LOCATIONAt the fashionable end of Little Collins Street, Melbourne CBD.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAThe term “council house” may conjure up an image of a grim, impersonal high-rise, but within these walls, one may hope, is a blueprint for the future. Council House 2 is a light, informal restaurant with a semi-industrial feel but with plenty of grounding touches as well. The solid environmental focus of the building extends to the menu – where possible, all produce is organic and locally sourced. The wine list, too, consists entirely of regional crafted Victorian wines which have been chosen to accompany a mostly European-inspired menu.
The restaurant eschews entree and main size dishes in favour of numerous mid-size choices. These may encompass a salad of raw kingfish and seared tuna with fennel, apple, cucumber, goat’s cheese and fresh herbs, or braised pigeon with a salad of eggplant, lentils, preserved lemons, tomato and spiced with fennel, dill, pepper and coriander. Heartier offerings come in the shape of the slow-cooked lamb shoulder or the pie of roasted duck breast and duck leg confit with chestnuts and salsify. Desserts are inventive and equally satisfying. Council House 2 shows off our finest seasonal, regional produce in pleasant, environmentally conscious surrounds – it all makes for feel-good dining at its best.
Angela Costanzo