I really don't want to impose on the other couple so I ask about the tall bar table we stood around and if we could sit there. I figure if she's prepared to cram us in a small corner space then, this bar table is not off limits either and she replies briskly with an affirmative and says she'll have someone set the table for us. She's pretty scary actually and we hear her being quite directive to one of the waiters to move another table out quickly; straight to the point and no niceties!

It's actually not a bad table. The stools are comfy enough and the table has plenty of surface area for lots of dishes. Slight downside is that every time the door opens, there's Winter breeze blows through and when it gets busier and people wait for tables they hover around us. But it's better than squishing or waiting till 8:30pm. I'm just surprised she didn't offer it to us.

Anyway we settle in and although Zoe is 10 minutes away we make the decisions and start ticking that order sheet.

Lobster rolls are as good as ever. I always think they're pricey at $15 each but admittedly they taste wonderful. We also enjoy the pan fried dumplings and the steamed chicken and chilli dumplings. 

The duck bao which Zoe shreds for us goes down well. It's really all the favourites that are as good as I remember and no surprises.

Dessert is a new one for us - that taoyaki. Fish shaped waffley, spongey things filled with chocolate. Again classically good. Wouldn't say no to a bit more chocolate filling though or Kirsty's great idea of a chocolate dip to lift the deliciousness stakes higher.

The food is the standard I've come to expect from Andrew McConnell and I don't think there's any difference to the quality when comparing to the CBD offering. It calls itself a canteen but it's not canteen prices, it doesn't feel like a canteen in setting and the speed the food comes out is also not canteen. The only canteen thing about it is perhaps the brusquely efficient way the front of house manager turns round those tables getting people in and out; a task which would be easier if the food came out quicker no doubt.

So in terms of dining experience I prefer the CBD option as it's just a bit more relaxed and the hospitality is warmer. There's little if not no price differential, the food comes out at the same pace so why wouldn't I take the non canteen option? I can't see the benefit of the canteen unless I was a St Kilda resident and didn't want to travel.

Friday was no ordinary day at the office. My workplace allows each employee two paid days to volunteer and my team chose to do this together in St. Kilda so I found myself out of the office and Southside. What a big adventure!

We broke for lunch at 12 and given it wasn't my 'hood, we relied on team members whose 'hood it is for a lunch plan and one was made very quickly and efficiently. A phone call was made whilst we were en route and we were told they would have a table for the 10 of us. As we arrived they were just unlocking the doors!

The dining area is nice and roomy with a modern and contemporary look and feel. I can imagine that when busy it will feel buzzy and fun; great for groups and families.

Everyone ordered a dish for themselves and between us there were pizzas, gnocchi, lasagne and salads so the group managed to try most offerings. Although there was only our table and one other table of 4, the food did take a while to arrive. Perhaps if we had mentioned we were on the clock and had to leave in an hour, that might have made a difference. Anyway we just managed the time constraints and had about 15 minutes to eat by the time we were served.

At lunchtime, there are smaller pizzas available for $13 which was great and they were a perfect size for lunch. I really enjoyed the No.15 which was tomato pancetta, ham, onion, free range egg and mozzarella. My yolk was smashed though which I was a little disappointed with. My request for chilli was rewarded with a small dish of chillies in oil and a couple of tangy pickled pieces too which were delicious. The accompanying salad I ordered was fresh and crunchy which was a really good contrast to the heavier, cheesier, carbier pizza.

All the dishes that came to the table looked appetising and generous. Everyone seemed to enjoy their food and there were clean plates all round. Mr. Wolf certainly hit the spot for us!

Rachele's birthday celebrations took place at Uncle in St Kilda on a Tuesday evening. She's a popular lady so there were many of us so we had a set banquet seated at a long table. Our one vegan diner was able to forgo the set menu and order a la carte and there were vegan options.

The banquet is a sharing affair; there are buns, wings, salad, a whole fish, rice so it's about getting the hands dirty and passing the dishes. I didn't find the dishes as good as the ones at other Asian influence eateries such as Chin Chin. The flavours just didn't come through as clearly. The crispy pigs ear banh mi lacked more filling, the flesh of the barramundi was just a bit too mushy. The chicken wings were great though as was family style feeding hour.

