One of my absolute favourite spots for a bit of refined CBD lunching would have to be City Wine Shop. It ticks all my boxes; superb service (with a smile), a kickarse wine list (but of course!), an interesting and ever [...]]]> 159 Spring Street, Melbourne
Phone 03 9654 6657

One of my absolute favourite spots for a bit of refined CBD lunching would have to be City Wine Shop. It ticks all my boxes; superb service (with a smile), a kickarse wine list (but of course!), an interesting and ever changing menu, and food that will leave you swooning.  It also holds one of the best outlooks on Spring Street, especially if you’ve scored a spot in the portico.

We decided to tackle two of the specials of the day, Dan going with pan roasted fish and shellfish with baby veg and gazpacho ($21.50).  Just looking at this photo makes me want to grab a hunk of bread and dig in!  All the seafood elements were perfectly pan grilled, and underneath, little cherry tomatoes, baby potatoes and jerusalem artichokes sat in a cool pool of tomato broth.  The crunchy garlic shards on top were a great contrast.

I on the other hand could not resist the allure of the chicken schnitzel with Italian coleslaw ($24), a plump crumbed juicy breast, still on the bone, with a lemony coleslaw of fennel, sweet red onion, cabbage, parsley and capers.  The crumb too had a bit of herb, I’m thinking parsley, and a little parmesan.

For dessert, we decided to share in the ricotta and lemon cheesecake with strawberry salad ($12.50), a perfect little puck of creamy lemon infused ricotta, a dollop of double cream spiked with dehydrated strawberry shards to garnish.  The strawberry salad on the side had been macerated with mint, which added another level of refreshment.

Ahh, the simplicity and fantasticness of a glass of red and a plate of cured meats after work at City Wine Shop.