It's rare to find a sophisticated bar outside of the CBD these days, and it's even rarer to find…read moreone that won't break your weekly drinking budget in one night. Hawker Beer and Wine Bar is located in the suburb of Highett just 30mins from Melbourne CBD. The bar is named after Harry Hawker, a local of the area. Harry George Hawker, was an Australian aviation pioneer. He was the chief test pilot for Sopwith and was also involved in the design of many of their aircraft. After World War One he co-founded Hawker Aircraft, the firm that would later be responsible for a long series of successful military aircraft. The bar itself is small and is directly across the road from the Highett train station, which seems to have some type of train passing through every 15mins. The fit-out is minimalistic, with large windows that give you a great view of the comings and goings in the area. What is great about this bar is the large cocktail list. With mostly original cocktails with a few traditional with a modern twist. The service is friendly and attentive, and I get the feeling if I lived in the area this would be my local. Apart from the great cocktails it has a good selection of beers and wines. It also had a pretty awesome snack menu, being provided by Typhoon, the Vietnamese restaurant next door. If you live in the area chances are you have either visited Hawker or know of it. If you haven't been do yourself a favour and pay them a visit, it won't disappoint.

Well, the service here was outstanding, but it does actually go beyond that to being one of my…read morefavourite bars in the area, not that I actually come down here all that often. Yet, in a way this bar really does have a lot of charm about it, as well as some great beers as well. In a way it was the rooftop that I really liked, but then again you can't go past a good rooftop bar, and there are some pretty good ones around as well. Yeah, this is one of those great bars that you can spend some time at on a nice summers evening, noting that it doesn't open until about 5:00 pm. Yeah, this bar was pretty awesome.

We were looking for a bar in Ormond for a pre-dinner drink and this seemed to be the only place…read more Right on the train line, it's styled a bit like a trashy rock bar (that's not an insult) and is a very relaxed, chilled out place. When we walked in there was a couple of folk in the main bar area, and to be honest, I wasn't entirely sure the place was even open. Thankfully it was, we got a couple of drinks as well as some Twisties (yay) and the bar guy even topped up my cider when we were paying for our drinks after I'd had a sip which I thought was super nice. We headed upstairs to the rooftop beer garden which again, had that kind of run-down vibe that might be offputting but I really like, and chilled out for an hour or so. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I really liked this bar. The bar guy says the food is really good too but we already had plans to go to Jimmy Grants nearby so maybe another time.

Multiple times we've been moved on from tables because of reservations that have been taken with no…read morenotification or signage. Sitting at a table next to a heater and told to go sit in the cold instead. Woeful service. No wonder you've been in receivership.

Oh I've had enough of this place and will not be back. Nearly every time I've been here I've been…read moremoved from table to table. And sometimes multiple times in the same night. I've been to them on quiet nights - and to paid special events. The tables aren't reserved, no signs on them, yet if a larger group comes in they tell you to move. Often don't even help you find another table. And the beer and food aren't even that good. Sick of it!!! Last time I will be there.

It's not often that I venture too far from the CBD when dining out for dinner, I mean let's face…read moreit, you have every country covered, and it seems on every corner there's a celebrity chef waiting to wow you with his interpretation of the next fusion fad (and it helps that I can walk home with no drama or an uber driver pushing free bottles of water on me. ) But Friday night changed my mindset on where I dine and hit me in the face with a bang. Typhoon restaurant, on Highett rd Highett is a Vietnamese restaurant that packs a punch. For what it lacks in size it certainly makes up for it in flavour. Admittedly I was dragged out of my comfort zone by a friend who'd be begging me to come with her to experience Typhoon and I'm glad she did. When we arrived the place was buzzing and there was a Chin Chin-esq line out the door of eager dinners waiting for tables. We were greeted by the owner Steve, who said the wait shouldn't be long and we were welcome to sit in the bar next door and he would come and get us when a table became available. It wasn't long and as promised Steve bounced in and guided us to our table explaining his inspiration behind Typhoon along the way. Once at our table we were greeted by our waitress who happily went through the menu with us and making recommendation. We decided to order a few dishes to share for starters. First off let's talk about the chicken ribs, these were amazing. Marinated with authentic spices with the right amount of heat, juicy and tender, I can't highly recommend these enough, by far the best chicken ribs I've eaten, I'd be happy just eating these all night. Then we had the beef wrapped in mustard leaves. Wow I loved theses as well. The flavours are intense, but I must warn you if you don't like hot spicy food don't order these, they pack a punch. The beef was tender and seasoned well and the dipping sauce was like a marriage made in food heaven. Next to arrive was the betel leaf with beef. Another winner. These took me back to when I visited Vietnam, but what I loved about Typhoon's version was there wasn't a overload of fish sauce in them that some chefs seem to do. We then ordered two mains to share, the slow braised beef with rice and the braised chicken. The beef I loved, it was tender full of flavour and just melted in your mouth. The chicken was good also but the beef was by far the better dish. So overall as you can see I really enjoyed Typhoon. The food and service both exceptional, and it was such relief to be greeted by an owner operator who had so much passion for hospitality and quality food. If, like me you have a fear of going out of your comfort zone, then I would highly recommend a visit to Typhoon.

