LOCATIONSituated within Young & Jacksons pub in the heart of Melbourne, opposite Flinders Street station.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAThere was a time when a salacious glimpse at a naked lady was the best reason to come to this pub, but the Young and Jackson, including Chloe’s Restaurant, has been given a major facelift in recent years. Now, the less-than-clothed Chloe presides over a relaxed bar that forms the gateway to a fine dining room which gives glimpses of the crowds hurrying to catch trains at Flinders Street station. The restaurant still has a slight pub feel to it, with red carpet emblazoned with the hotel logo and uncovered tables, but it has a more subdued, pleasant ambience which makes it a nice place to escape from the noisier cafe and bars downstairs.
Choose between a variety of tapas and lighter options, such as wild mushroom arancini with truffle aioli or char-grilled chorizo with sherry vinaigrette, before perusing the menu for the next course. Mains include 280g Porterhouse steak with ale-braised shallots on a cauliflower and gorgonzola puree or crispy skinned Atlantic salmon on udon noodles in a ponzu and light soy broth. For dessert, chocolate lovers can opt for the trio of dark chocolate tart, white chocolate bavarois and milk chocolate ice cream, or finish with banana and cardamom brulee with palm sugar toffee or a cheese platter to accompany your choice from a good selection of Australian wines.
Angela Costanzo
DETAILSA well-known painting has hung in Chloe’s Restaurant since 1909, its emblematic nude portrait overseeing countless tête-à-têtes amid the warmth of its inviting dining room. A recent refurbishment has seen the dining space restored to all its former glory, featuring rich burgundy patterned carpeting and classic polished timber tables. Guests recline in the adjacent lounge area’s vintage-look brown leather lounges before meals in the a la carte space, where views to Flinders Street Station, Federation Square and St Paul’s Cathedral offer snapshots animated with busy passers by.
FOOD & BEVERAGEBreezy tapas meals and robust pub fare are given equal emphasis at Chloe’s, where market fresh seafood and quality aged beef are given pride of place on dining menus. Share four or six tapas selections between two people, including exotic Middle Eastern spiced lamb koftas with sumac yoghurt and crunchy almond crusted chicken tenderloins with hazelnut mayo. Sit-down meals showcase both delicate bistro offerings and proper pub food, with mussels in lobster broth with tomato and fennel; melt-in-the-mouth 300g wagyu rump with one of many sauces, such as mustard and chervil butter or wild mushroom jus, plus a selection of sides, such as potato gnocchi and gorgonzola gratin or green beans with Persian feta and cherry tomatoes; and, seafood platters for two or four people with whole baked fish, prawns in chilli and garlic, natural oysters, Morton Bay bug and prawn spring rolls.