PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIASet inside a double-storey Victorian building with a prime corner position, Sassy Food Room is a venue which needs to be seen to be fully appreciated. With an open-faced brick interior, dark timber furnishings and original timber floors, Sassy oozes an ambience that is both sophisticated and approachable. Large front shuttered windows open onto the bustling street beyond on sunny days and a warm fire blazes for those cooler wintery ones. Upstairs is a private dining area that can seat up to 40 guests or host a stand-up affair of up to 50.
Though we, the public, might class the cuisine at Sassy Food Room as modern Australian, they favour the term “modern Melburnian” – cuisine that appropriately reflects the culture of Victoria’s capital city. With dishes such as tempura battered white fish with prawns, lobster fritter, chilli and lime glaze and marinated eye-fillet of beef with sweet potato fondant, ox cheek raviolo, reduced port wine, pickled shiitake mushrooms and candied shallots, who are we to argue? Be sure to check out the specials blackboard too (it is something that Sassy Food Room has become well known) for its ever-changing tempters. For a drop of wine with your meal you can BYO if you fancy, for a reasonable $7 per bottle corkage charge.
Veda Wickens