Went on Saturday after dinner with a group of friends. We didn't end up having dessert at the restaurant because a few of us wanted to have ice-cream, despite the freezing Melbourne weather.


Read the reviews online and they weren't that great, but thought we'd give them a go anyway. The ice creamery itself was going for a “natural, greeny” feel with the place decorated in fake leaves and grass. The establishment was quite small but we didn't have any problems getting a table - the place was empty.


The waitress explained the concept of the menu to us. Basically, Tom Turtle is an ice creamery/dessert house where they serve the ice-cream in 4x4 cubes. I'm assuming they're going for the whole “try more than once flavour to enhance your experience” kind of thing.



Three of us shared a “platter” 10 ice cream cubes, while my other two friends just ordered their own thing. It took some time for the 3 plates to come out and they didn't come out on time either, and my friends could hardly wait there politely, since it was ice-cream...


Once our plate came out, the novelty of guessing which flavour was which wears out in about 5 mins - then you're just left with 10 ice-cream cubes... Some of the flavours were very delicious, and I would probably only want to order that 1 flavour next time..! Since we tried 10 flavours, I'll summarise them below.


Favourites - Peanut Butter & Jelly, Melon Midori and Guava
Try - Creme Brulee, Cookies & Cream, Pear & Caramel and Raspberry Sorbet
Avoid - Green Tea (Flavour was way too strong), Lemon Lime & Bitters (Too sour, though you can use it to clean your palate..!), Honey & Ginger (Just avoid)

Gave it a go but probably wouldn't be back. As I said, the novelty of trying all the flavours doesn't last long...


Approximate cost: $10 cubes for $15

(Please note that this review is about Sofi's High Tea Buffet, which is part of The Sofitel Melbourne)


This was my first “High Tea” experience, and I absolutely loved it. We booked a few weeks in advanced for the afternoon High Tea Buffet session for three people.

The dining area is actually located on level 16 or so, and when we arrived, we were seated at a table by the window with an amazing view of Melbourne. The room was elegant and chic and as the session began, they had a musician playing the keyboard - was such an amazing atmosphere. When my friends and I were looking for a place for high tea, we were really worried that The Sofitel was going to be a bit too posh for us, but when we arrived there were families with kids there as well, so the vibe was quite relaxed and friendly.


You get a complimentary wine when you arrive but the High Tea Buffet is basically that, all you can eat High Tea. They have everything you'd expect at High Tea, finger sandwiches (Cucumber sandwiches and Salmon sandwiches were my favourites!), Cakes (Strawberry tart is my top pick), freshly baked Scones, jam & whipped cream (absolutely divine) and hot options including Quiche Lorraine, Shepherd's Pie (filling was slightly salty) and a host of other pastries. I found that the hot food would go very quickly but they tend to bring out some more very quickly once they see that a plate's empty.


You think that you couldn't possibly be satisfied from eating sandwiches and cakes, but it was a really great experience. My friends and I had a ball! It was a great girls day out! We ate so much that by the time we left (arrived at 1pm left around 5pm) none of us had dinner that night!



I think that $65/person is a bit steep but I don't think people should be put off by the price. It's certainly not something that I would do often, but it was definitely a worthwhile experience. Great activity for hen's day or catch up with some girlfriends!

(My WOMO image was taken when I went here...!)

Approximate cost: $65

Stayed at the Vibe Hotel the week before New Years in Sydney. Location-wise, it was a bit “out” from the centre of Sydney but it wasn't too bad. It's around a 10 mins walk to Museum St so it's not too bad if you're planning on catching public or walk while your here. It's around a 15 mins walk to King St/Westfield but it's around a 5 minute walk from World Square Centre where there's Coles so we thought that was a real plus.

We stayed in a room with 2 double beds, TV, minibar, kettle, iron and coffee table and chair. Very basic facilities, but we only really needed the kettle to make tea. You also have access to the gym and pool on the 9th floor, but we didn't use it while we were there. Nothing to complain about the room service - they came in every morning, emptied the bins and replaced the towels if required.

The only thing that was probably a pain was that it was a real trek from the hotel to Circular Quay. And that there weren't any restaurants close by. The hotel itself has a restaurant but we decided not to eat there. To find a decent restaurant you'll probably have to walk to Haymarket (20mins) and there were no good coffee places nearby either (though we found that Sydney is really lacking good cafes and coffee!)



During this time of the year (Christmas/New Years), we found that the prices at Vibe were pretty reasonable compared to other hotels. We paid around $270/night. Would recommend this place to others if they're looking for a reasonably priced hotel in Sydney.


Fantastic little Greek restaurant on Swan street. It's around a 10 minutes walk from Richmond and is a perfect little place for a catch up with friends as most (if not all) of what's on the menu is made to share. It's quite a small and quaint establishment but has both indoor seating and a little outdoor garden at the back few tables, which is perfect during the warmer weather.



Their menu changes depending on the season and produce available. When we went, we order the Mezedes Platter to start with, which included 3 different types of home made dips (beetroot, hommas and tzatziki) pita bread, sausage, rice wrapped in vine leaves and a few other little things.


I would recommend ordering the Mezedes Platter if you're here with 4+ people - it was way too much for me and friend!



For our mains, we went a little overboard as well. We had the chicken skewer and lamb chops, which were both very tender and cooked perfectly; green salad, garden salad (why we ordered two salads, I still don't know...!) and chunky potato chips. It truly was a feast!

