No French Fridays this week, as I am on vacation. Instead, I will share my experiences at the Newmarket Hotel, St Kilda.
The Newmarket Hotel is situated in a renovated warehouse, and although it is rather unassuming on the outside (so unassuming that you can easily miss it), on the inside, it has a funky 1970s feel, with leather chairs and plaid carpets and garlic hung from the ceiling in bunches. The large, airy open space inside was buzzing, and we enjoyed drinks at the bar while we waited for a table.
The menu at the Newmarket Hotel surprised us, in a good way. While the name of the establishment does not make you think "Latino street food", that is the best way of describing the menu, which is full of tacos, tortillas and spices.
I went to the Newmarket with my friends Veronica and Christian at Saturday lunchtime, and we shared all of the dishes.
Veronica ordered the blue corn quesadilla with braised zucchini blossoms & queso Oaxaca ($17):
This dish was the pick for me - it was unlike anything I have ever had before, and was smashingly good.
Christian ordered the quinoa, corn and summer squash salad ($12):
This one was not so much for me - I think it lacked a little kick, but if you like quinoa, this may be for you.
I ordered the soft taco with wood roasted bone marrow,
chimichurri & ranchero style brisket ($8):
This was also delicious, with the soft, melting bone marrow creating a rich sauce.
We decided to live large and ordered dessert - namely, the chocolate & banana cazuela with salted caramel & almonds (min 2 persons, $14pp):
Hey - you say salted caramel and I am there. This was as fantastic as it looks, and a serve for 2 among the 3 of us was plenty - this is very rich.
If you are looking for somewhere different to go on a lazy weekend afternoon that caters to vegetarians, then you can't go wrong with a visit to the Newmarket Hotel in St Kilda.
The Newmarket Hotel
34 Inkerman Street
St Kilda VIC
Phone: +61 3 9537 1777
