Ripponlea VIC 3185
Cross streets:
Glen Eira Avenue & Hotham Street
GPS Coordinates:
Latitude:-37.876530
Longetude:144.995811
Contact Information:
Maître d, Reservations:
|
(03) 8804 1313 |
| Restaurant Website: | Ripponlea Food & Wine |
| Email: | Contact Restaurant |
| Social Media: |
Facebook Link |
Review by:
Chef Sean Overpeck (CFE)
Chef Sean cooks for soldiers in Afghanistan, 2012:
"Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things, but in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well."
TTFN
