The Graham

Ph: 9676 2566; 97 Graham St cnr Esplanade West, PORT MELBOURNE 3207 www.thegraham.com.au

Modern Australian, $$ +, ** for Food
Open Lunch 7 days noon-3pm Dinner 7 days 6pm-10pm; Licensed; AE DC MC V EFT
Chef Rodney Nevin (7-11-07) Owner Tony, Amanda & Peter Giannakis, Peta Curran (7-11-07)

Mietta's Review
A lovely light filled bistro that is a hit amongst local residents, greeted by first name on entry. The service is pleasant and efficient, as you might expect from Tony and John Giannakis who for so long ran Andrew Blakes room down at Southbank. The menu is modern Australian in its finest form at prices that will not hurt.

Other published opinions

Gourmet Traveller 2009 Australian Restaurant Guide "Luring Daniel Wilson from his posting at Fed Square's Arintji has proved quite the coup for his former colleagues and The Graham co-owners Tony and Peter Giannakis. The move to this restaurant-in-pub's-clothing has given Wilson the freedom to evolve and show his flair for creative and well-balanced cooking"

Herald Sun 10-06-08 Score: *** "Once a notorious pub, this place is now afine restaurant"

The Age Cheap Eats 2008 "Any vestiges of a wharfie past have been erased from this stylish spot where spit and sawdust have given way to swisho banquettes, snazzy lighting and sophisticated mezze"

Age Good Food Guide 2008 Score: 15/20, One Hat "How appropriate that the soundtrack at this pub should include Elvis Costello collaborating with that ol' smoothie Burt Bacharach; the Graham too is a one-time scruffy roughneck now singing a far more refined tune"

Gourmet Traveller 2008 Australian Restaurant Guide "What's not to love about this converted corner pub? If you want a simple snack and glass of wine, you can have that in the wine bar"

The Age Cheap Eats 2007 "Exemplifying the gentrification of Port Melbourne, the Graham is an old wharfies' hangout reinvented as a restaurant and bar. Whether it's successful in its new incarnation depends: call it a tale of two options."

The Age Cheap Eats 2006 Once a rough-as-guts wharfies' hangout, this corner pub, like much of the Port, has reinvented itself. While dinner at the restaurant is not achievable on a budget, ... But in the back winebar you can completely loosen the belt and pursestrings.

The Age Good Food Guide 2006 score 15/20 1 Hat "Many restaurants are obsessed with cultivating a vibe of understatement and cool, which makes the convivial welcome at the Graham quite refreshing. Part-owners and twin brothers Tony and Peter Giannakis have a hands-on approach to hospitality, making sure diners feel at home from the moment they step inside the pared-bac dining room. The kitchen, too, ensures return visits."

Gourmet Traveller 2006 Australian Restaurant Guide "Housed in an old corner pun, The Graham's clean, simple decor - pale wood, white walls, clean lighting - keeps the focus firmly on the food. Dishes borrow widely and offer lots of interest, from kataifi-wrapped lambs' brains to red-roast duck curry with green paw paw salad."

The Age (melbourne) Magazine May 05 Gastro Pubs John Lethlean "he Graham has a cosy little bar and the dining room is home to some smart, progressive modern cooking"

The Age Good Food Guide 2005 "THE GRAHAM'S atmosphere of bourgeois civility and slight formality seems, at first glance, at odds with its locale. Yet check out the new locals' towering above and you can see why this casually elegant corner restaurant continues to go from strength to strength."

Gourmet Traveller 2005 Restaurant Guide "The Graham is one ofthe most successful transformations of an inner-city boozer into food-and-wine venue. And, with the addition of a back-bar serving mezze, it's a more complete proposition. In the simple, contemporary dining room, tables clad in white linen, glassware shining, three fundamentals shine. First, the brothers who own and run The Graham are masters ofeasy, informal restaurant service."

The Age, Epicure,1/6/04,Daniella Miletic,'Restored pub The Graham has a formal atmosphere,which attracts locals seeki ng a sense of occasion.'

The Age Good Food Guide 2004 Awards-1 hat, score 15/20, excellent wine list

Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide Australia 2004,'is a restaurant, it just happens to be in an old pub building-so don't call it a pub...it's a fine one.Simple, chirpy and beating with a passionate heart, The Graham is a strong package of professional service, wine enthusiam and food.'

Herald Sun, Sunday Magazine, 23/11/03, Sally Fisher

The Age, A3, Cafe Classic, 24/7/03, Jane Faulkner,Scores: Ambience, food & value: 8/10

Herald Sun, Sunday magazine, 2003, Lyall Corless Score 8/10.'

The Sunday Age, The 2003 Rugby World Cup, Jane Faulkner

Herald Sun, citystyle, eat, 10/5/03, Bob Hart

The Age, Sunday Life, Eat Streets, John Lethlean, 23/03/03

The Age, 20.03.01, John Lethlean Score: 16 out of 20."

The Herald Sun, 06.03.01, Stephen Downes Score: 17 out of 20."