Belle Zain

Ph: 9646 6706; HMAS Lonsdale Apartments, 1 Beach St, PORT MELBOURNE 3207 www.bellezain.com.au

Modern Australian, $$ -
Open Tue-Fri 11.30am-10pm Sat and Sun 9am-10.30pm; Licensed; AE DC MC V EFT
Chef Chris Fahi (7-11-07) Owner Fab Hamka (7-11-07)

Mietta's Review
Pizzas are the star attraction at this family-friendly seaside eatery. Port Melbourne seems to be having all the fun at the moment, with its burgeoning eat-street culture and this is a welcome addition. Light filled, with clean lines and lots of child friendly room between tables, there is something to please everyone on the menu and to suit all moods, from tapas to complicated Mediterranean inspired main meals. And prices won't hurt either.

Other published opinions

The Age Dani Valent, 26-8-2008 "BelleZain is a good place to come as Scott Nofriends: it's relaxed and the food is pretty good. The restaurant is in the base of a flash apartment block, with the concrete and glass to prove it, but it's softened by cushions, linen and a dramatic flower arrangement. There's a staunch regular crowd, but ring-ins won't feel as if they're interrupting a clubby pow-wow. Tables are snug which makes for better eavesdropping and prevents solo diners from feeling marooned on a dining desert island. The best loner-friendly restaurants have something to look at: here it's the bay, the boat to Tassie and, in summer, beachy moochers and their pooches."

Age Good Food Guide 2008 Score: 12/20 "As a neighbourhood cafe where Port Melbourne apartment-dwellers can pop in on the way home from work for a glass of wine and a few slices of good pizza, Belle Zain works brilliantly"

Herald Sun Dining Out Stephen Downes 6/12/05 Score 12/20 "Trying to cover the field, Belle Zain offers downmarket platings of mainly carbohydrate dishes at fairly stiff prices. Meat mains are limited. The wine list, too, is limited but representative of grape varieties. Most bottles cost $30 plus. Seven table whites and seven reds are available by the glass."

The Age Good Food Guide 2006 score 13/20 "Versatile restaurants often succumb to jack-of-all-trades mediocrity. But belle zain manages to pull oft its multipurpose menu without letting standards slide. This buzzing cafe-restaurant attracts a diverse crowd, from chic lunching ladies to boisterous family gatherings. And there are certainly enough eating options to keep everyone happy."

The Age Good Food Guide 2005 "BELLE ZAIN straddles two worlds with ease. On one level it's a sophisticated family restaurant, on another it's a comfortable local bar with a tapas selection not content to stick to the script."

The Age, Sunday Life, Eat Streets, John Lethlean, 29/6/03. Wonderful staff, fair prices and a superb atmosphere for families.

Sunday Herald Sun, sunday magazine, eating out, Sally Fisher, 2003. Has dishes to suit all tastes.