Rudersnooky's Humour was exquisite and refined. This was my first Rudersnooky's Humour experience and I'm hoping it won't be my last. Joke: Hey i just shit my pants, can i get in yours? read more

Taste of Melbourne is a novel idea in my book being that it's my first experience at such an event. To bring together some of the most well known restaurants scattered across Melbourne to one area is perfect for people like myself because I love (LOOOOVE) food but I can't be bothered with the traveling time because I work an insane amount of hours. There seemed to be a little bit of everything for everyone - beers, wines, mixed drinks, coffees, teas, cheeses, all different kinds of foods, jams, peanut butter, desserts, little bits of free tastings, and even live cooking demonstrations by some of Australia's leading chefs. For a Friday afternoon, the crowds were tame, lines were short, and employees should be commended for being able to pump out food so fast in such a cramped amount of space! Shout out to Mamasita today for the delicious Al Pastor taquitos ($10) that hit close to home (Los Angeles taco trucks FTW) and Elote ($6); pass on the horchata ($6) which was 50% ice and extremely watered down. Supernormal's New England lobster roll ($14) was arguably the best dish that was delivered to me within 30 seconds of ordering! Fluffy bread and packed full of flavor with generous amounts of lobster...gone in 3 bites! YUMMY! Plenty of exciting dishes to sample, and the only disappointment was that I didn't have enough stomach space. The backdrop of the event was Pelican Lawn which is a beautiful venue in and of itself, however that left patrons exposed to the elements - Wind came and knocked over my dishes while I tried to sit down and enjoy my food, flies were aplenty when food was around, the sun was beating down on us in the afternoon, etc. Remember to purchase your "Crowns" sold in the form of a Crown card (+$1 bond that is refunded once the card is returned). This system simplified paying and expedited lines as people weren't fumbling with change, waiting for approvals with EFTPOS for every purchase, and printing receipts. And the best part was any unused crowns on the card could be fully refunded. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Taste of Melbourne, and I can't wait to visit these restaurants for their full menu. read more

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This was my first Taste of Melbourne experience and I'm hoping it won't be my last. From the serious food shoppers bringing their shopper carts early in the day to snap up some great locally made products to evening night owls coming to enjoy some equally great wines and menu items from Melbourne's best restaurants - there's a little for everyone at Taste of Melbourne. Like a kid in a candy store, I wandered the grounds wide-eyed. From Burch & Purchese were I tried their salted caramel chocolate bullions, to Mork Chocolate's peanut butter and salted caramel hot chocolates, to the pork taco at Mamasita's pop-up restaurant. And how could I not mention the peanut butter and jelly donut from Matt Forbes' Cobb Lane. Taste of Melbourne isn't a place to be diet conscious! Oh, and be sure to either bring cash for any purchases you wish to make from the vendors selling things like relishes, jams or cartons of coconut water or be ready to stalk the Crown Vendors to buy your on-site currency for the day, Crowns. read more

