The Meat & Wine Co has long been a well recognised and esteemed dining establishment in the Metropolitan Melbourne area. It’s built a reputation of fine dining, exquisite food and a suave, romantic atmosphere. For many of us that have dined there, or heard of it before, the occasions have often been linked with special occasions – date nights, celebrating successes and so forth.
Now, the prestigious restaurant is bringing a new dynamic to its dining experience. Welcome the Express Lunch Menu – aimed to provide businesses with a high class, time efficient lunch menu aimed to show your clientele the value you hold them to while you broker that upcoming deal – all while keeping your finances in check.
Priced at a modest $55pp, the Express Lunch Menu entitles you to an entree, main and dessert as well as a glass of house selected beverages. In this current economical climate, eating a three course meal will usually set you back far more than $55, especially when considering your choice of restaurant. When I was briefed about this opportunity and browsed the menu I was expecting to see the costs closer to $100pp, so I was pleasantly surprised about the price point. Being the skeptic that I am, I presumed we must be getting bite-sized meals as a way to compensate for the low cost and speedy nature of an express menu. Spoiler alert, I was happily proven wrong.
Instead, I enjoyed an extraordinary lunch that was chaperoned with world class service and a jazzy ambience. We dined in the upstairs area, with a gorgeous view of Melbourne’s Southbank landscape. Views of the bridges, the various street performers and Melbourne’s own Yarra River add volume to the spectacle and dining experience.
Inside, the ambience and tone is created through rich dark, wood palettes and a simple, black and gold colour scheme. Across the room are lumbering ropes that act as something between walling and decoration. Vases, small sparks of vibrancy and the dim, yellow bar lights that help sparkle the marble counter tops and attract your eye to the vast array of wines add the finishing touches to the masterpiece. I myself felt buoyed by the experience and professionalism and could comfortably imagine the corporate world’s ability to harness this through deals over lunch and more.
Now for the food. To begin, we ventured into the Pork Belly and Salmon Tartare for entrees. The Pork Belly was marinated with a chilli glaze that oozed with subtle flavours to match the soft textures of the meat. It was enriched by portions of crackling – providing that extra layer of spice to the flavour profile as well. To accompany it, we enjoyed a brussel sprout slaw mixed with raisins and pine nuts. I am often one that will dabble with the side parts of a dish but never feel obliged to finish it, however on this occasion I couldn’t help myself.
My thoughts were as strongly positive for the Salmon Tartare, which juxtaposed the Pork Belly perfectly with its cold, angelic features of cured salmon, beetroot, pickled cucumber and capers, mixed with a soy and sesame dressing and served next to a crostini for dipping.
These entrees were brought out to us within minutes of ordering and left us with little time to imagine our meals. Rather, whilst relishing my second sip of Shiraz did I welcome these meals to the table.
As these arrived, we ordered our mains. The Portuguese Chicken Skewer and the Rump 250g, served with chips, salad and a sauce of our choosing. In between delightful conversations and silky wine we finished our entrees, settled our minds on the next meal and watched it gracefully take its place in front of us. Once again, the timing between meals was divine. Long enough to build that excitement for what’s to come, short enough that it didn’t become a point of discussion as to how long we would be waiting. The presentation of both meals was unmatched. The Portuguese Chicken Skewer dangled on a hanging skewer above a flavourful salad, accompanied by a delectable chilli sauce. Meanwhile, the Rump was cooked to medium rare perfection, presented with a beautiful grill scoring and of course, no streak would be complete without a side of chips to hit all the ideal food choices for you and your guest. Both meals were divine and exceptionally filling.
Finally, the desserts. The finishing piece you entertain your guest with as you close off the proceedings for the afternoon. We enjoyed both the Creme Brulee and Sticky Date. The Creme Brulee, a strong sugary end to our lunch, was magnificent and an easy recommendation to make. As was the Sticky Date and its timeless nature. Its rich and decadent structure would help take the edge off any serious negotiation taking place.
As mentioned previously, given the nature of the type of course that we were undertaking, I was skeptical of where the shortcomings would present themselves at that price point. Nevertheless, I am humble in defeat and can delightfully say that not only were the Express Lunch meals of extremely high quality, they were also timely, well portioned and met with equally exceptional service. I can not overstate how unbelievable it is to be able to dine at such a renowned establishment without it denting the bank account. The all around atmosphere, the ability to cater for any type of seating purpose and the distinguished menu make the Meat & Wine Co, and particularly the Express Lunch Menu an absolute must. A must try for yourself, and must use for those looking to elevate the levels of their business lunches while setting the tone for the kind of person you are and business you conduct.
Try the Meat & Wine Co’s Express Lunch Menu here.
Read more of our Restaurant Recommendations here.