Not recommended. Not as good as it used to be. One lettuce leaf and a handful of chips is not…read moreenough to go with a piece of portherhouse. It looks like they're making us pay for their renovations by giving us less to eat. So disappointing. Tonight I went straight into Ritchie's and bought a pie and some vegies to cook at home. Bye bye Boundary Hotel for good.

i was extremely tired from the horrible experience at the airport. i was ready to just lie down in…read morebed, and go to sleep. i was utterly terrified to see the sight i saw. why is there even a capybara? i immediately reported it to the front desk and they didn't even seem surprised. avoid rebecca, she will gaslight you about it.

I've driven passed True South heaps and heaps of times, and always wanted to try it, yet never did…read more... until tonight. I am kicking myself that I never came sooner. It was really, really good. The restaurant has a great vibe about it. For some people, they'd love to come in summer when out the front there are tables on the footpath and on the inner outside there are bar stools to sit and drink while watching the world go by. Inside, the restaurant has a clean, industrial feel to it. It was busy, but not overly loud. We were seated right away and your placemat is the menu, so you dive right into looking for things that grab your taste buds. Many - if not all - dishes are great for sharing, so we started out with Chipas (mini cheese rolls, mandioca flour, cheddar and parmesan) and the Croquetas of the day, which were chicken and corn. Before those came, we were served up a mini bread roll each with an olive and ricotta dip. Very delicious. The entrees came out and they were heavenly. The Chipas were amazing and I could have just had several serves of those as my meal. The were like mini warm cheese scones. The croquetas were good; had a beautiful crumbing on the outside, but the inside was nice, though nothing to rave about. For the main, I ordered my own Caviche de Salmon. It came with mango, cherry tomatoes, onion and plantain crisps. I didn't much care for the plantain crisps, and I hated the fact that there was coriander in the dish without it being listed on the menu. I would have asked for it without it, as I can't stand coriander. Yuck. Of course, there was something that really stood out to me on the dessert menu, so I had to order it. It was a chocolate fondant, with banana and caramel ice cream. That sounded incredibly appealing and tasted really, really good. My only minor complaint about it, was that it was truly ICE cream. That almost ruined it, but the flavours were everything. There was just a few things I didn't like about True South. One was the tables felt sticky. Two was that you could smell cigarette smoke from outside, even though it's illegal to smoke right outside an eatery. And three, because of the open shutters, it allowed for flies to fly in. Small things I guess in relation to how good the food and service was. Yes, the mains came out slowly, but they were really busy and food was continually leaving the kitchen. Would I go back again?? YES, YES, YES. I really enjoyed the meal and it was something different to usual here in Melbourne. How authentic it is, I don't know. But if you want a great spot with good atmosphere, great food and reasonably priced meals, then this is the place for you. It's worth the drive.

Nice birthday meal with family. Good food, the porterhouse steak was the winner. Cooked to…read moreperfection. The broccolini was the best I've ever had. The jalapeno margarita was underwhelming. Good coffee, friendly service. Would definitely come back for the steak and oysters alone.

What a great, busy place. The staff are very helpful and friendly. Not your ordinary strip shop…read morepizza shop. The pizza was fresh and there was no oil left on the bottom of the box. They have a range of meal deals to choose from and you can order a thinner crust if that takes your fancy. They have a website where you can view their menu or place your order for either pick-up or organise delivery. It is on Highett Road close to Nepean Highway and parking is available out front or on the side streets. And there are a range of shops to stroll down while your waiting. You can also eat in if you like, imagine your typical pizza shop and your not far off. We'll certainly be trying them again. Enjoy.