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"...HEY, LESS BOOZE.... FOOD - "MORE PLEASE, SIR"...!!!" Bought tickets to this iconic event, TASTE OF MELBOURNE 'Food & Wine Festival' held at Albert Park Lake, from ticketek online - Was a little surprised to find that tickets were being sold at a DISCOUNTED rate - $50 for 2 - Oh well.. "My good fortune.." I thought.. I also bought $150 worth of CROWNS - the currency used at the event - thinking that'll be enough for two - "We ought to have a decent go at it.. the restaurants are supposed to be offering 'samplers' of a couple of 'signature dishes' each, so we should be able to taste most of what's on offer.. GOSH WAS I WRONG...!!! The two of us ran out of crowns..before 'we knew it' and it was such a bitch, cos we were still hungry... Most of the dishes, although interestingly named, were nothing 'to write home about', and honestly- RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE - this left a lingering 'BAD' TASTE in our mouths - Sorry 'TASTE' - I gotta be honest... The brochure says "The World's Greatest Restaurant Festival".... REALLY..!! ARE YOU KIDDING..!! WHAT A JOKE..!! It's a bit of a comedy festival.. s'posed to be a food festival.. HEY, a bit embarrassing Melbourne..!! Hope no-one 'from anywhere else' has attended....!!!! Okay, first we did a walk around - amazed at the amount of 'wine stalls'. The 'booze bars' outnumbered the 'food bars' by at least 2 to 1... maybe 3 to 1... This kinda incensed me a little... not keen on CREATIVELY WORDED ADVERTISING... - Even for a 'FOODIES FAVE'... OUR TASTE JOURNEY: 1. SAN TELMO - 2 tiny little dinner rolls with salad and sliced chorizo - $20 - Chorizo was DELISH, Salad was AVERAGE, Roll was 'STALE AS' - KINDA JUST HALF OKAY.. 2. NEHA'S - 2 small tubs with 2 scoops each of Indian inspired ice-cream - $16 - Cardamom and Macadamia & Lemon Myrtle - ICY..just like kulfi should be..but the FLAVOUR.. WOW..so intense.. imploded in your mouth - SO LOVED THIS...!!! 3. GAZI - 2 decent sized mini pitas with deep-fried soft shell crab, gourmet mesclun mix, and a spicy dressing - $24 - OPPA... HEY, HEY, HEY... MAMMA MIA... FLAVOUR - FRESHNESS - TEXTURE - SPICE - They just 'ticked every single box imaginable' - I could have eaten 10 of these..so so easily - THE WINNER ON THE NIGHT.. WITHOUT A DOUBT...!!! 4. MAMASITA - 1 serve corn on cob to taste and 2 serves of pork taquitos - $26 - Corn was really good - FRESH - WELL FLAVOURED - YUM..!! But, the tiny twincy taquitos did nothing for us, whatsoever.. We could have been eating those ones from the supermarket - you know.. 'Old El Paso'.. that my kids make up for themselves.. from a packet - REALLY DISAPPOINTED.. 5. MAGGIE BEER - 2 serves stick ice-cream - N/C - Petite little sticks of bland vanilla ice-cream encased in some sort of unremarkable chocolate - NO OPINION REALLY - LUCKILY THEY WERE FOR FREE.. 6. CIRCA - 1 serve braised ox cheeks and 1 serve wagon wheel - SUPPOSEDLY TO SHARE..?? [THEY COULD HAVE TOLD US THE SERVINGS WERE LITERALLY ONE BITE 'WONDERS'..!!] - $14 - We were presented with 2 little plastic dip containers.. one contained 2 seriously tiny pieces meat - literally the size of my thumb nail and the other - about a tablespoon of de-constructed wagon wheel biscuit mix. The beef was CHEWY and TOUGH, the dessert was NOT NICE IN THE MOUTH - I would have preferred the real thing - a whole WESTON'S WAGON WHEEL biscuit - FELT REALLY 'DONE OVER' HERE - 'WHAT A CROCK'.. 7. MOVIDA - 2 marinated spring lamb skewers - $20 - Decent size portion, beautifully marinated with just the right hit of chilli, grilled over burning embers, a good honest dish, almost perfect - NO BS - FRESH - JUICY - TENDER - SUCCULENT - WOW...!! - WE REALLY TRULY ENJOYED THESE...!!! - WANTED MORE...!!! 8. SASSY CAKES - 10 micro cakes to take home to my two who didn't want to come - $30 - WELL.. B HELL..!! THESE CAKES WERE REGARDED AS MY RETRIBUTION AND THEIR PUNISHMENT FOR NOT COMING OUT - "WTF.. these cakes are crap, Mum" ..and so they were.. - OMG.. THAT'S ENOUGH SAID.. WE'D SPENT ALL OUR CROWNS in about 45 minutes - TIME TO GO HOME... Anyway, I know now why those tickets GOT 'discounted'...... Have intentions of all, going to The Age Good Food Guide NIGHT NOODLE MARKETS at Birrarung Marr on Sunday evening - It better be a 'heck of a lot better than this was..' Visited on Thursday 12 November 2015 with my eldest for a Tasting Sampler Dinner. read more

We decided to go to this because it was close to home and we were bored on a Friday night. It was easy enough to buy tickets at the door, but we still had to wait in line to purchase the currency of the event, "Crowns". In fact, we had to wait in lines for everything. Long lines. Regardless, it was worth attending and I'm really glad that we went. At first I was a little bit pissed off that we had to buy some kind of made up currency from them... but as the night went on I realised exactly how brilliant the idea was. Without crowns, the lines would have been MUCH longer as the servers would have had to fumble with change and ask for PIN numbers, etc. Highlights of the night were definitely Mamasita and Uncle. Mamasita was probably the most crowded booth and had the longest line, but damn, it was worth the wait - I could honestly eat that cheese corn until my dying breath. Although Uncle was the youngest restaurant at the event it was one of the best. I look forward to visiting the actual restaurant later on this week. It was also really awesome to see so many craft beers (including my boyfriend's favourite, Stoke from New Zealand!), and such a variety of different wines. We were a little bit disappointed at the lack of free samples (I'm a bit of a lightweight, so I like being able to try little bits before I order a whole glass), but we managed to have a pretty good time. The name for this event is very apt - it is really just a taste, nowhere close to a feast. I left hungry after spending $90 ($30 admission, $60 a drink and some food). Regardless of my complaints, I support this event and look forward to attending next year. read more

