Member Review by R.P. Goldsmith

Never in Melbourne do you have to go far to find restaurants you may never have heard of, but which leave a lasting impression. It happened to me some years ago with Punch Lane, and its happening again right now with Lantana. Punch Lane had been unable to squeeze the five of us in on this wintry Melbourne evening, and the short walk towards Spring St. had allowed us to stumble upon Lantana where from outside we could read the well-formed menu and hear the smooth jazz notes of the Shuffle Club coming from within, which as it would turn out, wouldn?t be the only nice surprise of the evening. The refurbished entrance of the restaurant is now a classy bar-cum-foyer where staff busy themselves like worker ants at a sugar cube. Beyond that lies the simple class of crisp white linen, polished cutlery and sparkling glass amongst warm and earthy brown timber furnishings that belie a food and wine lovers delight.
We knew we were in for something good when the palate tempters arrived, right on time. (We took a long time with the menus, but when we were done, it didn?t take long for things to get under way). Small and hearty, the palate tempter consisted of a creamy lobster-esque bisque with fish and what seemed to be a soft poached quail egg as a delightful end. Consider my palate tempted.
Upon opening, the menu springs out with interest immediately. Well thought out was the fact that the menu has a ?Tastes? section to choose from, allowing those who may not finish an entr?e and a main to still indulge themselves in a variety of pleasing dishes. Of the five people at my table, from around eight menu choices and more specials, every person chose a different entr?e. That?s rare, and even rarer is when choosing is difficult because almost every entr?e choice strikes a chord in some way. Including Confit of Yabby and Pork Belly, Terrine, a Wild Mushroom Risotto and several fish dishes, this menu hammered that particular nail right on the head. From the palate tempters onward, we expected great presentation and with the entrees we were not disappointed. Flavours were rich, ingredients were interesting and complex, presentation was great if a little busy, but it all just worked.
Mains were equally intriguing, with inventive combinations threading their way throughout. The lamb dish seemed to use every conceivable part of the lamb, from the tongue and sweetmeats to the shoulder and the barely seared baby chops. New things were tried, some really worked, others didn?t quite make it past the post. The shoulder was tough, and was torn apart and placed between over-cooked squares of oily potato. A crumbed and deep fried section also wasn?t quite up to earlier standards, and although the strength was in utilising the whole lamb, these parts should have been left out. The meal wouldn?t have missed them. Judging by the way my companions practically licked their plates clean, it was safe to say that they were pretty happy with their choices.
Needless to say, desserts were not being considered at first. We had managed Palate Tempters, the quality and thoughtful choices in bread, entr?e and main mixed with wine from their comprehensive list and they were enough, indeed. However, the choices again were intriguing and at the waiter?s recommendation a citrus parfait was settled upon (to share!). Another delightful surprise arrived in the dessert palate tempter ? a lovely Granny Smith apple-sorbet with an apple foam which was a delight. The parfait arrived served in a tangy citrus jus, and with slices of various citrus fruits, it was indeed refreshing, just as the waiter had suggested.
Service was consistent, knowledgeable and friendly, and recommendations given were spot on, in both meals and wine and the attentive waiting staff were neither intrusive nor forgetful.
The wine list was comprehensive and covered the bases it should have ? a wide variety of choices for all budgets and tastes. Entrees averaged the $19 mark and mains were about $36 give or take. For five people our bill came to just over $400, and we walked away very satisfied.
(Only one thing soured the evening and that was the wonderful band (!). One of Melbourne?s better jazz standards bands, the Shuffle Club were in attendance, and while the music they played was excellent it was just too loud. So loud in fact that at a table of five, we couldn?t hear our waiter announce the specials, nor could we hear each other from opposite sides of the table. We were there, after all, for dinner and not for the band. If it were the other way around, it would be a different story.)