Dining at The Danish Club

One of the things I love about Melbourne is that you never know what you might find around the next corner, in the next alley, or up the next staircase. The diversity is simply breathtaking, and makes dining in Melbourne an experience to remember.

The Danish Club is one such hidden treasure. On Friday, I went to a business lunch at The Danish Club in Melbourne, and it was a sheer delight. From the blonde wood interior to the very cool Danish lamp shades and the bowl of yellow tulips on each table, the atmosphere was an experience in itself, even before you started dining.

The menu consists of Danish and Danish inspired dishes. The presentation of the food was magnificent. I don't have photos of everything, because it was a business lunch and I really did not want to have to explain why I was photographing the food. I explained taking a photo of my own food by stating that it was so unusual - which it was, in a very good way.

I ordered the Smushi platter:

This consists of three open faced sandwiches on circles of rye bread, chosen by the chef. The one on the left, which looks like a huge poached egg with bacon on top, was actually a kind of club sandwich - there was creamy chicken in mayo (the "egg"). topped with crispy bacon, and with red lettuce underneath. The middle one, my favourite, is smoked salmon (or tuna??), with lettuce, fennel fronds and some kind of creamy sauce. The one on the right, my least favourite but still tasty, appeared to be thin slices of pickled pork with a creamy mushroom sauce and the ubiquitous lettuce. I have no idea what the decorative black smear on the plate was made with. All I know is that these sandwiches were all devine, and very different to anything I had had before. The meals are served with a basket of bread for the table - both sliced baguette and rye bread. My favourite was the nutty, dark rye bread.

I completed my meal with a Danish pastry (mine was a braided honey pastry that tasted like baklava) and tea in the most intriguingly shaped teapot:

The staff were friendly and attentive, and the water (served in tall, curved carafes) was regularly replenished. Overall, this was an unusual and top notch dining experience.

Unfortunately, to attend The Danish Club, you either have to be a member or accompanied by a member (in this case, my boss). However, if you are fan of the food or have an interest in Danish culture, the annual membership fee may well justify the pleasure of being able to dine here regularly, in relative privacy and away from the madding crowd.

The Danish Club
Level 3, 428 Little Bourke Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: (+61 3) 9600 4477