Getrude Street is the home of hipster and cool. Being neither, I rarely venture to this neighbourhood, but somehow FOMO pulled me there the other evening and I saw myself sipping wine at Southpaw followed by nibbling dessert at Añada. In the rain, reminiscent of the last time I had been in the precinct visiting Hell of the North, I sought the comfortable liveliness of the part bar, part restaurant.
Southpaw is typically Melbourne with deconstructed wall finishes, frescoes that could double as tattoos and mood lighting dim enough for me to strain my eyes over the menu. It is more a place for drinks and snacks than a full dinner, but there are several vegetarian dishes in the mix. We ordered the chips with aioli and tofu.
The house chardonnay was oaked but dry with a simple metallic ring. The chips were hot and crunchy with a salty aioli strong with garlic. The tofu was charred with flavour and a bed of tangy salad with strips of radicchio sat on top.
The food was well made but unsubstantial – this is not a place for big eaters, but perhaps a skinny figure to match one’s black jeans is also a requirement of being hipster and cool.
We travelled a few doors down to Añada for dessert and were met by a somewhat more posh (but still trendy) crowd and atmosphere. I ordered churros and asking too many questions to be appropriate about the stickies menu, I had a glass of Henriques & Henriques, 10 year old Verdelho Madeira. I had not tasted, or indeed heard the name, ‘Madeira’ before and have since read it is a style of fortified wine named after the volcanic island positioned between the Portuguese and west African Atlantic coasts where it is made. Read more about Madeira here. It was brown with a vanilla finish (without being sweet), clean but with a tang on the tongue.
The churros arrived hot enough to burn my fingers, with a wickedly rich pot of melted dark chocolate. The churros were crisp with light centres, and I began to appreciate how the grooves were the perfect shape for catching oozing hot chocolate.
My friend enjoyed her cheese and Armagnac.
Both Southpaw and Añada were delightful in their unique ways, enough to draw me back. There are still many eateries I want to try in the vicinity, but at least now I have had a taste of the neighbourhood.
Southpaw
189 Gertrude St
Fitzroy 3065
03 9004 2590
southpawbar.com.au
Southpaw is typically Melbourne with deconstructed wall finishes, frescoes that could double as tattoos and mood lighting dim enough for me to strain my eyes over the menu. It is more a place for drinks and snacks than a full dinner, but there are several vegetarian dishes in the mix. We ordered the chips with aioli and tofu.
The house chardonnay was oaked but dry with a simple metallic ring. The chips were hot and crunchy with a salty aioli strong with garlic. The tofu was charred with flavour and a bed of tangy salad with strips of radicchio sat on top.
The food was well made but unsubstantial – this is not a place for big eaters, but perhaps a skinny figure to match one’s black jeans is also a requirement of being hipster and cool.
We travelled a few doors down to Añada for dessert and were met by a somewhat more posh (but still trendy) crowd and atmosphere. I ordered churros and asking too many questions to be appropriate about the stickies menu, I had a glass of Henriques & Henriques, 10 year old Verdelho Madeira. I had not tasted, or indeed heard the name, ‘Madeira’ before and have since read it is a style of fortified wine named after the volcanic island positioned between the Portuguese and west African Atlantic coasts where it is made. Read more about Madeira here. It was brown with a vanilla finish (without being sweet), clean but with a tang on the tongue.
The churros arrived hot enough to burn my fingers, with a wickedly rich pot of melted dark chocolate. The churros were crisp with light centres, and I began to appreciate how the grooves were the perfect shape for catching oozing hot chocolate.
My friend enjoyed her cheese and Armagnac.
Both Southpaw and Añada were delightful in their unique ways, enough to draw me back. There are still many eateries I want to try in the vicinity, but at least now I have had a taste of the neighbourhood.
Southpaw
189 Gertrude St
Fitzroy 3065
03 9004 2590
southpawbar.com.au
Añada
197 Gertrude St
Fitzroy 3065
03 9415 6101
anada.com.au
