Gloomy Sunday afternoon and we are in need of good cheer so we seek the spicy heat of Mexico and gather as a dining group of 4 at Hotel Jesus. It's a quiet afternoon for this place that gets pumping on a Saturday night but we like the chilled out downtime.

The laminated menu card with photographs of some of the dishes is a little twee but then so is the shrine of beer bottles en route to the bathrooms. It's all a bit kitschy tongue in cheeky. I'm less fussed about dodgy decor as long as the tacos are terrific.

Service is pretty friendly and prompt and we get ticking away on our order sheet putting in our individual requests for tostadas, tacos, quesadillas and volcanes as well as shared dishes. Arriba arriba we urge as tummies need to be filled!

The guacamole is super smooth and it's tasty with one large disc of a chip per person. Weirdly the bean dip comes with a whole basket of crackers and chips. Whilst the dip is not the most attractive to look at, it's pretty tasty with a swirl of chilli oil and a sprinkling of cheese. When are refried beans pretty anyway?

We share two plates of ceviche - white fish and seafood cocktail. I love the tomato dressing and the mix of fish, prawn and octopus in the seafood cocktail. Think bloody Mary style flavours spiked with fresh seafood. The white fish is ceviche is less chunky and more crumbly, not quite what I had in mind but still fresh and tasty.

We ordered our own choice of tostadas, tacos, quesadillas and volcanes which is effectively a melted cheese topped tostada. There's plenty of choices for topping - beef, chicken, pork, fish, prawn...And there are a medley of condiments to enhance the flavour experience including a Diablo sauce that apparently is the spicy one but I didn't find it too spicy...

I enjoyed the prawn ceviche tostada which does pack a punch of chilli heat and also the beef taco. The tuna quesadilla is like a slightly more gourmet tuna and cheese toastie and the volcanes are heavier and greasier than the other offerings with the addition of melted cheese.

There's something for everyone at Hotel Jesus. It's casual, it's cheery and it comes with fresh flavours and plenty of spice. Pretty pleasing really.

Ranked 4th in the recent Herald Sun delicious.100 top Victorian restaurants, we turned up with expectant hearts, minds and tummies. We loved the timber decor and whilst it looked dark and moody from the outside, the interior has a Scandi smokehouse kind of feel crossed with some Australian earthiness that is light, bright and airy. It's a good blend of styles and very comfortable to dine in.

Dining options are a 5 course or 8 course degustation with matched beverages, mostly wines, an option. The wine list is affordable too which is good to see with some unusual options from as far afield as Uruguay and as close to down the road.
​Dishes are not described or revealed until they are at the table and are have deceptively simple 3 ingredient monikers. 

Courses are set at a good pace with no dragging out of time but we're also not rushed. Before long the bread comes out which is a saltbush roll with cultured cream. Toasty and nutty with some hefty density it's appetising and served slightly warm. And the roll is quickly followed up with our selection of snacks. 

• Roe on chicken skin
• Salt and vinegar saltbush
• Zucchini flower stuffed with a mussel
• Lardo on a stick
• Duck on a stick
• Air dried local beef with radish

Our first bite is the slightly warm, very juicy stuffed zucchini flower and it's delicious. Soft, slippery mussel encased in a slightly charred zucchini flower with a green cleansing flavour. The salt and vinegar saltbush remind us of the same we had at Brae and it's just so moreish; that zingy savoury flavour. The sticks of rye provide a yummy wholemeal flavour against the charcuterie saltiness of the lardo or the smoked duck but the stand out for us is the roe on chicken skin. So fragile and so unassuming in appearance, the savoury umami flavours are a decadent hit. More please!

And the red wine is poured...a delicious Tommy Ruff Mourvedre and Merlot blend entitled Sunday by natural wine innovator Tom Shobbrook. It's super easy drinking and a perfect Sunday smasher and it compliments our first meat dish:

• Jerusalem artichoke, Wagyu, potato

Jerusalem artichokes cooked overnight in the embers are sat in a potato sauce enveloped in pink and white marble slices of paper thin cured Wagyu. The artichokes are sweet with a BBQ char mellowed by the potato and then seasoned with the meaty saltiness of the delicious Wagyu.

