Attica

Overview

UPDATE Monday, July 19: Lockdown 5.0 has inspired the return of Attica At Home, offering a selection of Ben Shewry classics for takeaway and delivery. Currently, the menu's available until Saturday, 24 July, though expect further dates to be added if the snap lockdown is extended. Enjoy dishes like the beef lasagne with garlic bread and salad ($60), or a set menu of Attica favourites ($95), in your own house. For more details on Victoria's current restrictions, see the Department of Health and Human Services website.

The brainchild of New Zealand chef Ben Shewry, Attica lays claim to being one of Melbourne's best-known and most celebrated fine diners. And the buzz is certainly not unwarranted. Located behind an unassuming shopfront on Glen Eira Road, the restaurant is a regular amongst the annual World's 50 Best Restaurants list, taking out the 33rd position in 2016, landing 32 in 2017 and named 20th in 2018.

Here, your culinary journey takes the form of an elegant multi-course set tasting menu ($320), served with a touch of theatre within a moody dining room space created by IF Architecture. The food lineup changes regularly, though what sticks firm is Shewry and his team's commitment to celebrating unique native ingredients wherever possible.

Dishes bear simple, mysterious names that belie the considered, forward-thinking creations that arrive in front of you — think, 'Killer Salad, Lightest Touch', 'Reko and Ben's Picnic Caviar', 'Marron, Missed You Delicious Old Friend' and 'Croc Fat Caramel'. And of course, there's some great drinking to match, with a stellar curation of wine, beer and other clever libations also on offer.

Like most, Covid times have seen Attica embracing the pivot and expanding on its signature offerings. The restaurant has hosted a pop-up bake shop in the space next door, launched a casual sibling venue in the Yarra Valley over last summer and has been slinging elevated takeaway fare to hungry locals during most of Melbourne's lockdowns.