Let’s talk about Gimlet.
14th December 2025
Gimlet, Gimlet, Gimlet. I’m not quite sure where to begin. If you have read my pervious blogs, firstly thank you, secondly you may have noticed that I am a little obsessed with food. From cooking, to baking, to eating, to reading. Anything to do with food makes my heart happy. And my love for French food is a love like no other. And my favourite French inspired favourite restaurant of all time is the magnificent Gimlet in Melbourne CBD.
I first visited Gimlet in 2022. I decided to take myself out for a solo lunch and it was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. I booked a spot at the bar, which in my opinion is one of the best seats in the house, you get to overlook the kitchen prep area and the bar. You are amongst the ordered chaos of the chefs busily preparing each dish and the bar tenders creating elaborate drinks. You get dinner and a show all in one! I sat alone, sipping on a glass of Rosé perusing the menu. I wasn’t sure what to get, I wanted everything. But in the end I opted for:
- Oysters ½ dozen, seaweed butter and rye
- King George whiting, Portarlington mussels, baby leeks, sauce bercy
- Strawberries “Romanoff”
How on earth do I remember what I ate 3 years ago? Well, I took a photo of the menu! But I remember every dish as I was absolutely blown away by every single mouthful. It was one of the best meals I have ever had. But what made the experience even better, as I was dining on alone, enjoying every sip of wine and every bite of food, excitedly making my silly little noises, the owner, Andrew O’Connell was working right in front of me. I was a little star struck at first; I have frequented many of Andrew’s restaurants over the years. But then we struck up a conversation and chatted for a little while. He was humble and ever so kind, we talked about food and restaurants and life. This day will be one I will never forget.
Fast forward to now, I have visited Gimlet many, many times. I believe over 20 times. That should give you a slight indication of how much I adore this restaurant. Not once have I ever had a bad meal or bad service when I have visited Gimlet and every single time I have walked through the doors, I have felt so welcomed by the beautiful staff. I usually visit with hombre, Shellie, however I as I said above, I am quite fond of a solo lunch, especially on my birthday. I think there is something special about celebrating yourself with yourself.
Unfortunately, this year I have only been twice. Work was very intense this year which didn’t allow for me to have much of a social life. But thankfully it was my last ever year working at my current job. On the 28th of November, I left my job, for good. After 15 years working there, I am finally free. Do I have any idea what is coming next? No. Am I excited? Yes! So naturally, Shellie and I had to celebrate this huge milestone with a gorgeous long lunch at our favourite.
It was my first week off work, my mind felt a little uneasy as taking the leap to leave my job was quite overwhelming. But thankfully Wednesday came along and I was finally going to be back at Gimlet. Shellie and I have been so often that when we arrive, we have most likely already discussed what we are going to eat! We like to lunch at Gimlet during the week for one reason in particular – they have a tableside beef tartare special on weekdays. And yes, we order it 90% of the time! I have a deep love of a tartare; beef, tuna, whatever, I have definitely had a few in my time and every time it’s on the menu, you bloody know I will order it. Have you ever had a dish that makes you feel all the feels at the same time, where you are transported to some magical land of deliciousness, that what Gimlet’s beef tartare does to me. It is truly something special, not only is it the best tartare I have ever eaten, having it made right in front of you is pure genius.
Anyway, when we arrived, we were greeted by the lovely hostess and then escorted to our table. Gimlet has a few dining options – the bar (as mentioned above), the club lounge (smaller tables, often kept for walk ins), high top seating (pretty self-explanatory), the dining room (where we usually sit, up some stairs, where there is a beautiful outlook of the whole restaurant) and last but not least, the booths (where the rich, boujee people sit). I have sat everywhere except at a booth. So, as we are taken to our table, and to my surprise we were escorted to a BOOTH! Oh my goodness, I couldn’t believe it; I was finally going to experience the fancy booth seating!
No photo of the booth, but this one taken of the bar seating was taken from said booth!
Hello’s and pleasantry’s and hugs aside, cocktails ordered and menu perused, it was time to order. As you can guess, we ordered the beef tartare, but we also ordered:
- Gnocco fritto, bresaola and parmesan
- Anchovy toast, Café de Paris butter
- John Dory, mussels, broad beans and vermouth sauce
- Cavendish House salad
- Dark chocolate, caramel cream, Jersey milk gelato
What a perfect amount of food, we didn’t over order and we loved every dish. Everything was once again beautiful, and we sat and chatted and laughed until our bellies hurt. As always, Shellie has to put up with me doing my silly noises and giddy dances as I eat every mouthful. But she doesn’t judge and likes that I am enjoying myself.
As you can imaging, the beef tartare was faultless. But hands down the dish of the day for me was the anchovy toast. IT WAS PHENOMENAL! As I have mentioned before, I am passionate about anchovies and when you pair them with some toast and a herb butter, I know I’m in for a good time! We always get the gnocco fritto and it is always divine, the crunch of the pastry filled with that gloriously silky parmesan cream, topped off with a generous piece of the best quality bresaola – one word, impeccable.
The John Dory and mussels with vermouth sauce, was divine. So light and delicate and rich all at the same time. The fish was cooked to perfection. Compliments to the chef who cooked the fish as there was a beautiful crisp on the skin that just lifted the dish to another dimension. Paired with that heavenly sauce, life couldn’t get much better in that exact moment! The balance was spot on, especially with the addition of the house salad with their incredible vinaigrette dressing that dances on your taste buds.
We were quite full by this stage, but we had to get dessert. We opted for something we hadn’t tried before and let me tell you it was another hero of the day! The dark chocolate was a delicate light mousse encased in the thinnest of chocolate shell, with the caramel cream and Jersey milk gelato, I went to heaven and back with every spoonful. There was a hidden delight of some raspberry compote, which was the perfect surprise. The caramel cream was slightly salted and just complemented the chocolate so well. And of course, the Jersey milk gelato is silky smooth and like eating a cloud. It was perfection in a dessert, one of the best I have experienced at Gimlet.
All in all, what an absolutely glorious lunch. I honestly couldn’t fault it. The service was spectacular, the food and the atmosphere were 10/10. So, there we have it, yet another incredible experience at my favourite restaurant of all time. I really do get giddy when I think about Gimlet, it is one of those places that hits you right in the heart. They know what they are doing and they do it every single time. If you haven’t had the pleasure of visiting Gimlet, please do so soon. Trust me when I say, you will not regret it.
Until next time.
Jo x
Gimlet is located at Cavendish House, 33 Russell Street, Melbourne.