EAT > The European, Spring Street Melbourne (17/20)

Step from the tram-swept bustle of Spring Street into The European and the years seem to slide away. The mosaic floors and bentwood chairs recall another era—a continental refuge under the colonnade, shadowed by the stately Parliament House. Here in the theatre district, Melbourne’s appetite for the Old World is enduring, and nowhere is it more comfortingly realised than at The European.

Step from the tram-swept bustle of Spring Street into The European and the years seem to slide away. The mosaic floors and bentwood chairs recall another era—a continental refuge under the colonnade, shadowed by the stately Parliament House. Here in the theatre district, Melbourne’s appetite for the Old World is enduring, and nowhere is it more comfortingly realised than at The European.

From breakfast to lunch, dinner and post dinner drinks The European has always been a staple of style, the standard by which other restaurants are judged. For twenty years or so this has been a place for business lunches, weekend brunches and date night dinners.

The effect is instantaneous: brass railings, bentwood chairs, blackboard specials, and a gentle hum of conversation, as tables fill with bespoke-suited regulars, theatre-goers and visiting grandmothers sharing the pleasures of proper hospitality. Waiters weave gracefully under pressed aprons, quick to recommend the anchovy toast or a glass from the precise, Euro-leaning wine list. Coffee sits alongside Burgundy and spritely Vermouth—an all-day invitation.

From breakfast to lunch, dinner and post dinner drinks The European has always been a staple of style,

EAT >

There’s a poetry to the menu: classics polished by repetition, delivered with generosity and just enough panache. Oysters shimmer atop cracked ice, and the steak tartare is mixed tableside with a flourish. Caviar served with potato blini’s, crème frâiche and chives. Handmade linguine winks with garlic, olive oil and fat clams. For the truly hungry, the veal schnitzel comes golden and noble, with proper sauerkraut and a lemon wedge awaiting its role.

“The kitchen team delivers a menu faithful to Europe’s best brasserie traditions, with well-honed technique and local produce.”

In quieter corners, time slows. A single diner lingers over a glass of Nebbiolo, a moody window portrait against the Spring Street lights. Dessert is unfussy but essential —the apple Tarte Tartin is one of the best tasted anywhere in the world or try the crème caramel, as silken as anything in Paris, or the showpiece – cheese selection, rolling with French and Australian treasures.

DRINKS >

The European is an institution, but it never feels jaded. There is joy here—in the alchemy of sharp service and tradition, in the clink of glass and brasserie comfort, in the sense that a little of Melbourne’s soul has been poured into every detail. On any given night, with the city out the window and old-world pleasures at hand, The European still feels like the very heart of Spring Street.

A considered, Euro-centric list: Burgundy, Barolo, Yarra Valley Pinot and Sicilian whites. Glassware and temperature are spot on, staff speak with genuine knowledge and pride. The Valli from New Zealand’s Central Otago valley which was delicious and perfectly on point.

AMBIENCE >

Old World charm, gentle clatter and timeless ritual, with mirrors and gold script reflecting both regulars and new arrivals. A long lunch, pre-theatre supper, or any night that calls for proper hospitality in the heart of the city.

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Image Credit | Almanak & The European

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