Lynch's

LOCATION
Opposite the Royal Botanic Gardens.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
Lynch’s is one of the stayers among Melbourne restaurants, having once been awarded by a visiting team of Michelin inspectors. That was years ago, but this achievement is still referred to on the menu. The restaurant is an engaging mixture of conservative and contemporary influences. The Victorian building has kept some of its period features such as the small dining room, the steep staircase to the upstairs function rooms, and its sense of plush privacy. But the front verandah, which used to be an enclosed wintergarden for many years, has been restored to its earlier openness and now hosts a cosy bistro that opens out to the elements.

The food is just like that of the building: a blend of old and new. The traditionalists go inside for the dishes that have been on the menu for decades – Caesar salad and corned beef, for example – and are still served at traditional prices, too. There are some livelier touches, and we love the bouillabaisse when it’s available. In the front courtyard, food offerings are much simpler. Breakfast segues into lunch and then meanders into evening meals, with little between-meal riffs. Try the vegetarian quesadilla for breakfast or lunch or tuck into the Asian-style chicken salad which is fresh, generous and attractively presented.

Rita Erlich