True to Melbourne form, we’re two thirds of the way through September and winter still isn’t quite over yet. Luckily for Melburnians, winter comfort is still very much on the menus of many Melbourne eateries, including at Eureka 89 where we recently tried their 5-course winter degustation menu.

The flavours captured across Executive Chef Renee Martillano’s dishes are bold and exciting, teaming complementary textures and tastes with quality ingredients that are guaranteed to leave an impression bite after bite. So impressive were some of these dishes that my taste buds were even won over by a dish that prominently featured one of my most disliked ingredients of beetroot. The distinct sweetness of the heirloom beets paired utterly well with gruyere crisp and punchiness from the creamy goats cheese. Bravo Chef! The dishes that followed continued to live up to this high standard that was set quite early on… crispy blushing quail, followed by silky and succulent, 100% will-melt-in-the-mouth Cape Grim beef steak and short rib. And lastly, our taste buds navigated their way through various textures and notes of hazelnut, chocolate, date and coffee for dessert; each spoonful different to the last but all bites went down a treat.

If their winter menu was anything to go by, I’m very much looking forward to seeing what is in store for spring…

For those of you after something more, there’s also a 7-course option.

Mussels - with smoked eel, potato and wasabi.

Served with Punt Road ‘Napolean Vineyard’ Sparkling, 2014, Yarra Valley Victoria.

Heirloom beets - with gruyere, macadamia and goats’ milk.

Served with Clic Pinot Grigio, 2016, Friuli-Venezia Italy.

Quail - with cauliflower, smoked carrot and potato wafer.

Served with Giant Steps Pinot Noir, 2017, Yarra Valley Victoria.

Cape Grim Beef - with mushroom, dried lactose and charred baby onion.

Served with Yangarra PF Shiraz, 2017, McLaren Vale South Australia.

Hazelnut, chocolate, date, coffee.

Eureka 89

Level 89, Eureka Tower

7 Riverside Quay,

Southbank, Victoria, 3006.

+61 3 8658 3510

http://eureka89.com.au/degustation-dining-at-eureka-melbourne/

Disclosure: I dined as a guest of Eureka 89. All opinions expressed in this post are based entirely on my experience and observations made during the time of my visit.