Four new restaurants open their doors at NewQuay, Docklands
Business is booming at NewQuay and why wouldn’t it be? NewQuay has already become one of Melbourne’s must visit destinations. From the moment you step onto the promenade you realise this is an experience Melbourne was in definite need of – breathing space – right in the heart of the city.
Designed as an ‘outdoor gallery’, it’s a truly dynamic public space filled with vibrant waterfront restaurants and cafes, funky bars, specialty retail shops, spectacular urban art, a marina and a full calendar of water recreational activities.
Four new restaurants have recently opened their doors for business…
Berth Restaurant
45 NewQuay Promenade, NewQuay, Docklands
Phone 9670 0199 Modern Mediterranean cuisine at its best, served in a casual, laid-back atmosphere.
Berth sits right on the water at NewQuay, offering unrestricted views of the harbour and the city. This is truly exceptional value for money and you won’t pay more than $20 for a main.
The Char Grilled Salmon is as fresh as it comes, cooked to perfection and served on wok-tossed veges, accompanied by a delicious home-made capsicum pesto. Specialty of the house is the Twice Cooked ½ Duck served with kipfler potatoes, roasted cherry tomatoes and a mouth-watering raspberry dressing.
There’s also a comprehensive variety of drinks on the menu, including an excellent range of wine. The décor is decidedly unpretentious and uncomplicated except for the magnificent circular bar in the centre which is totally wrapped in thick marble.
Owned by Stephen Elkhoury and John Scardanaglia, Berth opened on Melbourne Cup Day this year and is quickly gaining an enviable reputation for serving fresh, good quality food at a reasonable price in a casual environment.
Staff are attentive and super friendly and there’s no particular dress code or designated closing time to speak of. Basically the kitchen stays open until there are no more orders. Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner from 10.30am Monday to Friday and on weekends from 9am.
Breakfast and Brunch is served daily until 5pm. Berth is fully licensed. Main courses start from $15 and desserts from $9. To avoid disappointment, bookings are essential on the weekend.
Berth seats a total of 200 upstairs and downstairs.
Waterside Oriental Bistro
Shop 5, 10 NewQuay Promenade, Docklands
Phone 9670 4168 Modern Asian fare specialising in Hong Kong styled Cantonese cuisine.
The Waterside Oriental Bistro at NewQuay offers a comprehensive menu of delicious traditional food, concentrating on the four basic groups of Cantonese cooking; Zhou (Rice Porridge), Fen (Rice Noodles), Mian (Egg Noodles) and Fan (Rice Dishes). Noodle dishes from all over Asia are a specialty of the house and as such there are two designated kitchens, one specifically for cooking noodles.
This is an affordable, family friendly Asian restaurant. It’s open, airy and spacious. Large comfortable sofa’s run down the side of one wall and floor to ceiling glass windows allow diners to take in the magnificent harbour views. Entrees and soups start from $5 with noodles around $8.
Set lunches and banquets are also available. Fully licensed with an extensive selection of Asian beers. Open for lunch and dinner from 12 noon through to 11pm, 7 days a week.
Comfortably seats 80 inside and 20 outside under marquees.
The Quay Bar & Brasserie
40 – 43 Conder Tower, NewQuay, Docklands
Phone 9670 1133 European inspired food with a difference; Hot Rock cuisine. Introducing the unique taste of Stonegrill cooking to NewQuay where you can sizzle your choice of meat in its own juices to absolute perfection.
Cooked on a volcanic rock preheated to a scorching 700 degrees, Stonegrilling is already a runaway hit in 46 countries and now it’s arrived at NewQuay.
Acclaimed chefs Justin Derrick and Vincent Bonnin, stars of the reality television hit My Restaurant Rules, have created a truly international menu catering for both fine dining and a-la-carte diners. Other than Stonegrilled Beef, served with selected mustards, horseradish, house fries & watercress cos salad, the menu dedicates an entire page to fresh oysters. Along with mouth-watering chef specials of Swordfish and Open Ravioli Oyster & Crayfish Tails, there’s also a selection of ‘sharing dishes’, like the whole roast Glenloth Chicken served with 20 garlic cloves, kipler potatoes, green beans & jus.
The Quay offers four unique areas and experiences; a fine dining restaurant, a massive main bar, an intimate cocktail lounge, and an outdoor area with spectacular harbour side views. The décor is semi-modern, with a slight nautical theme, featuring Italian furniture, rustic timbers, steel mesh and vibrant splashes of lime, crimson and amber.
Entrees begin at $15 with mains starting at $24. If you’re looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon, The Quay Bar & Brasserie is the place to do it. Open from Sunday to Thursday from 11am through to 1am and on Friday and Saturday from 11am to 3am with the outdoor area closing at 1am.
Silver Ming
4 – 6 NewQuay Promenade, Docklands
Phone 9670 3889 Cantonese cuisine created by some of the best chefs in town served in fine dining style. The Shark Fin Soup and Peking Duck are specialties of the house and Cantonese Yum Cha is served daily from 11.30am through to 3pm with an excellent choice of Dim Sum available.
The décor is classy and appealing with starched white tablecloths, complementing matt chocolate walls and elegant high backed leather chairs. Six live seafood tanks are embedded in one wall and a magnificent sandstone plaque adorns another, featuring Kanji signs representing the 99 ancient ways of writing ‘luck’.
The main dining area seats 180, including the three deluxe private dining rooms that open up into one huge exclusive area complete with views of the city.
Silver Ming is fully licensed with an extensive selection of International and Australian beers and some of the finest wines in the world.
The outside marquees overlook the water and seat 80. Conveniently, when the restaurant closes from 3pm to 5pm daily, a small takeaway café attached to the restaurant serves juice, coffee, cake, and a selection of freshly made snacks, entrees and savouries.
Silver Ming is open from Monday to Friday for lunch from 11.30am to 3pm, and Saturday’s and Sunday’s from 11am through to 3pm.
Dinner is served from 5pm to 11pm from Sunday to Thursday and on Friday and Saturday’s from 5pm through to 12 midnight. Bookings are essential.
NewQuay adds a harbour dining locality to Melbourne’s already impressive restaurant portfolio, reinforcing the city’s reputation as the restaurant capital of Australia. S
ituated opposite the Telstra Dome on Victoria Harbour, NewQuay, is just 1km from the CBD and can be easily reached by footbridges, tram, train, taxi and ferry.
There’s also secure car parking with ticket validation available for restaurant patrons. Since its official opening in late 2002, NewQuay is changing the way Melbourne looks and the way people look at Melbourne, bringing the Docklands dream alive and fast becoming Melbourne’s hottest lifestyle and entertainment precinct.
It all adds up to Melbourne’s most exciting waterfront location yet.