The first date - always a tad nerve wrecking and exciting at the same time. So it certainly helps when you have chosen a good venue - a sure-fire win! Tricks to a good venue:
a. Comfortable ambience in a convenient location
b. Good service and
c. it doesn't hurt to have great tasting food and wine too!
So here are some of my recommendations - tried and tested - guaranteed to always end with a smile on your face - unless you muck up the date of course. That I can't help you with.
1. The Turtle
1 Ormond Road Elwood 03 9525 6952
This laid back cafe was set up 20 years ago - cute fact - the original owner decided to name it after his daughter who apparently walks like a turtle. :) In recent years the original owner sold the cafe to 2 friends who wanted to produce great Italian influenced food - and so the Turtle keeps it's great reputation for flavoursome food, excellent wine and personalized service. Co-owner Michael is a familiar face at the turtle with a friendly smile to welcome his loyal local patrons. For starters, try the Arancini - crumbed rice balls packed full of flavoursome Spinach, Pumpkin and Parmesan. Dipped in Aioli you'll be wowed by the punch. For mains, make sure you try the Tagliatelle Genovese with succulent wagyu beef, veal, salami, proscuitti, and onion in red wine sauce. Or the delicious Gnocchetti with Italian sausage and fennel sugo. The casual atmosphere & attentive waiters will wind you down and you'll be in for a great time.
2. The Pier
1 Bay St Port Melbourne 03 9646 3990
This cafe bar is situated in a great location right across the Port Melbourne beach. Dine alfresco by the beach and enjoy the sea view as you watch the Spirit of Tasmania docking. Offering a variety of nibblies including the Tasting platter - a selection of almond crumbed calamari, cajun chicken, goats fetta, olive tapenade, semi dried tomatoes, marinated vegetables, chorizo sausage, smoked salmon and capers, Thick cut Aioli chips, wood-fired bruschetta, Dips with warm turkish bread or Nachos with beef or bean chilli con carne, there's bound to be something that will satiate your peckishness. Choose between sitting outside when it's sunny or within the sun drenched but covered courtyard in loungy leather couches. The cosy and intimate environment will allow you to warm up quickly to your date.
- View from The Pier
3. St Ali
12-18 Yarra Place South Melbourne (03) 9686 2990
Another really chilled out but cool cafe to take your first date to is St Ali. Tucked away in a quiet laneway off Clarendon St in South Melbourne, this tiny treasure cove offers excellent house roasted coffee that's rich, aromatic and creamy. You can hear them roasting the coffee away as the busy joint packs up the crowds. The quirky waitress runs from table to table taking orders quickly then coming back each time smiling with plates of food saying "here you go starvin marvins"! The great cosy interior with yummy food at reasonable prices makes for an easy first date venue. The food in itself becomes the conversational piece as you and your date indulge in the "My mexican cousin corn fritters with baby spinach grilled haloumi kasundi and poached eggs". Or delightfully mix and match your eggs with different bits and pieces to create your own breakfast plate!
St Ali's cosy interior
- St Ali Coffee
- St Ali's "My mexican cousin's corn fritters"
4. Lindt Cafe
271 Collins Street, Melbourne Tel: (03) 9667 0900
Shop B193, Lower Ground Level Chadstone Shopping Centre Tel: (03) 9568 2444
Let's face it. Who doesn't like chocolate? No one. OK - unless you are allergic to it or have no idea how to live life. In any case, Lindt Cafe is the best bet for all chocolate lovers. Melt your first date's inhibitions away with the warm chocolate cake - oozing with a warm chocolate centre and side of vanilla ice cream, it's bound to impress. Or sweeten your first date's lips with the sweet chocolate waffles, ice cream and icing ala mode. Triple the sweetness factor with the delicate and light macaroons - choose from a variety of sweet flavours including classic chocolate to pistachio, coconut, strawberry and mocha. A guaranteed heart-warming date awaits you - all it takes is a hearty appetite for chocolate which shouldn't be hard to come by.
- Warm chocolate cake
5. Red Star Cafe
315 Coventry St, South Melbourne 03 9696 6000
I keep coming back to this cafe because of a few reasons - the service is fast and precise, the food is good value & it's just across the South Melbourne market which makes for easy access to your weekly supply of fresh fruits and veges. You can't go wrong with that can you? And so the Red Star has a winning formula. The breakfast menu includes a hearty big breakfast of eggs (any style), crispy bacon, sausages, grilled tomato, mushrooms on sour dough toast. Make sure you order a side of the home made hash browns which are more like light thin crispy potato flakes. Or choose from the lunch menu - I like the delicious spanish paella with generous portions of plump prawns, mussels and packed full of saucy flavour served in a pan. After brunch, you can take your date for a leisurely stroll around the South Melbourne market to walk off the scrumptious meal you've just savoured.
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