We heard really good wraps about this event from our friends who have previously attended, so we were happy to be dragged along to taste all things Melbourne. All I can say is thank god that we got free tickets to get in, as I would be fairly annoyed to pay for this debacle. The food was EXTREMELY overpriced and very small quantities. There was also a lack of vendors which I am sure would have annoyed the people that paid to get in like our friends. Like us, they said they would never return again. read more

I want you to know straight out that this is not my type of event. And being that I am me, I'm going to be reviewing this from my own viewpoint. The best way I can describe Taste of Melbourne, is as an event that is for people who go to the races but don't actually watch the races. People dressed inappropriately for the weather, a lot of expensive booze and a heap of different foods. I am sure that if you're into trying all these things it'd be great, so I'm not going to be too harsh. But at the moment I'm not drinking and I found there was less there for me than I expected. I think if you're looking for a day out to sit around with friends trying cool different things and aren't worried about money then you could have a great time. I however did a lap and left. I'm also sick though, so, you know, that could come into it. Anyhoo, just try not to wear heels, okay? There's a lot of grass, and a lot of people. This equals a lot of mud. read more

Ever wanted to do a roaming dinner, sampling a different course at several restaurants but you can't be bothered having to travel? Well visit Taste of Melbourne instead! Melbourne has the food goods and this is one event that highlights that. The outdoor location at Albert Park provides a picture perfect location however you are at the mercy of the elements! Fortunately we visited on the last day when the weather was starting to clear so we only had to deal with the remaining wet patches. There's plenty to sample for free from micro breweries, wineries, cheese makers and the like and of course plenty of delicious food to buy. This isn't a particularly cheap way to eat however I think it is fun and certainly tasty. The standouts for me this year were the dishes at Gazi - all of them! The soft shell crab souva got my 'dish of the day', the grilled saganaki with honey and balsamic was the perfect mix of savory and sweet! The queue at Huxtaburger was worth the wait and the Huxtable Icon dish - Sichuan duck leg with cashew butter - was divine! Plenty to do and see so mark this one in your calander for next year! read more

Ok I have been to Taste for Melbourne a few times but always on the weekend. I have typically found it too busy with massive queues for the food vendors. However on a dry sunny but not too warm Thursday evening it was great. Relaxed with plenty of time to talk to the vendors and generally enjoy things. Why am I telling people this I wan to keep it this way ;-) I am still going to say that the price for what can only be described as micro portion of food is too high. read more

Thanks to Yelp Melbourne, we get to go to Taste of Melbourne 2015, we visited on thursday night. The weather was a bit cold and windy, not a massively huge crowd. There was only 2 of us so the amount of food we could try was a bit limited. Here is what we had: - New England lobster roll from Supernormal - I have had this at the restaurant, I think I remembered it being better Pinchitos morunos (lamb marinated in moorish spices) & Moritz from Movida - The lamb was relish and so modish. The spices that was on this lamb was great and the meat was so tender - Steamed Prawn Shumai Dumplings & Soy garlic chicken karage from Sake - The shumai was a bit too soft, I couldn't bite into anything, it was all too soft. The Chicken was good but it wasn't anything special - Soft Shell Crab Souvlakakia from Gazi - This is very filling, I had one on my own and after this, I couldn't have anything else. Wasn't great - Vanilla ice cream from Maggie Beer - This was free, how great was it. I don't normally love vanilla ice cream but this was delicious and creamy. I will definitely be stocking my fridge with this There are a few wines stalls that you could get tastings, but some wanted you to pay for tastings. There are also events and demonstration that you could attend. read more

Taste of Melbourne - Festivals Near Me - Albert Park, VIC

Food and booze festivals mean that I have to share my personal space with others and wait in lines. That being said, taste is definitely one of the more worthwhile festivals to make those sacrifices because of the 'not quiet what they hoped for' Friday night crowd numbers and the huge variety stalls to visit. The restaurant line up is very impressive and the booze participants are too. There are opportunities to taste samples of wine and a few places doing food samples but generally you need to buy your 'tastes'. I ate at Albert st food and wine and whilst the line looked semi scary they had a great food assembly line and the little cones of goodness came out super quickly. It was a little expensive but the gazpacho, pulled lamb roll and corn and calamari cone were worth every last cent. And I'm glad I got all three offerings. I am now very inspired to visit their restaurant. Wine stall highlights are always for me wirra, o'leary walker and rob Dolan. Possibly the friendliest people behind desks! I didn't make it into the tassie world but apparently that was a highlight (damnit). They were doing whiskey tastings in there and they had oyster. Try to win one of the hundreds of tickets getting thrown away on line by exhibitors! read more

