Whenever a discussion about Melbourne's best restaurants comes around, Punch Lane often comes up in the conversation. With a cosy atmosphere, an extensive wine list and a history spanning over 20 years, it becomes easy to see why Punch Lane received its popularity.
Not actually on Punch Lane
Located close to the top of Little Bourke Street by the entertainment district, Punch lane is a favourite for theatre-goers.
Gippsland natural grass-fed beef, beetroot, dill pickle & petite salad $41
My friend had the Gippsland natural grass-fed beef. The beef was very tender and retained a lot of juice, which is a sign of both high quality ingredients and good technique. However after previously visiting other places such as San Telmo, we thought it could have been seasoned a bit more thoroughly.
Flinders Island Wallaby, kohlrabi, quandong, macadamia, salt bush, finger lime $42
I however chose to try something different and ended up ordering the Flinders Island wallaby. I was expecting the wallaby to be slightly tougher and have a slight gaminess to it, to my surprise however, the meat was tender and there was little to no gaminess in the meat. My favourite element of the dish was how the flavour of the meat was enhanced very nicely with the use of roasted macadamia nuts, but I also felt that some of the other ingredients described in the dish were hard to detect or hidden by the stronger flavour of the meat.
The overall experience of the evening was quite pleasant. From the moment we entered the establishment we were enticed by the great atmosphere and the professionalism of the staff. Our expectations were very high due to the reviews I had previously read, and the experience lived up to my expectations. The only slight letdown was that I was expecting a certain amount of wow factor from the food, and although our dishes were prepared well and had solid flavours, we felt like it was lacking compared to the overall experience we had.
Punch Lane is definitely a place I would recommend visiting for a great night, whether it be to the wine bar for their extensive wine list, their dining atmosphere or even just the cheese selection. The friendly staff and the lighthearted atmosphere are sure to impress.
Food Rating 7.5/10
Overall Rating 8.5/10