I was given a voucher last year for Republica and forgot to use it during the Summer so luckily, they were happy to extend the validity period and as soon as there was a sunny day and we were free, we decided to use it.

This happened on Derby Day and whilst we were fine to book a table, when we got there the place was just kerazy and full of race goers worse the wear and getting lairy.

We were shown to our table in a corner where we could watch the people on the terrace outside. It reminded me a little of a chain pub back home on a Saturday night!

Service was quick and orders taken and food arrived in a short time.

We shared:

• Fried chicken ribs and wings with jalapeno and lime
• Lamb belly with beetroot, goats cheese and pine nut gremolata
• Pork belly with black pudding and scallop, grains and almonds
• Spring green vegetable risotto with soft boiled egg and truffled pecorino

The meat dishes were effectively all entrees and the risotto was a main.

It was obvious that the kitchen wanted to produce fancy, gastro pub type meals as the platings were full of smeatrs and flourishes and scatterings and smatterings so credit for effort but the effect was a little amateur and unfortunately flavours also require a more professional touch.

The chicken wings were quite soggy and greasy and the mayo had no lime or jalapeno flavours - more like a tartare sauce. I found the rest of the dishes quite bland too and the risotto sadly had that claggy, stick to the roof of the mouth sensation.

I can imagine on a less rushed and busy day, this would be a great place for long, lazy drinks by the beach and perhaps the food would be better too. Sadly not for us.

However thank you for the voucher mum and dad Barley. It was great to be able to watch the sunset and go out to St Kilda in the sunshine.

We were due to be in Elsternwick on Saturday afternoon for our anniversary activity of pottery painting so decided to also find lunch in the area. The Potsticker was on the list of places to try so today was an excellent day to go.

We arrived at 11:45 am and were pretty much the first to be there. During our time it never got hugely busy with about half a dozen dining groups at most so it was a lot calmer than other yum cha experiences. No Chinese people either though so perhaps it loses points on authenticity?! Anyway, we found the service pleasant enough. Our teapot was filled regularly and the food came round enough.

I asked for steamed sticky rice and Peking duck when we sat down unsure if these items would come round and the waitress did bring us sticky rice later on although no one else got it.

Dumplings are all fairly mainstream and there's enough to keep us interested. Some favourites didn't appear though like cheung fun, egg tarts and custard buns but I guess being quiet and catering to Western crowds probably has a factor to play.

Stand outs were probably the spring onion pancake which was tasty for a veggie dish and the chive dumpling was pretty good too. The sesame prawn toast was plump of prawn which is a good thing and I liked that the sweet and sour sauce was already on the table.

Steve still prefers Shark Fin House; I'm probably the same mainly because of the lack of choice but I did like the calmer environment and I didn't notice any MSG overuse. Sometimes I feel a bit full and heavy and thirsty after yum cha because of the quality of the meat in the dumplings and MSG but I have to say there was none of this after today's experience.

Saturday night was spent in St Kilda with friends Marty and Kirsty and we tried out Cafe di Stasio. Our table was at 20:45 and when we arrived there was a bit of hanging around the entrance waiting for them to sort us out and then we were ushered to the bar where we stood against the marble and had a drink.

A table in the bar area by the window became available so we got out of everyone's way and sat there. We were very comfortable there and enjoyed watching the party goers walk by and when our actual table was ready and the lovely hostess came to get us, she also suggested that we could stay put if we so desired and so we stayed there. The hostess even brought over a white tablecloth to formalise proceedings!

The menu is extensive and then with a couple of specials thrown in, then truly spoilt for choice and so many things sound so delicious and appealing.

Between us our entrees included specials of deep friend whitebait, grilled king prawns, gnocchi bolognese and the seared tuna with fennel, capers and pancetta which was on the menu.

Have to admit the courses came slowly and did drag out. Although our hostess was lovely in the beginning, by the time it was entree time we didn't see her any more and when the waiters were present they were efficient but we were very much left alone for long periods of time and water glasses were not refilled regularly.

Onto the food though. I had the gnocchi and it was delicious and just the right size. The gnocchi was light and fluffy and the ragu meaty and tomatoey. Yummy. Steve's whitebait also went down well. Crispy and still meaty there was a lot of them and they were done well. Apparently no complaints with the prawns and the tuna.

