Gerald's Bar

Convivial,cluttered and slightly dissolute,Gerald's plays a vital role in Carlton North,where places to slump with a glass in your hand are few and far between. But this is no dive. fine wines,cool tunes and an ever-changing array of cleverly constructed small plates make that abundantly clear. Most dishes comprise just a few elements,relying on ingredient quality as much as flavour combinations. Sweet kingfish tataki is offset by pink grapefruit and chervil;glistening roasted quail comes with pomegranate seeds and burghul. Larger offerings include a generous pork chop with radicchio and pistachios,or porterhouse topped with thyme butter and served with a side of iceberg. If you'd rather graze while concentrating on the tipples,you can play padron pepper roulette,or linger over a board of prosciutto,bresaola,sopressa and pork and fennel salami. With its quirky brand of charm,Gerald's feels like a private club. Luckily for Melbourne it takes all comers.