REVIEW
“Easy” might be the best way to describe Donovans. Staff greet you like old friends on arrival at their beach house. Wines are poured with care and conviviality and there’s plenty to love by the glass. Go in the early evening. The curtains may be drawn – the reflection off the sand into the dining room is blinding – but you won’t mind. You’ll be occupied by a twist of smoked salmon with a buttery oversized blin, roe and pickled cucumber, perhaps, or by tuna tartare boosted with horseradish and anchovy. The garlicky pan juices are spooned over sizzling lamb shoulder at the table, but feeling this looked-after can come at a hefty price. There’s magic here in spades, though: in a snappy buttermilk salad, the charming service, the sitting room with fireplace. Rollerbladers whiz past on the Esplanade as a chocolate-hazelnut bombe Alaska for two (ahem, four) hits the table. After a 20-plus year tenure by the sea, Donovans is still very easy to like.
Phone:
(03) 9534 8221
Website:
Bookings:
Bookings essential
Features:
Licensed
Bar
Wheelchair Access
Private room
Impressive Wine List
Accepted card types:
American Express
Diners Club
Eftpos
MasterCard
Visa
Chef(s):
Emma D’Alessandro
This review was made independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way.
Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide
Wine: ★ ★ ★
Gourmet Traveller’s star-ratings, which range from zero to three stars, reflect reviewers’ first-hand experiences. The best-rated restaurants form our national Top 100. Our wine ratings, from zero to three stars, are made by wine editor Max Allen on the strength of the quality of the restaurant’s wine list. View our rating key here.
