Villa Romana

Sitting on the balcony on the second story of this Victorian style terrace on a cold winter’s night you’d think wouldn’t be so appealing. At Villa Romana however, a cosy ambience is created with warm heaters above and screening pulled down so that you still get a lovely view of busy Lygon Street, famously known as Melbourne’s Italian district, without feeling the cold winds of a Melbourne’s winter night.

I have been to this establishment a couple of times now and plan to return as I enjoy the warm, family-friendly atmosphere and generous servings. On my first visit I ordered slow cooked lamb with mashed potatoes – the perfect winter meal that makes you feel all cosy inside. I had a friend visiting from Sydney at the time who happens to come from an Italian background and was also very impressed with her meal. On my most recent visit with my boyfriend we started off with an entrée, sharing a serving of eggplant chips from the Chef’s specials menu, accompanied with a glass of wine. We both agreed that this crispy treat was a great start to our meals for the night. I then ordered penne with meatballs, baby spinach and fetta and I certainly enjoyed this flavour combination.

I certainly plan more visits to this cosy Trattoria, especially as winter nears and look forward to indulging in many more of their Italian feasts. 

Tea anyone?

The late 19^th century aroma of the historic tea room, dating back to 1892, still remains in the iconic Block Arcade. The Hopetoun Tea Rooms is the perfect destination for a girly catch up over brunch or high tea and I must say it has become quite the regular meeting place with my girlfriends. There’s always a line at the door, however it moves fairly quickly and is certainly worth the wait!

Hopetoun Tea Rooms truly does have something for everyone, whether you’re a tea lover or a sweet tooth, this place will definitely catch your eye as the window display itself screams entice!

On my last visit with a friend, we got to experience the breakfast menu. My friend ordered ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ as she couldn’t resist the Dr. Seuss reference and I had ‘Pouched Eggs on Ratatouille’. As we sipped on ‘What a Pear’ and ‘Ruby Sipper’ teas, chosen from the large selection available, we were both in agreement that our dishes were full of flavour and definitely hit the spot. 

…and for a treat, scones of course! Brunch certainly isn’t complete without a serving of scones with jam, and yes, more tea! 

Move over cupcakes

With the cupcake craze that had taken over with its beautifully decorated toppings to theme any occasion, it seems like there’s now a new kid on the block. The French have moved in, with their vibrant colours and delectable fillings that seem a mystery before every first bite. We have well and truly welcomed macarons to the scene and it seems we can’t get enough! It’s not hard to track down these beauties in the streets of Melbourne with competition growing fierce however, I have developed a few favourite macaron destinations and can’t manage to steer away.

First on my list is the Lindt Café ‘Delice’ Collection, with their generous fillings it’s hard to deny that these colourful treasures are packed with flavour. Salt Caramel is definitely a favourite of mine with the ganache filling melting in your mouth! They also like to mix it up with their seasonal flavours including another Summer favourite of mine – passionfruit.

 

Another macaron destination that tops my list is LittleFeat. These handmade delights offer quite unique flavours including Green Tea and Tim Tam Tease. As hard as it is to choose a favourite flavour from this selection I must say I can’t go past Cherry Ripe.

I’d just like to finish off by wishing you all a happy ‘Macaron Day’ as March 20 marks to 7^th annual Jour du Macaron for Pierre Hermé Paris!