Press Club

72 Flinders St, Melbourne (03) 9677 9677
Score: 33/40
I don’t like Press Club. Well. I don’t like George Calombaris. He annoys me. I don’t think he really understands food. I think his ideas are lacklustre. I think he’s ridiculously arrogant for someone who hasn’t achieved much.

But between falling in love with Hellenic Republic, making Maha among my regular haunts and my latest visit to Press Club, I think I might have to rethink everything I know about Calombaris and food.

My first visit to Press Club was for lunch. We had the roast lunch special, which was chicken, I thought it was incredibly average and dull. So heading back for my second visit, I wasn’t expecting a lot. My dining companions knew heading over, that I had some pretty serious dietary restrictions as a result of some medical testing I was scheduled for the next day. I wasn’t going to say anything, but my friends piped up and the next thing I knew, he was demanding to know anything and everything I couldn’t consume. These included: dairy, gluten, wheat and a host of other essential ingredients.

He ticked me off for being too embarrassed to pipe up for myself, informing me that it’s his job to ensure I have the perfect dining experience, no matter what my restrictions or dislikes. He then proceed to construct a menu for me based on these factors. On the spot. Then he offered me some gluten-free bread to munch on while my companions tucked into some of the more traditional variety.

I started with raw tuna with radish, pickle, watermelon, avgotaraho (sun-dried pressed mullet roe) and flowers ($29.90). Fresh, the taste of spring. Stunning.

Next up was lamb off the spit with marouli salad ($39.90). I had without any of the dairy-laced accompaniments, but it really didn’t take anything away from the dish. The meat was succulent, tasty and tender. All the things lamb sometimes isn’t when it’s off a spit.

But the dessert. The dessert. It is incredibly difficult to make a good, standout dessert without dairy or any of the things I couldn’t eat. Not only did they do it, they freaking rocked the Kasbah. Seriously – one of the best desserts I’ve ever had.

Raspberry and rosewater soup with rose jelly, nitrus citrus, cherries and raspberry sorbet. It was like a glass of pure joy.

While usually I am totally unrestricted with what I eat, what Press Club did that day was an art. They served me a meal of the highest possibly quality, with as many restrictions as a Christina Aguilera concert rider, with no forewarning. They did it with a smile and a flourish and I wanted to kiss each and every one of them. (nothing to do with the food strapping Greek demi-g-ds, each and every one).

Despite this top-class experience at Press Club and my love of Maha and Hellenic Republic, I still hate George Colombaris. For the time being, anyway.

Atmosphere: 8/10
Service: 10/10
Value for money: 7/10
Food: 8/10

Website: www.thepressclub.com.au