Our main courses were the quail risotto, bucatini amatriciana, crumbed veal cutlet stuffed with prosciutto and Fontina cheese and roast duck with spatzle.

Steve had the risotto and said it was what he needed on a hangover and it was pleasant enough but the duck risotto at Tutto Bene is better. Kirsty seemed to enjoy the bucatini but wasn't enamoured and apparently the flavours weren't as big as they could be. I think the veal cutlet went down fine for Marty. I enjoyed most of the duck - some of it was a but fatty and flabby and I think the spatzle was actually a bit too buttery to go with it all. I liked the flavour of the spatzle by itself and maybe with a leaner cleaner meat. The texture was a bit bitty though and more like scrambled egg rather than actual bigger pieces.

In this high end Italian space I think Cecconi's does it slightly better both in service and food. Dessert didn't appeal to us and getting menus and waiting for them to take the order just seemed to take too long as did trying to catch someone's eye to get the bill and then the subsequent card payments. So much so that we actually just upped and left using the door in the bar and slipped out and no one said good bye or were around to help us. I appreciate that because we had a late booking, by the time we were finishing it was closer to midnight and so they may have been on reduced staff numbers but the place was still pretty busy with customers so I expected more by way of attentiveness.

The verdict is that it was nice enough. I think regulars are treated well and don't have the service issues we encountered so if we were regulars it would probably be a much better meal. Unfortunately we don't live close enough nor was it good enough for us to want to become regulars. Chicken and egg situation really and I didn't like it enough to break the cycle and confidently say that we would return of our own accord.

Saturday night date night and Steve and I ventured to St Kilda on a dark and wet evening to enjoy dinner by the sea. A few people had questioned our choice given the season and had warned me to lower expectations as part of what makes The Stokehouse work is apparently Summer and sunshine.

We arrive and are quickly shown to a lovely table with a window view and in spite of the rain and the dark velvety night sky, we can still see waves moodily hit the shore. It takes some time to get drinks ordered, menus, food ordered etc but eventually we get there and the slowness does pick up over the course of the night. I like our waitress as she's friendly and efficient whilst being reassuringly experienced at her trade and I relax in her expertise.

We started off with delicious natural oysters and a single one done Rockefeller style.  We actually preferred the natural style as the Rockefeller was overly salty. An accompanying glass of champagne set the decadent tone of the evening.

I went with an ocean trout sashimi with fish roe, apple and I think avocado. It was light and delicious and so vibrant in natural colour against the black plate. Steve went with a special which was pork cheek with crumbed morcilla on lentils and grains and he enjoyed that with gusto. Where my dish was pretty and delicate with an elegant finish, Steve's dish was on the end of the spectrum being earthy, hearty and rustic and it was great to see the kitchen strike the very heart of both.

I went with the pork belly dish that came with marron on some grains and Steve enjoyed partridge and a mini partridge pie.

I loved the meatiness of the pork and the broth it came with and then the delicate sweetness of the marron. I loved that the whole dish still felt light and it didn't make me feel like I'd over eaten.

Steve enjoyed his partridge especially the pie. Classic cooking and the pie was excellent apparently.

With all this great food we enjoyed a beautiful bottle of wine recommended by the sommelier as being pretty special - Lodestone Pinot Noir from the Mornington Peninsula. It was delicious - silky smooth with hints of cherries. Loved it!

Dessert choices were tough as there were so many that appealed. In the end we went with The Bombe – frozen white chocolate parfait with strawberry sorbet and  toasted meringue and the salted caramel chocolate tart with milk yoghurt sorbet.

Oh we loved both. I have to admit I expected he bombe to be more circular with spikes of piped meringue and kind of spikey hedgehog looking as opposed to a slice reminiscent of Arctic roll but it was still enjoyable.

The salted caramel concoction was really well balanced. I'm not a huge chocolate dessert lover and can find it overly cloying an sweet but this was less about the sugar and more about fragrant cocoa and lovely caramel.

I thoroughly enjoyed our meal at The Stokehouse. It was reminiscent of our great dinner we had in South Africa at The Harbour House. It's classic cooking but not boringly so and if given the opportunity I'd happily return.

