Verge

LOCATION
On the corner of Flinders Lane, overlooking the Fitzroy Gardens.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
Positioned opposite the Fitzroy Gardens, Verge sports a great view, but for those who don’t snare a seat by the window, there are plenty of attractions on the menu to keep your attention. This multi-levelled, contemporary restaurant is strictly uncluttered with no wood, no carpet, and nothing warm and furry. Instead, glass, concrete and flashes of colour stretch from the smart ground-floor bar up to the two restaurant levels.

Chef Dallas Cuddey’s cuisine is a happy marriage of modern French and modern Japanese, with the barest hint of Italian. Think tortellini with Japanese roasted eel, tofu and a soy glaze, risotto with shiitake mushrooms and coriander, or char-grilled Wagyu beef with confit daikon and leek. Plump dumplings might present as gyoza, or agnolotti, always with light and fresh accompaniments – perhaps a little salad, perhaps diced tomato. The desserts are a must; the mille-feuille is a precise assembly of pastry wafers, pear and hazelnut, served with a heavenly chocolate sorbet. The wine list is for wine lovers, and there is a great selection of wines by the glass. The downstairs bar has its own menu, and is a great place for a chat over a glass of wine, or an excellent coffee with tiny house-made cakes.

Rita Erlich