Gimlet at Cavendish House
9.9/10 on Tuesday December 8 2020.
THE SCENE
The Walrus: Great reno/fit-out of what was the old Bang & Olufsen store in Melbourne. Very spacious and the bar in the middle of the room is a great touch. Staff were very professional, warm and welcoming. 9/10
The Carpenter: Gimlet is fresh on the scene in the refurbished Bang & Olufsen flagship store. While the B&O flag has been lowered, Gimlet has recast the space in sensational fashion. The “room” has soaring ceilings, an impressive bar centerpiece, and plenty of space for well sized tables that sit very comfortably. Early days post lockdown so the place was packed. Menu was a Summer menu hot off the press with a very tempting array of Modern Australian.9/10
POTATIONS
W: Went with a signature Gimlet instead of the usual Gin Martini. Good choice. They add a dash of Moscato to the usual lime and gin for their interpretation. A very refreshing way to kick off the meal. 8/10
C: There was no choice but to have the signature gimlet - gin was a standard Tanqueray. It was the mix that made the moment. I remember something to do with three flowers and mascato - in any case, it was a great refreshing start to the evening. 9/10
ENTREE
W: The entrée duck dish was exceptional. A light and delicate parfait on crisp bread was delicious and packed with bags of flavor. There was also a duck croquet with fig paste. Crunchy on the outside with delicious leg meat in the middle, light as air and not greasy at all with a strong, delicious flavor. Some raspberries that accompanied as well brought a great burst of tartness to help cut though the richness of the meat. Highly recommend this dish when its on offer! 10/10
C: Salt water duck. Done a few ways - might have been three but there were defintiely two that stick in the memory - a perfect parfait on crunchy pumpernickel. When I say perfect I mean the texture, the mouthfeel, the long draw on the flavour, the melt to almost nothing but pure flavour. Magical stuff. And when the crunchy is right, it just elevates everything. Then the shredded duck in a croquet - super crisp and hot on the outside, served with a fig paste. Just wonderful. There was a bit of radicchio and raspberry in the mix too. Brought me right back to the original Cutler & Co duck done 5 ways, or was it three? Seems to have been reborn in this latest iteration. A plus! plus 10/10
MAIN
W: .For main we decided to share the Southern Rock Lobster that was wood roasted in saffron rice and a bisque sauce. Absolutely delicious. The lobster meat was perfect, the bisque sauce was just the right richness and had immense depth. The rice, however, was at least on par with the lobster and maybe even better! The whole dish was amazing and I will definitely be lining it up again the next time I visit. 10/10
C: We shared the lobster - what the hell, it’s Christmas!. The lobster was fantastic. The bisque it was served with was fantastic. Where it got a little crazy was the paella style saffron rice it was served on - now that was the show stopper. Who knew rice could be such a standout. Against lobster! I still begrudge the work it takes to get all the yummy bits out of that shell - gotta watch the sharp edges. . 9.5/10
DESSERT
W: I went for a light dessert of mixed berries and cream cheese. Was the perfect way to finish the meal. Refreshing and light. 9/10
C: A perfectly cooked panettone doused liberally in grappa - ALOT of grappa - socks off sort of levels - and some sort of fraiche on the side. The panettone was fried on the sides. It was delicate and just wonderfully done. A sensational Christmas summer dessert. Well played. 10/10
STICKY
W: They recommended a Hungarian Royal Tokaji - Blue Label 5 Puttonyos Tokaji Aszu, which was very nice and went with dessert perfectly as a match. Very Sauternes-like with dried honey and pineapple flavor profile. 9/10
C:. A Royal Tokaji Aszu very thoughtfully recommended to match perfectly with the panettone 10/10
SERVICE
W: Service was fantastic. Very attentive, great recommendations (both food and wine) and they know how to look after you and give you space at the same time - a sign of professional service! 10/10
C: Wonderful service. Very attentive. Exceptional wine recommendations. Not a wrong move. At all. And there was at least one familiar face. 10/10
OVERALL
W: Again I am very impressed with how the Andrew McConnell group is able to open a new venue and hit the ground running and not missing a beat. A cracking addition to Melbourne’s dining scene. Will definitely be returning for another go! 10/10
C: We’ve lobbed into some fresh openers and been able to easily spot the wrinkles getting ironed out - not here. The Gimlet team, the menu, the service, the venue, were all seamless. An extremely impressive showing. And those dishes - wow. Highly recommend. 9.75/10
THE CAP
W: We ducked into Whiskey Den (just around the corner from Gimlet) and finished out the night with our standard night cap - the Boulevardier. The lads made a cracking version for us and we left very happy (and a little hazy) and headed home. 10/10.
C: It was Christmas - around the corner to the aptly named Whiskey Bar - who knew how much whiskey they actually had. An intimate setting jammed to the gunwales with whiskey. Great just to let the eye roam over the incredible selection. And the boulevardier served up using a rye base was right up there with Graeme’s of Smithwood. Best we’ve had in the CBD 10/10.
