We finally tried the number one restaurant in Melbourne. Attica is a fine dining establishment serving innovative modern Australian.
The set menu was $425 per person. We got one wine pairing for $265 per person.
The set menu was $425 per person. We got one wine pairing for $265 per person.
An experience
We really liked the decor and table setting. The cups were funky.
For our starters, we had rosella and pepper leaf. This was a soft furry bite, tasting like a rhubarb (tangy and refreshingly sour). It had a creme-cheese texture filling, with some honey? so there was also notes of sweetness and floral (probably from the pepper leaf). It was amazing.
For our starters, we had rosella and pepper leaf. This was a soft furry bite, tasting like a rhubarb (tangy and refreshingly sour). It had a creme-cheese texture filling, with some honey? so there was also notes of sweetness and floral (probably from the pepper leaf). It was amazing.
This was emu toast. The taste was like mild beef. And paired with a crunchy toast that was perfectly cooked, with minimal oil. The only downside was the thickness of the toast, which made the mouthfeel a little sickening at the end so this was the least favourite of the 3 starters.
Our last starter was a sweet and sour tart of quandong. This was a crunchy beetroot tart that had cream. It was a perfect balance of acidity and sweetness.
This was abalone with beach greens, which was a lemon myrtle butter. Delicious! Soft textures with earthy contrast, that also transcended to the flavour too (umami and earthy). This was served with a Maison Lapalus Le vin de mes amis NV from Central Victoria (not pictured).
This iconic dish was the edge of reason, a recreation of a lasagna that has been on the menu since Attica opened their doors. It was venison and wild boar, with a crispy pasta layer. It definitely tasted like a traditional lasagna but I wished there was more béchamel sauce. This was served with the Massa Vecchia 2022 from Toscana Italy.
Next was a paperbark flatbread served with the Somloi Vandor Kabar-Koverszolo 2024 from Hungary.
This bite was yeast imported from Queensland, infused for 2 weeks with honey and then cooked into a bread with grated cheese and ants from NSW. We’re not sure on the difference in taste with the ants but it did add the most subtle crunch. The ants were definitely more of a visual shock than a flavour shock. The bread was delicious anyways – sweet and crunchy.
This bite was yeast imported from Queensland, infused for 2 weeks with honey and then cooked into a bread with grated cheese and ants from NSW. We’re not sure on the difference in taste with the ants but it did add the most subtle crunch. The ants were definitely more of a visual shock than a flavour shock. The bread was delicious anyways – sweet and crunchy.
There was no menu on the table so when the staff asked us to follow them, we were very surprised to be taken on a whimsical tour. The first stop was a Madenii & lemon myrtle jube, which was a light jelly.
The magic mushroom was like a sweet biscuit with cream. It was served with a whiskey tea. There were heaters in the back and one chef who was serving this snack. It was quite fun to get a tour of the kitchen along the way.
Settled back in, we had the rock flathead and native citrus, served with the Reed Frequency 2024 from New Zealand. Banger! This flathead fish was cured with salt, and had 4 native limes (finger lime, mizu, and no idea what the other two limes) but wow, we could taste the complexity of it. It was served with a fragile mizu sourdough cracker.
Our next dish was a marron quenelle, wattle and kakadu plum, served with the Jintaro Yura L’Abeille et le Papillon 2024 from France. It was creamy, sweet and so unique with the little ants. We couldn’t believe insects would pair so well with a crayfish. The sourdough was panfried.
This tart was a crocodile, macadamia and buttongrass, served with Paradigm Hill Pinot Noir Attica 2025 from the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. We all know crocodile tastes like chicken, with a beefy texture but WOW! Paired with the earthy macadmia cream, munchtree (spiced granny smith apple) and Geraldton wax was sooo delicious. It was savoury, sweet and creamy.
This was barramundi steamed with lemon myrtle, served with the Mammoth Lugard 2022 from Mornington Penisula, Victoria. The sauce was like a spiced curry that added a lot of depth to the fish, which was very fresh and perfectly cooked.
Our last main dish was a kangaroo with pepper and smoke. This was served with the Entropy Cabernet Sauvignon 2024 from Gippsland. It was tender, no gamey-ness and covered in a delicious savoury and sweet sauce. The smoke was pine tree under the lid.
Our first dessert was the iced ooray with ainse myrtle cream, served with our last pairing, a Pfeiffer Classic Topaque NV from Victoria. This was a lightly sweet and creamy bite, contrasting nicely with the freshly shaved kakigori that had been around for 70 years. The wine was also not too sweet, so it brought a good balance to the dish.
Next was a wood-steamed native ginger pudding and dayummmm, a very interesting and creamy ginger and sweet potato custard, almost like an Asian pudding. We really loved this.
It was served with this steamed wattle “biscuit” that tasted like a melted cake. The nuts added a nice contrast to the bite.
Attica ended the meal with a bang because what do you mean there were ants on our macadamia pikelet and ooray jam?! It was like a sweet muffin with the most subtlest crunch. Such a showstopper.
Our petit four was a waxflower koala, basically an Australian staple (animal) and childhood memories (think Cadbury Koala that most of us grew up on). It was such a cute bite.
Service
The service was exquisite from start to finish. We expected nothing less from one of the best restaurants in Melbourne. The pacing of the dishes was great too.
We could see the theatrics and creativity in the dining experience. And the use of so many Australian animals and natives across the entire menu made us proud that we had some strong contenders to define “Australian cuisine”. We really enjoyed our dinner and look forward to a return visit.
Thanks for reading. Happy eating!
Thanks for reading. Happy eating!
