Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide
Thank you Gourmet Traveller for the kind words. Such an honour to be included in their annual restaurant guide highlighting the top 100 restaurants in Australia. A very proud Stokehouse team!
Stokehouse
This St Kilda Beach stalwart is better than ever.
Like Taylor Swift, Stokehouse has its eras and the one it’s in now is arguably its best yet. The prime waterside real estate with views of the boardwalk, beach and bay has been an obvious drawcard since the upstairs restaurant opened in 1990, but with executive chef Jason Staudt at the helm the food holds as much sway as the outlook. Staudt is a skilled practitioner who understands the style of food demanded by the luxe, sandy-hued atmosphere. His menu is deceptively simple and fun to eat. Try creamily dressed spanner crab served with a doughnut, a crunchy saltbush and vinegar potato cake, or expertly cooked beef served with brilliant potatoes Dauphinoise and bordelaise sauce. Grilled marron glistens with lime-spiked brown butter, while a rhubarb and mandarin tart is elevated by coconut and lemon thyme. Service from a crack team is as thorough as the voluminous drinks list. A classic era, for sure.