Persimmon - Melbourne - NGV

Name: Persimmon at the National Gallery of Victoria

Address: Ground Level, NGV
180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
Call NGV and follow prompts - 8620 2222

Food: ModOz
Average price: Entree - $16, Main - $25, Dessert - $15

Complimentary: 4 pieces of bread (poppy seed buns and mini baguettes) with butter, salt and pepper.


French St Agar blue & Chevre with spiced persimmon chutney, apple sticks & toasted walnut bread - $16


The Chevre was gorgeously smooth and mild, whilst the St Agar was mild for a blue cheese but still had bite to it, the apple sticks helped to cut through the rich cheeses. I didn't get to try much of the persimmon chutney as Ryan wolfed it down, he absolutely loved it and had never had persimmon before. The walnut bread is still a little thin and kept breaking

We ordered:

Entrees: Roast potato soup, garlic puree, potato pearls, micro herbs, porcini dust - $15


The waiter poured the smooth pumpkin soup into the bowl, covering the small pearls with a gorgeously textured soup, perfectly seasoned. The potato pearls were a little on the firm side but added a wonderful texture whilst the garlic puree added a sweetness that gave it more depth. I think there were also peas which added yet another texture and sweetness whilst the herbs and porcini dust added earthiness and pepperyness.

Rabbit loin & leg, trompette mushroom & artichoke verrine, salted grapes, Dutch carrots, frisse & chive salad, grilled ciabatta - $16


Ryan couldn't help but order this again as he loved and remembered this so much from the last time he ate it. The dish is luke warm. The boys liked the addition of bread to eat with the gamey meat.

Mains: Braised veal osso bucco, chickpeas, bone marrow & herb crust - $28


Another winner for Ryan. The flavours were rich and full, Ryan wished he had been able to lick every last drop. Our friend said the following; it shied away from the conventional tomato based osso bucco and added unexpected dimension in the form of the herb crust. The meat was tender and the sauce was a great consistency.

Roast tasmanian salmon, toasted cous cous, smoked tomato jam, red wine emulsion - $25


The salmon was perfectly cooked as was the cous cous. The smoked jam and red wine emulsion complimented the flavours perfectly. There was also ribboned cucumber, a foam and perhaps a hummus, all of which added different textures and tastes. There was an overall sweet and salty balance.

Desserts: Tonka bean brulee, pistachio ice cream - $15


Perfectly cooked brulee - crisp sugar crust with smooth, velvet custard. The tonka bean gave the brulee a vanilla-esque, almost almond-y flavour, but deeper and more heady. The pistachio ice cream was perfectly smooth and melted well, creamy and full of pistachio flavour. It helped to soften the perfumed tonka bean so that the flavours were equally balanced.

Chocolate brownie, croissant ice cream, hazelnuts, griotte cherry gel - $15


Everyone enjoyed this. The chocolate brownie was decadently rich without being overpowering. The chocolate was smooth and the cherry gel was more sweet than tart.

Cost: $228 for 4 entrees, 4 mains, 4 desserts, and a complimentary cheese platter.

Service: Fantastic. The service is always flawless. We were lucky enough to be introduced to the chef Terry Clark by the manager, Juan Garcia. He was really lovely and kindly sent out a complimentary cheese platter.


Atmosphere: Good. The window seats are lovely as the booth seating is very comfy and the view of the gardens is really calming. It can get a little noisy when full but the tables are well spaced.


Parking: Limited - although a tram runs along St Kilda rd, and Flinders station is not far down the road. We managed to get a car park a block down the road and there are side streets you might get lucky with.

Website: None. There is a small mention on the NGV website.

Hours: Daily 11am to 4pm.

Would I return: Yes - this is my 3rd visit and not my last.