Attica - Ripponlea - review

Name: Attica

Address: 74 Glen Eira Rd
Ripponlea 3185 VIC
Phone: (03) 9530 0111

Food: ModOz,
Average price: Degustation menu: 5 courses, $120, 8 courses: $160, $270 with matched beverage

Complimentary: Bread with cultured butter & olive oil emulsion with volcanic salt

The bread was absolutely delicious. All four of us couldn't help ourselves from asking for more. Most enjoyed the cultured butter but I preferred the slightly tangy oil emulsion.

Mr.M: bread was fantastic

Silken tofu

I can't quite remember what was in these appetisers but they were quite bland and unmemorable.

White chocolate eggs with caramel

Modelled on pekeko eggs these little morsels were filled with a gorgeous salted caramel that went wonderfully with the white chocolate. Yum.

We ordered: Textured cauliflower with horseradish

Delicious and complex. I can't recall the sequence in which everything revealed itself but the strongest contenders were the horseradish with its peppery bite, the calming, exotic coconut and the sharp tang of the crimson barberries. This dish is fun. It also contained puffed wild rice.

Snow Crab

Same as above but with crab instead of cauliflower.

Mr.M: a complex mixture of flavours...so many flavours that sometimes you are unsure if you like the dish or now. Jury is out on this one.

Cress stems, cucumber, pumpkin seeds

This was delicious. I loved the sweetness of the leeks and pear with the salty cucumber and samphire. The seeds added a nice crunch.

Marron, leek, egg yolk

Mr.M: best dish of the night. You would expect the marron to be a cold fish like texture when you sink your teeth into it. This dish was warm, and maybe is because I was expecting not to like the dish...but it made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Everything goes together perfectly, and everyone on the table with this dish loved it

A simple dish of potato cooked in the earth it was grown

The potato, which is sightly sweet and butter was tender but still firm - perfectly cooked. The smoked goat's cheese with coconut husk ash gave a wonderful tangy, smoky element to compliment the potatoes starchy creaminess. The crunchy fried saltbush leaves also worked well.

Mr.M: I've had this dish a couple of times and out of all the dishes it was my least favourite. I seem to be the only person that doesn't think its a great dish so there is probably something wrong with my taste buds

Shiitake broth, sea vegetables, osmanthus

Lovely Asian flavours.

Shiitakes & meat from the Pearl Oyster

Mr.M: great dish. Once again, lots of flavours that went together really well. Almost licked the plate clean.

Raw chestnuts, salt baked celeriac, Pyengana

Fantastic dish; it was salty but excellent. The chestnuts added a soft sweetness along with the nutty celeriac to balance the sharp cheese and rich egg yolk. Everyone loved it.

Mr.M: Another table favourite. Very warm inviting plate.

Beef tongue, vanilla, myrtus, lettuce stems

One diner wasn't keen on beef tongue so they substituted a 5+ Waygu rump for her.

Mr.M: the main meat dish of the night was served about 3 hours in, by this time everyone was pretty full. However this dish was 'light' on filling your stomach but potent on flavour

Wild mushrooms, mulled wine, pearl onions

This was my least favourite dish of the night. The wine sauce was too strong for me.

Winter apples

The vine leaves were soaked in juices (I believe one of which was beet?) and went well with the apples soaked in granny smith apple juice. Overall the flavours are tart and sharp. I enjoyed it.

Mr.M: loved it.

Mandarin & honeydew honey

The caramelised Sauternes cream was delicious and despite the mandarins (both fresh and freeze dried) being very acidic I enjoyed them. What felt out of balance to me was perhaps the honey? There was a strong herbal like element (more akin to a tree like eucalyptus or tea tree) that was really strong and overpowered the other flavours.

Mr.M:  liked it.

Violet crumble

Mr.M loved this dish so much he asked if it were possible to make one up, luckily for him it was. The flavours of the violet fromage frais and crystallised flowers to the chocolate dust, house honeycomb crumble and butterscotch syrup are delicious, although I still feel that a creamier ice cream, rather than tangy, would work better.

Mr.M: I've had this dish before but it was taken off the ever evolving menu. We asked the Chef is he would make it again and he did. A personal favourite of mine!

Service: OK. Whilst the waiters were great the kitchen was really behind and we didn't receive the first appetiser until at least 45mins in. In total, despite us scoffing down our food really quickly, our last dish wasn't served until after 1am (we had an 8:30pm seating). We were all quite tired by the end and a few of us chose to take the eggs home as we had passed the eating stage and just wanted to sleep.

Atmosphere: Mellow. The lighting is definitely dark, with the overall room decorated in dark, woody hues. The noise level isn't very loud and the tables are spaced apart well. It has a stylish casual feel. There was also a lovely view into the courtyard, I would recommend being seated in this area rather than the front.

Parking: Ample - the main street doesn't get much traffic after hours.

Website: http://www.attica.com.au/

Hours: Tues-Sat: 6pm til late

Would I return: Yes, this was the best food experience here yet with almost all of the dishes being fantastic. Hopefully next time the service won't be as slow.


Mr.M: Attica has definitely undergone some changes in the last time we visited. Last time I was at Attica I loved the creativity of the food, but that didn't necessarily translate to me enjoying the dish. Upon arriving we looked at the menu, and noticed that the price was up for the 8 course to $160, making it probably in the top 5 most expensive places in Melbourne. "It better be worth it" I thought in my head. Well, it was. The service was a little slow to get going  (Attica seems to  be known for this), however the place is very relaxed and  the waiters where extremely knowledgeable without being snobby (like many other 2~3 chefs hat restaurants we have been to). Attica proves that Winter food does not have to be boring! We will be back again!