REVIEW
Who doesn’t like a little tableside action? At Omnia – a big, bustling clubhouse for the glam South Yarra crowd – you can order cocktails from a sleek marble-and-timber drinks trolley parked at your table (a Marigold Old Fashioned is a subtly sweet variation on a classic) or superb steak tartare expertly mixed and plated before your very eyes. This old-school, theatrical hospitality is where Omnia shines, whether you’re talking a voluminous wine list fond of Europe or chef Stephen Nairn’s excellent cooking. How about a Scotch egg with pork-and-fennel mince wrapped around a runny-yolked quail egg? Or a sublime barrel-aged anchovy teamed with lemon aïoli? And that’s to say nothing of the three steaks, whole roasted duck for two, expertly handled flounder with beurre noisette and lemon, or the banoffee trifle that steals the show at the finish line. There’s a cheese trolley, too, naturally – another good argument for nostalgic indulgence done right.
ABOUT
Omnia
European
625 Chapel St, South Yarra
(03) 8080 8080
Open Lunch Thu-Sat; Dinner Tue-Sat
Chef Stephen Nairn
Price guide $$$
Bookings Recommended
Wheelchair access Yes
This review was written independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way. To learn more about the process, head over here.
Gourmet Traveller Annual Restaurant Guide
Our guide gives a yearly snapshot of the best restaurants to eat at right now. The best-rated restaurants, as judged by the reviewers’ first-hand experience, form our national guide.
