Friday, January 4, 2013

Newmarket Hotel, St Kilda



No French Fridays this week, as I am on vacation.  Instead, I will share my experiences at the Newmarket Hotel, St Kilda.


The Newmarket Hotel is situated in a renovated warehouse, and although it is rather unassuming on the outside (so unassuming that you can easily miss it), on the inside, it has a funky 1970s feel, with leather chairs and plaid carpets and garlic hung from the ceiling in bunches.  The large, airy open space inside was buzzing, and we enjoyed drinks at the bar while we waited for a table.

The menu at the Newmarket Hotel surprised us, in a good way.  While the name of the establishment does not make you think "Latino street food", that is the best way of describing the menu, which is full of tacos, tortillas and spices. 

I went to the Newmarket with my friends Veronica and Christian at Saturday lunchtime, and we shared all of the dishes. 

Veronica ordered the blue corn quesadilla with braised zucchini blossoms & queso Oaxaca ($17):


This dish was the pick for me - it was unlike anything I have ever had before, and was smashingly good.


Christian ordered the quinoa, corn and summer squash salad ($12):


This one was not so much for me - I think it lacked a little kick, but if you like quinoa, this may be for you.


I ordered the soft taco with wood roasted bone marrow, chimichurri & ranchero style brisket ($8):  


This was also delicious, with the soft, melting bone marrow creating a rich sauce.


We decided to live large and ordered dessert - namely, the chocolate & banana cazuela with salted caramel & almonds (min 2 persons, $14pp):


Hey - you say salted caramel and I am there.  This was as fantastic as it looks, and a serve for 2 among the 3 of us was plenty - this is very rich.

If you are looking for somewhere different to go on a lazy weekend afternoon that caters to vegetarians, then you can't go wrong with a visit to the Newmarket Hotel in St Kilda.  

The Newmarket Hotel
34 Inkerman Street
St Kilda  VIC
Phone:  +61 3 9537 1777





9 comments:

  1. Looks like you're having a wonderful vacay so far!

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  2. Yum everything looks delicioso especially the blue corn quesadilla! PS I notice you have my old 'LMs Food Blog' blog name on your list - it's now 'Pre-heat the oven'. Bit of a makeover, but it's still me!). Enjoy your break.Lx

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  3. Fun to read your post and to learn about the foods...sounds interesting and looks beautiful. Happy New YEar!

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  4. I do like quinoa so love the look of that salad, but as I also like a flavour kick I may have been disappointed too. It looks like a great menu overall though!

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  5. Hehe if you say bone marrow, then I'm there! That dish sounded delicious! :D Good to hear that you're having a fun time on holidays!

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  6. Oh, yeah, salted caramel would get me in the door, too! If this type of dining is typical of your vacation, you must be having a fabulous time!

    PS...good luck with the spaetzle. I know I've made it with a spoon and a colander...just make sure you have decent sized holes in whatever device you use :)

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  7. That dessert looks lovely...not sure about sharing it though!!

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  8. I just love it when you do restaurant reviews...such fun to see where you go and what you order and the take on the place itself. The food looks wonderful!

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  9. Everything looks wonderful, but that dessert looks fabulous.

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Thanks for dropping by!