Gimlet at Cavendish House

Martin G★★★★★★★★★★5.04 months ago

Rightfully a Melbourne institution. Five plus stars for the menu, service and atmosphere. We had lunch today which was excellent, but would like to go back in the evening because I feel that the night time feel will be different. But whenever, this is something really good. Our choices included the warm sourdough, gnocchi fritto, anchovy toast with peppers, grilled calamari which was really special and something different; and, the centrepiece was the 900g t-bone with potatoes with sauce gribiche, and white cucumber buttermilk and mint, that was really refreshing. As you would expect, great wines by the glass. Dessert standout was the dark chocolate, caramel cream with a lovely Jersey milk gelato…very very nice and looked great! The caramelised brioche with almond milk and Meyer lemon ran second but was also worth a look. Great lunch, no negatives and you get what you pay for, special. Thank-you.

Benjamin★★★★★★★★★★4.02 weeks ago

Beautiful restaurant with excellent service. I accidentally left my umbrella and small bag behind, and the team called me within five minutes to let me know, which was genuinely impressive. The food was good, though I had more memorable meals in Australia for less. Still, the atmosphere is elegant and the service really stands out. A lovely place for a date or a special evening.

Damon Groenveld★★★★★★★★★★5.02 months ago

First day off in months and I decided to remind myself what truely good food is. Not overly pretentious, just perfect matching. I tried the autumn menu. That first little bite was truely exquisite. And tuna so tender it literally melts in your mouth. Lovely level of acidity on the salad and omg that sauce with the beef is to die for. And all great things eventually come to an end but not be for a spectacular combo of a sweet muscat coupled with desert balanced so finely as to be dreamt about for months. And what better way to finish than on a long black. It’s been a long time since I have been reminded what truely good food really is. The service was fine tuned and perfect, great suggestions, friendly without being invasive or pushy. Just how it should be. I couldn’t fault a single thing. Highly recommend.

Lee Wayne★★★★★★★★★★5.05 months ago

It’s one of our best meals in Melbourne and we had a great time at Gimlet. We started off well with old fashion cocktail and Jack, our service staff + bartender, has been very welcoming and attentive towards our dining experience. Special shout out to Jack who made our lunch very enjoyable. The oysters and scallops were alright (not the best we had tried but good enough). But we hit the right main dish with the lobster in Saffron rice. The rice was well flavoured with the lobster jus and the fresh juicy lobster paired very well with their homemade sauce. Excellent choice and the most expensive dish didn’t disappoint. Finally, I had to say that the meal ended on the right note with the dark chocolate, caramel cream, jersey milk gelato - one of the best desserts I had tried in my life (highly recommended). Gimlet is always packed and busy. Do make advance booking if you could. We walk in two times to be able to get a chance to dine here on a weekday lunch.

Paolo Tarray★★★★★★★★★★5.02 weeks ago

It’s clear why Gimlet is iconic. Vibe was great: the right level of buzz but still quiet and intimate. Service was top notch: attentive but not overbearing (and the wait staff naturally acknowledged our anniversary without it feeling scripted). Food was delicious: the set menu had a good spread and we were surprised with how generous the servings were. And if you’re thinking of closing out the evening with their famous cheeseburger, just do it (we were so full but it was worth it).