There are usually around 20 dishes on the go per sitting and each degustation is tailored combination per table taking into consideration dietary requirements and what the adjacent tables are having. They like to play and create food envy across the diners...I'm not sure I like that as I am definitely disappointed to have missed out on dishes! But I guess that just means we have to return!

A group of four of us had a long and late lunch at Rita's. We were seated in one of the booths which was very comfortable and the table large enough for the many dishes we ordered. 

We started off with duck croquettes and the antipasto platter. These arrived quite quickly and it was all tasty enough. The croquettes were a little oily but not unpleasantly so. I enjoyed the pickled octopus which had hints of lemon running through it and the anchovies along with the cured meats.

This is decent Italian fare. It doesn't wow nor does it displease. Nice enough, that benign and unexciting phrase is reflective of the food. 

It wasn't a particularly busy service but unfortunately, we found the wait staff unresponsive and inattentive. Although we were there for a long and languid lunch, I can't help but feel the wait staff can't take the same approach!

​Our main course empty dishes sat there for a long time whilst they swept the floor and tidied up around us and generally avoided eye contact. Eventually someone came over to ask if we wanted anything else and we couldn't help but feel their preference would have been that we ask for the bill. Unfortunately we are not ideal diners as we didn't comply and had a round of coffees and dessert. And then when we did ask for the bill, there was no follow up when the cash cards were pulled out so we had to go up and pay. Maybe that's what happens when diners eat at the end of a lunch service but it's sad if that's the case as surely that shouldn't matter and service levels shouldn't dissipate just because we're at the back of the queue.

Migo's is a small hole in the wall cafe on busy Flinders Lane with tables that spill into the arcade next door. Given its discreet shop front and the ubiquitous display of cakes and a coffee machine in the window, it would be easy to pass by thinking it's another Melbourne coffee shop. The menu is a blackboard on the wall and it serves breakfasts but the secret is, it also serves wonderful pasta dishes just like Nonna makes. 

I visited for lunch with two colleagues that are also close friends and we managed to secure a table close to the kitchen that usually seats four so in spite of the cosiness of the dining space we were comfortable. The kitchen is very busy and bowl after bowl of steaming pasta comes out. We were served by an endearing older gent who pretty much relayed our order verbally to the kitchen at heightened volume; no computers, no automated dockets, not even a slip of paper! It's a simple system but it works as after a short wait, three bowls of steaming spaghetti arrived.

My companions had the seafood pasta to die for and I had the spaghetti Bolognese. All three dishes were a tomato based sauce and came with a sprinkling of Parmesan and and a chunk of bread. We also had a small bowl of additional cheese should we want it and it's the real deal finely grated that melts rather than the dehydrated, sawdust stuff.

There was a lot of it so for $17 for the seafood pasta and $14 for the bolognese; it's good value for a CBD cafe. The pasta was hot and al dente and the meaty ragu was delicious. Rustic home cooked Italian fare that warms the depths of the soul kind of food. And apparently the seafood spaghetti was great too; although I didn't try it. The enthusiasm coming from my friends meant I knew it was good. I actually had seafood spaghetti the night before in Carlton and it was $25 and I know it was no way on par with this version.

And the meal finished sweetly as you can takeaway a sweet treat when you pay the bill. Portuguese egg tarts, muffins, slices are all on offer to enjoy after the hearty feed of pasta.

I took a short stroll one lunchtime and found this place on Flinders Lane so popped in for a quick eat. On this occasion I had the Pad Thai and I enjoyed the flavours and the fact it wasn't too wet and sloppy but had the right texture. Service is efficient and the food comes out quickly and piping hot. I decided it was worth a second visit.

So a week later I came with a colleague who is also a good friend. She had the Pad Thai this time and I had the stir fried belly pork and Chinese broccoli. Sure there are cheaper Thai restaurants for such dishes ($13) but I think it's still a reasonable price point for the quality. Although my friend did have the purple flower drink which whilst very pretty was really just like a cordial and the Thai iced tea I had was a bit watery so I don't think the drinks prices value for money.

I enjoyed my lunch. It was well seasoned; the egg was runny and the pork and veggies stirfried with lots of fiery wok hei heat given it that satisfying smokiness and crunchiness. For a quick lunchtime feed, it's a decent Thai option.