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Had a great time at Taste of Melbourne (thanks to Yelp for the double pass tickets)! We went on a Thursday night so it was not overly crowded and the lines for food didn't take as long as it did at other night markets we've been to. Loved the use of the crown currency which made everything so much more efficient! My favourite food from the night was the Soft Shell Crab Souvlakakia from Gazi, so so good! Only downside was that we were expecting a lot more food stalls than what was there but overall we enjoyed the night and I would definitely be back :) read more

My husband (who is a chef) and I attended the Taste of Melbourne Food Festival on Sunday, the 15th November, on its final day. What should have been an hour and a half trip, took double that time, due to a lack of public transport to the venue or lack of information on how to get there, using public transport. Knowing very little about Melbourne City, we approached a barrier attendant at Southern Cross Train Station asking his advice on what would be the best possible way to get from here to Albert Park. He replied, he didn't even know the event was on. So off we went, blindly, to find our way to the venue. After walking a couple of blocks. We decided to take the tram. After what seemed like miles of walking and two trams later, we finally arrive in the vicinity of Albert Park. We come across two very helpful, lovely ladies and asked them, "Where were they heading?" Lucky for us, they were on their way to the festival and pointed us in the right direction. So after another lengthy walk, we come across a sign 'This way'...... to what? Another similar sign? There was actually was no signage or advertising anywhere, to say that the festival was here. More walking....finally we arrive at the entrance. We had purchased Gold Tickets, so I expected something a little more special than general entry level tickets, only to find, that they were really of no additional benefit. We were handed a Menu Card booklet - Taste - 'World's Greatest Restaurant Festival'. Big Call - let's hope so. Well once inside, it became quite clear this was more of a wine festival than a food. Neither of us drinking wine, it made short work of the taste tour, within 45 minutes, we were done and dusted. Our first stop was at the GLADIOLI. We should have walked around and looked first, before committing to anything, but we were starving by this time. Big mistake! What a disappointment as our first taste experience. We each had the BBQ pork roll, pickled cabbage and tomato. I can only say, I hope that the food at the Restaurant itself, is better than the cold, dry, black bread roll tomato and sauce burger, that they were selling here....by the time, I removed the several pieces of tomato, I was left with a teaspoon of pork and cabbage you say? And as dry as the bread roll was, it still could not withhold the contents that I wore more on my hands than what I was able to put into my mouth. Next time I want a burger straight out of the fridge - roll and contents. I know where to go. A little more thought, hopefully will be put into next year's dish! And maybe bring along that microwave to heat the meat, so it at least feels like we are eating something fresh. Next stop: GAZI: My husband had the Soft Shell Crab Souvlakakia - with Mint Coriander, Honey and Mayonnaise and I chose the Prawn Kataifi - crispy Kataifi Pastry, Aleppo Mayonnaise, Honey and Almonds. Great choices! These were incredible! SUPERNORMAL: New England Lobster Roll - spectacular! The rolls were beautiful, the lobster divine. We stopped at 'Z' ZEST SPECIALITY COFFEE ROASTERS for a Latte. So very glad we did. The Coffee was amazing and the service was exceptional. Professional, helpful and friendly - I left, not only having explained to me, what products I needed at home and at an affordable price, but also with the knowledge and the recipe of how to achieve the samples that I had tried there today once I got home. Nothing was too much trouble for them. Moved on to SASSY CAKES: I bought 3 mini cakes. These were actually pretty yummy. THE MUSIC: It was ridiculous! It was loud and that distorted, unnecessary and downright rude in some places. After placing your order, you stand to the side and wait to be called by name. The music in that stall or a neighbouring stall made it impossible to hear your name called or should I say screamed. Which were both annoying to us and very frustrating for the people serving us. If we wanted a noisy pub atmosphere, we'd have gone to one, for half the price. It didn't take long to get around which venues were the great ones. MAMASITA, SUPERNORMAL and GAZI being the top favourites. Overall, the lines were actually pretty reasonable and went quite quickly. Some of the restaurants portion sizes and prices of their servings were ludicrous and well beneath expectation. We are all happy to pay a little extra for quality, but some of it was just stale rubbish. Certainly nowhere near the photos and descriptions they fool you with on the 'Taste of Melbourne' website. There were nowhere near the crowds I expected, which is why we took public transport as opposed to driving. Lesson learned there. I can see why. It was all very disappointing. Just another talked up Melbourne event that turned into a fizzler. We'd pretty much had enough by now, we cashed in the rest of our crowns and left. Luckily, someone had just been dropped off in a taxi, so we grabbed it. ELECTROLUX! Hey.., you make great vacuums....stick to that! read more