Sunday lunch and we wanted something satisfying. Knowing that Sunday roasts in this part of the World are different to UK, we have pretty much given up on trying to find something similar and have learnt to embrace the different. Ok, so there's no Yorkshire pudding, lashings of gravy, carvery, groaning plateful but we can find flavoursome roast meat, interesting side dishes, relaxed environments and generally speaking more sunshine! We take what we can get!

Today we ventured to the Middle Park Hotel to enjoy a relaxing lunch with Rob and Lorna. It's convenient to get to and the place has a relaxed but busy vibe.

The boys go with beer, Lorna is in Sunday recovery mode and I try going down the wine front but after one head to the safer territory of diet coke!

Food wise we share two Scotch eggs between three. Rob refrains not being a fan of whole eggs. Apparently mashed up it's fine just not when they're whole or cut in half! Served with HP sauce and a mustard mayo. It's a good Scotch egg. Not too heavy and the HP sauce adds piquancy. The mustard mayo is too mustardy for me but I can imagine it being popular with the mustard fans.

Not knowing what to have Steve and I strike a deal. We go half and hald on fish and chips and the Parisien burger. There is a choice of about 5 different burgers on the menu; different blends of cow and topping. I'm excited by the fish and chips as it promises mushy peas and there is a bottle of Sarsons malt vinegar available which isn't the norm in Melbourne.

The fish and chips are a small serve really but I remind myself it only cost $14 which in Melbourne money is a bargain. (Yeah not so in UK moolah but let's not linger on that point). Disappointingly the mushy peas are a small blob and not the ladleful I expected. The pickled onion is a nice touch albeit unexpected. The fish was tasty. The chips weren't quite chip shop chips but the Sarsons made it better.

Steve thought the burger was strange but I'm not really sure what he means by that. To me it was a reasonable burger. The patty was dense and juicy. I liked the brioche bun and the shoestring fries. It wasn't a blow me out the water burger but it was decent enough.

I think next time we see what else it has to offer. The chicken shnitzel and Sunday roast (

Sunny Saturday in St Kilda and we revisited a favourite of ours and enjoyed sitting outside feasting on Asian flavours. We started with some oysters and followed them up with a specail of Wagyu brisket with kohl rahi and it was delicious. Delicately pickled veg, yumm beef, coriander, crispy garlic and a kick of chilli.

Crispy rice cake, lap cheong, furikake was a new one for us and became a favourite. So much so, Steve ordered another one! It's like our fave yum cha classic of sticky rice but with a crispy crust - marvellous.

We also had the other special of asparagus with duck egg sauce and shave bottarga. I enjoyed the chargrill flavour of the asparagus but sadly after an AMAZING asparagus dish at Attica during the week means that any asparagus has a hard job to impress!

Rolled Berkshire pork belly, white kimchi, yuxiang sauce was fresh and zingy.

Szechuan braised eggplant, minced pork, rice noodle was enjoyable with a tingly buzz left on the lips and tongue.

Shredded chicken, sesame paste, house-made cold rice noodles, chilli oil still remains my favourite though.

Love it here.

We returned to Cicciolina after a great Sunday lunch last week to repeat the experience. Glad to say it was great again and this time we were able to share the delicious occasion with friends. Christine even got a birthday sparkler in her sticky date pudding which was most welcome! So as late discoverers of this gem, we made up for it with two visits in a short space of time.

Service was great and super friendly. The bread was just as good as it was. The wine kept coming. Steve had a good quail starter with the most delicious mini Scotch egg. I enjoyed the pork belly he had last time. Other things on our table were the meatballs, some oysters and another crab souffle and there were sounds of appreciation from everyone.

Main courses again hit the right spots. My spaghetti Bolognese was a great spag bol - meaty and tasty with a good tomato tang and great value at $19. Steve enjoyed his lasagne but prefers a meatier filling whereas this one was more prosciutto and mushroom but no real complaints and he finished with a clean plate. Other appreciated dishes were the veal, baby chicken and the Scotch fillet.

Everyone commented that the food was delicious and well priced (including a friend from Hong Kong who is used to great food and dirt cheap prices) so it's a great place for a group. Wine is also good value.

The dessert continued to please and Steve and I shared a millefeuille filled with creme patissier and livened up with a scoop of mango sorbet and some passionfruit sorbet. It tasted to clean and fruity it almost felt healthy. Unlike the sticky date pudding which Christine made noises over!