55-57 Gertrude Street
Fitzroy 3065
http://www.cutlerandco.com.au/
Good place to take a date:
10/10
Flamboyant fine dining is a special way to spruce up a date. With its open plan kitchen at the heart of the restaurant, Cutler and Co offer more than just an impressive menu. If you and your date can talk until the cows come home, then treat them to the degustation and settle in for one heck of a food experience. Expertly presented in a comfortable setting that will combine to make the hours slip away, it’s an exquisite option for birthdays, anniversaries and deal-clinchers. From the in house ingredients to the impossible-to-slip-up skilled staff, you’ll find it hard to fault Cutler & Co for a memorable Melbourne date.
Good place to meet for a first date:
8/10
It’s all about first impressions. So enter Cutler & Co with your date and cue instant intimacy from the soft glow that warms the otherwise art deco interior. Offering cutting edge, modern fine dining, it’s certainly a venue for showing off your swagger. Star treatment from the knowledgeable staff will ensure a smooth experience from start to finish. Whilst this all sounds very tempting, we’re not 100% convinced on the eligibility of Cutler & Co for Melbourne first dates. After all, a three to four hour sitting of the degustation menu might be a risky choice if conversation runs dry, although with matching wines you can be sure that the drink won’t. Meanwhile it’s an expensive gamble for a first date and one that you’d be better off keeping up your sleeve for later if things go successfully.
Cutler & Co
Average age:
The chic urban outlay combined with experimental flavours ensures that Cutler & Co has a relatively youthful take on fine dining. Nevertheless, you’ll find families, business partners, couples and friends all schmoozing over sharing dishes and degustations that give it a welcoming vibe despite its high end pricing. As a top choice for special occasions, you might want to make an effort for an evening of wining and dining here when it comes to dress code.
Time of review:
Open for dinner Tuesdays to Sundays and lunch during weekends, you’ll find a pleasant surprise for a Sunday lunch as an alternative date in Melbourne. Reservations are recommended, especially if you don’t want to drag your partner around the city looking for a back up plan.
Average cost of a meal and a drink:
At $130 per person, the degustation menu doesn’t come cheap. But using the finest ingredients and bringing you combinations that you might never have imagined working, it’s a great treat for foodies. At half the price, the Sunday lunch is a more reasonable option for a regular sitting, whilst a la carte mains will set you back about $45. If you want wine with that, double your budget.
Type of cuisine:
Our mothers always said a good restaurant serves the kind of things you couldn’t make at home. Well Cutler & Co undoubtedly ticks that box. With premium sourced ingredients and show-stopping sharing dishes such as roast suckling pig and 1.1kg rib eye, it certainly has the wow factor. You’re likely to be ignorant of at least one ingredient in each dish on the menu, but the staff will be happy to enlighten you. They know their stuff.
Final word:
If you have high standards or simply love exploring new flavours and foodie experiences, you’ll be suitable humbled by the brilliance of Cutler & Co. But don’t show your best trick first, save this one for someone who you know will appreciate this restaurant as much as you, and can share the memory with for months to come!