Neptune Wine Bar

Date nights.

They’re important for relationships, but Brad and I don’t have them all that often - as these days, especially at the moment, I can be out at events from Monday until Thursday, so by the time Friday night comes around I’m ready to curl up in a foetal position on the couch in my pajamas with a tub of ice-cream. 

That, and although I love eating out, Brad’s a little more conservative when it comes to dining out, so I try not to get too excessive - so we often have quick Indian and Thai dinners (which I can’t complain about either really though).

However, when we do get a night out, I love a bit of make up, a short skirt, heels and a flirty joke or three - and Neptune Wine Bar is the perfect space to encourage that behaviour.

Located in Windsor, but a little away from the main Chapel Street drag, Neptune Wine Bar is dimly lit and beautiful. With exposed brick walls contrasting against structured, crisp and minimalist finishes. There’s a slight European feel to the space, but it’s definitely Melbournian. 

There’s an outdoor/indoor area out front, perfect for when Melbourne decides to let summer come through, followed by a bar, and intimate booths out back. We perch at the bar, where service is warm, with a smile, professional and not intrusive. 

A glass of red felt like the only appropriate thing to drink while it was raining outside, although the cocktail list also looked delightfully delicious - maybe one to tackle with the girls one night!

The food menu isn’t excessive, but very well curated, with options for everyone, and whatever kind of meal you’re in the mood for. Want a big shared affair with lots of food? Just some late night nibbles? Or, like us, something in the middle? 

We could have comfortably gone without it, but I couldn’t resist the smoked eel parfait, that came shaped like little cigars - with such a thin and crisp casing. So smooth, and so tasty. Totally my kind of thing.

And as much as I enjoyed the smoked eel parfait, I couldn’t help but be blown away by the pastas. Maybe it the was the gentle romantic mood of the space, made even more cosy with comfort food, or the fact that it was a bit cold and blustery outside - whatever the reason, with a glass of red in hand, the pasta dishes were perfect.

Brad got the rigatoni amatriciana, which smelt like a dream, and was a surprisingly hefty serving! I think the preconception to nicer places is that they’ll charge you more for quality, but you’ll get a smaller serving - but not when it comes to this rigatoni apparently. Pasta was beautifully al dente, and the flavours were just so wholesome and comforting. Pretty classic in the flavours. 

I went with the pumpkin, gnocchi, fontina and crispy sage, which might be some of the best gnocchi I’ve had in town - and I was so sad when I heard that they’re changing the menu soon - keep it around forever!

The gnocchi was so, so pillowy and light, like a cloud in your mouth, but then grounded by the rich and creamy pumpkin puree. Oh lord, it was so delightfully sweet and smooth. Then add dollops of melted cheese, crisp sage and pepitas for crunch…heaven. I hope they bring it back for Winter next year! 

I was actually quite impressed with the two dishes, that they were vegetarian inclined (I think the rigatoni might have had just a smattering of cured meat) - I always like restaurants/wine bars/drinking holes/places to eat that do simply beautiful things with veggies.

I almost hate to say that you should all visit Neptune, because I really don’t want to have to wait for a table the next time I rock up! I’m just selfish here - the food, booze and hospitality are too good not to share. 

The staff at Neptune Wine Bar are surely going to have some fantastic stories over the coming summer, as there’s no doubt this will be Windsor’s hot spot for first dates, and long time couples attempting at a romantic night out. If you’re a foodie, it’s for sure a great spot to test any upcoming candidates to see if they can keep up pace with your quirky tastes…

Neptune Wine Bar

212 High Street

Windsor 

 

Bistro Morgan Pop-Up

Disclosure: I was invited to a preview of the pop-up prior to opening

What were you doing in high school? I for one, was simply a quiet nerd (read: loser), who spent lots of spare time reading, playing video games and drawing.

Not Morgan Hipworth though, boy genius behind Bistro Morgan. He’s making doughnuts, and running a doughnut wholesale business! His doughnuts are handmade, and hand-dipped, and supplied to a few cafes around town on the weekends (after he’s done his homework!) 

But just for this week, until Sunday the 25th of September, instead of wondering what flavours will be available at Kitty Burns or Two Birds Cafe, you can get them all in one spot - at the Bistro Morgan pop up!

Open from 10am, doughnut and sugar lovers can get their fix at 190 High Street, Windsor. I personally really enjoyed the couple of flavours that I tried, the white chocolate with raspberry jam was one of my favourites - enjoyed the tartness of the raspberry and that the doughnuts were not heavy in sugar. They’re actually really well balanced.

