Middle Brighton Baths

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS
The Middle Brighton Baths is the venue with the lot. The building contains a gym as well as a cafe and an upstairs restaurant, and there is a fabulous panorama of Port Phillip Bay. The cafe and the restaurant offer diverse experiences and have different menus, but the keynote for both is a welcoming atmosphere and wonderful food. The cafe is bright and casual with large colourful paintings depicting swimmers. The restaurant is more elegant; the tables are dressed in white and the decor remains simple so as not to distract from the views through floor-to-ceiling windows.

After a swim, run or session at the gym, the cafe is just the place for a rejuvenating big breakfast or something as simple as a plate of quality sourdough, rye or fruit loaf toast with jams. Call in for coffee, or a glass of wine and some dips. Stay a little longer and curl your fork through a bowl of spaghettini with calamari, tomatoes, green olives and chilli, which bursts with hearty Mediterranean flavours. The fish and chips are also excellent, with the batter crisp and the fish fresh and succulent. Upstairs, the cuisine is more refined yet adventurous, although there are well-loved classics such as a juicy fillet of beef with fat chips. The whiting filled with a prawn mousse, wrapped in nori and served with avocado butter is a delightfully popular choice.

Rita Elrich