Crn Graham Street & Esplanade West
Port Melbourne
03 9676 2566
On a recent catch up with a friend from Sydney who happens to be a restaurant reviewer, we decided to try the Graham Hotel in Port Melbourne. This 140-year-old ex-tavern has long since shed its tatts and overalls interior to keep pace with upwardly mobile Port set. The Graham has recently been upgraded and the dining room is a classy, welcoming space with plush chocolate carpet, leather banquettes, timber furniture and a fireplace that combine to result in a warm and intimate environment, ideal for a Sunday lunch or a smart night out. The menu has a great selection with eight entrees and another eight main courses to choose from with a very extensive wine list covering many styles and price points with 30 sold by the glass. The entrees we settled on were seared scallops with artichoke puree, honey glazed kaiserfleisch (whatever that is!) & watercress, tempura soft shelled mud crab smeared with wasabi mayo and sitting on a tumble of yuzu pickled vegetables and nori, and char grilled prawns in pineapple yellow curry, cucumber and chilli relish. All were a decent serving and within the $15-20 range. Of the three main courses I absolutely loved the lemon-crumbed veal stuffed with buffalo mozzarella and prosciutto with a salad of parsley and almond, it was sort of like a veal Kiev but with oozy cheese rather than garlic butter …yum!The half roasted free range corn fed chicken with one leg swaddled in pancetta, served with garlic and lemon kipfler potatoes was a hit and the crisp skinned snapper with snake beans and a green paw paw salad went down easily. Other choices included porterhouse, red curry of Chinese roasted duck and pan seared salmon.The desserts looked delicious and very tempting so we decided to share the desert tasting plate which was a great way to sample a little of everything. The service was absolutely spot on, very smooth, understated, efficient and extremely helpful. I would highly recommend a visit as you won’t be disappointed at all.