The Ferrero Rocher doughnut is also a winner, topped with the namesake chocolate and absolutely filled with nutella. It’s lush. 

But really, how can you go past the golden gaytime? With salted caramel by the syringe full. Heaven right? 

Bistro Morgan

190 High Street

Windsor

Open from 10am daily until the 25th of September.

 

Pidapipo - Windsor

Y’all know I love gelato. 

Y’all also probably know by now that I’m also quite fond of Pidapipo’s gelati’s, particularly their pistachio and now fortunately, their gelato is even easier to find with the Windsor store that opened a couple of months ago now. 

Sure, we already know her gelato is great; but the more important thing to note here is that founder Lisa Valmorbida has made sure she’s got a much bigger kitchen at this second site, highlighted by neon green ‘LABARATORIO’. 

Here she and her gelato chefs (what a great title) get to explore and expand their flavour range and also make a lot of components in house, such as biscuits, crumbles and much more.

But even more exciting than that, is the introduction of her ‘Gelato Cakes’ which are exactly what they sound like. I had the great pleasure to be in the kitchen back in April as she gave us a demo of how her Raspberry and Rose Bombe Alaska was made. 

A bit of soft Italian meringue, with zesty raspberry and just a gentle floral touch of rose and it all comes together as absolute deliciousness. It’s only recently been made available to order by phone, email or just by dong it the old fashioned way and walking on into store.

I’ve been meaning to go back and order the Pumpkin Pie and Banoffee Pie one of these days…even if it is winter; when did a bit of cold stop anyone from eating gelato? 

Pidapipo

85 Chapel Street

Windsor 3181

 

Saint Lucia

Disclosure: I was invited to dine as a guest of the restaurant 

When Melbourne’s nice, it’s real nice. But the second it finds a bit of a rain and a gust of wind…it ain’t so much. As winter starts making itself more and more known, the nights are frostier, wetter and terribly uninviting. You can’t blame Melbournians for not wanting to leave the house.

However, one very wet and cold night I still found myself heading out to Saint Lucia, and I couldn’t ask for a better shelter from the storm. 

Bar? Restaurant? More like house. More like living room even, where Bean, the family dog, comes over to say hi (literally!) 

Saint Lucia is beautifully bohemian, a discerning mix of summery greens and rattan furniture, romantically lit with dimmed lights and well loved candles; inspired by owners, and husband and wife, Charlie and Steph’s travels around the world…but in particular the Caribbean, Cuba and Southern America.

Settled in with a glass of red wine (Melbourne’s wintery weather doesn’t always inspire the mood for mojito or other delightful rum based cocktail…but maybe another time), the menu of nibbles is small enough you can almost get a bit of everything, but too big that you can’t and have to make some tough decisions!

Smokey roasted cauliflower with creole remoulade sauce for $6 is an amazing value and absolutely delicious nibble to start a meal. What’s not to love about the sweetness of the cauliflower mixed with a bit of savoury smokiness? Very, very moreish.

Also very moreish, are the fried plantains with paprika salt. Shaped like a banana, plantains are much more savoury, and are fried to crunchy perfection and served with a chipotle mayo that’s got some serious punch and kick. Even though it was cold outside, the heat’s on in Saint Lucia!

When it comes to the bigger eats, I’m torn between all of the proteins. Although fried chicken calls out my name, we instead opt for the smoked caramelised beef brisket with house barbecue sauce, which has a lovely unexpected heat and a lovely texture, not too dry and not too fatty, and the low and slow maple chilli pork ribs, smoked for 4 hours of hickory and apple wood, which I just savour pulling off the bone. I adore the pickles served with the pork ribs which are punchy and bright, perfectly cutting through the richness of the meat. 

Not gonna lie though, I was most excited for dessert (as I usually tend to be). The ‘milk + cookies’ dessert takes the Dominique Ansel ‘cookie shot’ to the next level. 

Hazelnut dark chocolate chip cookie ‘cup’, lined with dark chocolate, and filled to the brim with peanut butter mousse and dulce leche. Um. Yes. 

The cookie cup is far bigger than I expect it to be, and is definitely best shared between two people. The cookie is a bit hard to break into, but the flavours and combination of cold peanut butter mousse and cookie are simply to die for. 

We also make ours ‘R rated’ with a bit of rum mousse as well. Lush.

Saint Lucia is a stunningly intimate space, in an area that’s becoming super trendy and too cool for school, it’s nice to have a little refuge where you can feel like you can kick back and really just chill out. With delicious Carribean food. Please have plantain chips become a thing Melbourne. Please. 

Saint Lucia

78 Chapel Street

Windsor 3181