Cafe Noir

Mietta's Eating & Drinking in Melbourne 2000

Contributors' Choice
Page 50

Cafe Noir is a little like a pair of well-worn shoes. You might pass them by for a big, special night out that is a major production, but when you want to feel comfortable and at home, they are the ones you reach for.

The restaurant is relatively small and unostentatious. Long, shop-fronted premises are supplemented by a few outside tables which are very pleasant on a hot summer's evening. There is no lavish pizazz about this restaurant, the main decor being the brightly coloured floral artworks on the deep cream walls. Co-owner Michelle Newman has a warm welcome for her regular clientele. This seems mainly to consist of local management types from the Toorak, Armadale and Malvern areas who keep coming back for the tasty dishes prepared by partner-chef Garry Edgley. These are innovative without being radical, the sort of light Pacific Rim cuisine that Melburnians have come to enjoy. Many dishes have a touch of Asia in the preparation and/or ingredients, with others that are more traditionally European. The fact that this restaurant is BYO also has great appeal to those who come here frequently.

An updated review of Cafe Noir