LOCATIONOn the popular Rathdowne Street restaurant strip, between Palmerston and Kay Streets.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAMoreton’s Brasserie is a suburban treasure, held dear in the hearts of Carlton locals that offers a quintessentially French dining experience. Situated in a quaint terrace house and run by the cosmopolitan Rees-Walsh family, this charming restaurant epitomises the very best French bistro style. Small and intimate, the ambience of Moreton’s owes as much to its genial host Jenny Walsh as it does to candle-lit, linen-clad tables, exposed beams and colourful French posters. Diners are made to feel immediately at home as they settle in with the offer of an aperitif and a blackboard list of the day’s specials. Coming to Melbourne after restaurant stints in France and the UK, Walsh and husband Chris Rees had a desire for a more intimate venture than their previous UK enterprise, and for almost ten years have offered their own blend of warm hospitality and provincial French cuisine with all the rustic character of an authentic Gallic backstreet eatery.
Starters include classic fare such as escargot with garlic butter, French onion soup and mussels steamed in white wine with shallots. Mains continue in the traditional vein with dishes such as sliced duck breast with Morello cherries and braised rabbit with mustard sauce. Try the house specialties of Atlantic salmon fillet with wilted spinach and sorrel sauce or the
cote be boeuf dijonnaise – roasted rib of beef for two with Dijon mustard glaze. Desserts are sure to delight with simple, beautifully executed offerings such as champagne jelly with strawberries and strawberry ice-cream, bruleed lemon tart with lemon syrup or bitter chocolate mousse with kirsch marinated griottines. The wine list contains mainly French and Victorian vintages, with several wines available by the glass, but Moreton’s also has a generous BYO policy for those who have a special bottle in mind.
Angela Costanzo