Marmelo - Food VIC

4 /5 Ming: An enjoyable evening of fine Portuguese food in an elegant setting. We start off well with very fresh, raw garfish ($14), wound around a metal skewer, and simply dressed with capers, cubes of apple and Portuguese vinegar (Vinho Verde). Iberian pork shoulder ($42), thinly sliced, the salty taste paired well with the creamy cheese and the tart pickled chilli. A dish that I dont quite like is the sweetbread ($38) - the smell has not been masked nor removed. Grilled kingfish ($58) is perfectly cooked with a charred crisp skin, in a creamy but light Portuguese broth (caldo verde) and topped with cubes of piquant Portuguese pork sausage (chourico). Otway Pork ($54) has a good layer of fat to lean meat, served with rhubarb and a delicate, sweetish dark sauce. Both mains paired well with a refreshing black pea salad ($16) that still retained a pleasant crunch. My personal favourite was the simple and delicious tomato rice ($16) - the rice has a firm bite, the sauce with a good balance of sweet and tart. Service whilst charming was a bit absent minded - we had to remind the waitperson of our drinks order and we only enquire about the Iberian pork shoulder but was served the dish.

3 /5 Christopher Wu: Marmelo is, from my understanding, a Spanish and European Western fusion dining restaurant. I had heard a lot of positive feedback going in. Service-wise, everything was great, but food-wise it did not live up to the hype for me. The entrees were definitely the highlights. There were some interesting Portuguese influences and flavours you do not usually come across. The Portuguese tart was different and enjoyable, and the croquette was also a bit different to the usual. Nothing was mind blowing, but everything tasted good. One of my favourite dishes was the calamari. The calamari itself was cooked as well as you could ask for, and the sauce that came with it was very rich and complemented it nicely. Moving onto the mains, the ribeye steak was 800g and priced at $200. For me, it was definitely not worth it. The steak was cooked fine, but I have had much better at this price point. The Otway pork was recommended, but I did not rate it at all. The texture was chewy rather than buttery, and it felt like it was missing flavour. For sides, the tomato rice was something different. It reminded me of a risotto, though it was a bit watery. The salad was fresh and quite good. Overall, great service and a nice setting, but the food did not stand out enough for the price.

4 /5 Michelle Lee: Had a really enjoyable dinner. There was 4 of us. We the Atum de escabeche and Acorda as starters, and Hispi cabbage and Arroz de Marisco as mains, and the cheesecake and pork/egg pudding for dessert. The dishes are pricey however all of the dishes were very flavourful. Wouldnt mind coming back.

4 /5 Kate Smithwick: Beautiful restaurant with a lovely atmosphere. The house cured olives are a wonderful start. Service extremely lovely and helpful. If you love anchovies come here just to try them they are exceptional I could have had 20. Turnip nata was another highlight along with the cheesecake. Portions are very generous, main rice dish is really for more than two people would recommend just small dishes if you are having this between two

5 /5 Winston Appleyard: My what a wonderful experience this restaurant is. Combing red brick and LED strip lighting this Portuguese restaurant is very very good. Great food which so well reflects its country of origin. The deserts though are an absolute star. They give you flavours and textures I have not thought possible. Rounding it off with great staff this atmospheric restaurant deserves to be seen. Highly recommended