The Press Club

LOCATION
Situated in the old Herald Building in the city’s Flinders Street.

DETAILS
The elegant Press Club Restaurant is one of the city’s most popular venues. The dark floors, leather banquettes, wooden chandelier and feature lighting along with an open theatre style kitchen ensure that the ambience of the Restaurant in full swing is as exciting as the food being served. Our extensive Australian and International wine list ensures that even the most experienced of palates will find inspiration.

The Press Club Bar offers an ideal space, either to relax or to party. With our broad wine and cocktail lists, international beers, canapés, mezedes, and a passion for Greek wines and ouza, the long, spacious bar with glamorous black marble, burnt orange wallpaper motifs and comfortable lounges ensures that this bar will always make a stunning impression.

The Press Club Restaurant and Bar is allowing its guests to sample a little bit of Greece right here in Melbourne. The chef’s are determined to bring Hellenic food into the twenty-first century and a passionate front of house team, lead by Restaurant Manager Angie Giannakodakis, will perfectly match this traditional food with corresponding beverages. Whether this be something local, something old world or something unexpected from Greece, a meal at The Press Club will surely become an occasion to remember.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
After the closure of the elaborate Reserve restaurant, Masterchef’s George Calombaris sought to test out a new culinary concept that combined his knowledge of culinary techniques, his interest in contemporary styles, and his passion for his Greek Cypriot heritage. The result is The Press Club which has consistently offered exciting and innovative dining since 2006.

Calombaris remains faithful to the traditional dishes of his childhood. These become modern interpretations with creative flair that elevate his humble Hellenic cuisine into a fine dining experience. Ingredients such as toasted quinoa, pickled cucumber, razor clams, pink fir and salsify flank more familiar Greek fare such as spit-roasted lamb, quail, goat’s cheese, skordalia and saganaki.

The surrounds echo the same desires expressed within the menu. The dining room is contemporary, dark and restrained, with an outlook onto bustling Flinders Street. Recent renovations of the restaurant have seen the addition of a chef’s table in the kitchen and neat alcoves in the dining area. The adjacent Press Club Bar has now morphed into Little Press and Cellar, popular with diners stopping buy for pre-drinks and a quick snack after work, or before a show.

Tonight, we start with the now famous Saganaki Martini, which is a blend of traditional and modern flavours. For dinner, thick white flesh of litherini sits atop toasted quinoa with razor clams, salsify and tahini complementing the dish. Roasted lamb loin contrasts with sharp beetroot horiatiki and almond skordalia. To finish, the Aphrodite dessert is a triumphant blend of white chocolate mousse with cherries and roses, atop sweet chocolate soil.

With its ultra sleek interior, savvy staff and fusion of old and new tastes, the Press Club remains a delicious blend of rustic influences and contemporary fine dining.

Angela Costanzo