Definitely recommend the lamb chops and the chunky chips. The chips were soft in the middle and crunchy on the outside, with just the right amount of seasoning - basic, but definitely a winner.

Staff were very friendly, but not too ‘in-your-face'. Great place for a catch up and those looking for that "sharing food" experience.

Approximate cost: $12 per dish, 30/person

This is only my second time going to Korean barbeque and the food here was amazing. My friend made a booking for us on a Thursday night and luckily she did because when we got there after work, the place was pretty full - so I would definitely recommend making a booking if you can.

We had the marinated pork ribs and marinated beef with rice. The serving was just right for 2 people (it's basically the equivalent of 2 separate dishes). We also had a host of sides including, a light green salad with bean shoot, iceberg lettuce leaves, kimchi and other sauces and condiments. The sides really help balance out all the meat.

The service was very good and the staff were very friendly. The only negative thing I have to say about Guhng was that we ordered lemon lime and bitters, which ended up being $8 each and I thought that was very steep compared to every other place I've ever been too...

Other than that, great food and relaxing atmosphere. I highly recommend this place to others looking for a Korean barbeque restaurant in Melbourne CBD.

Approximate cost: $18

Great little cafe / bakery in Ormond. Love the chicken and mushroom pie here! Don't think they're made in house, but you can always ask them to heat it up for you. I also recommend trying the spinach and ricotta roles, the sausage rolls and the tandoori chicken focaccia. I think the tandoori chicken is made in-house, and its cooked perfectly every single time. I've noticed that since changing management, the tandoori chicken has been sliced. Beforehand, they had big chunks of chicken in the focaccia. Both a still tasty though... I definitely recommend having it toasted, with the sweet fruit chutney sauce - compliments the tandoori very well.

They also have a variety of mini cake slices here. I thought the chocolate hedgehog and the double choc fudge slices were very tasty, but I felt the lemon slice was a bit hard, as if it's been left there for a while.

Prices are O.K - pie & cake prices are a bit on the high side, but I would still recommend this cafe to others. Staff are very friendly and the service is generally very good; sometimes it takes a bit of time for them to prepare the focaccia, but it's well worth the wait.

Best sushi I've had in Melbourne! I recommend trying the chicken teriyaki sushi roll. The sushi are so fresh and in some cases, they can make it fresh when you order. On their main menu, I also recommend trying the Yaki Udon with beef - udon noodles, beef slices mixed with beef cauliflower, broccoli and other Asian greens. The mains are very large and reasonably priced too!



If you're looking for a little Japanese restaurant in Melbourne, definitely pop down to Kinkaku. If you can't eat in, you can also call in and order take-away. Friendly staff and very good Japanese food! Highly recommended!

Approximate cost: $2.30 sushi

I've heard some really good things about the Meat & Wine Co in Sydney, but others have mentioned that Meat & Wine Co in Melbourne wasn't that great.
 Fortunately for us, we had a fab time!

Went here on Saturday with a group of friends and I think we were the last ones to leave the restaurant! I recommend that you book a week or so in advance though! We booked 2 weeks before the date for 7 people and the best time we could get on the Saturday was 8:45pm!


We got there a bit early on the night, so they directed us to the upstairs bar until our table was ready. We we lucky to get a table upstairs and our own “VIP” room, which was fantastic because we could tell that downstairs was very noisy. 


We were waiting on a few others to come, so decided to order some entrees to share. We picked the Salt & Pepper Calamari with gremolata sauce and Pork Belly with a light salad and roasted peanuts. The calamari cooked perfectly and the gremolata sauce added a lovely tang to calamari. The pork belly wasn't that great though. It tasted good, but there was nothing special about it.


Our mains came out at around 10pm! So be prepared - you might be having a really late dinner! For the main, I had the Rump steak cooked medium-well, potato mash and creamy mushroom sauce. I thought my meat was cooked perfectly! Exactly how medium-well is supposed to be; just the right amount of “pinkness”! The mash was creamy and the mushroom sauce just bought the whole meal together!



I was quite full at the time, but I couldn't resist ordering some dessert. I ordered the Warm Chocolate & Pistachio Fondante, with vanilla icecream and pistachio nougat. I still remember that moment when you put your spoon through the fondante - the chocolate just oozed out! The dessert was absolutely divine! The chocolate was very rich though, so the icecream really helped! The icecream was nice and velvet-y and the pistachio nougat just added another texture to the dish.



They also have an extensive wine menu. We had the Clover Hill and Vine sav (I think), which was $8 a glass and was very tasty!



My friends and I had an amazing time that night. The service in general was O.K; I couldn't tell whether they took a bit long to see us because we were in a room, or because they thought we weren't ready to order... either way, I thought overall, the experience was very positive. Would definitely recommend the Meat & Wine Co to anyone looking for a special night out with some good company and great steak!

Approximate cost: $30 main, all up $67

Went here for a friends birthday. The place is huge and it's perfect for afterwork drinks close to Melbourne CBD or a casual get together with friends. There's plenty of tables so you really shouldn't have any trouble finding a place to sit.



What I really liked most about it is that you didn't have to wait long to get a drink! They have a good variety of beers and spirits, so there's something for everyone. I'm usually a none-beer drinker, but found their Hoegarden beer was very light and doesn't leave a bitter aftertaste in your mouth.



It's located on St Kilda Rd, so there should be plenty of parking on the weekend. No need to book. I didn't have anything to eat there, but they do have pub-style food available.

Very chilled and nothing fancy - just a great place to be during a warm summer's night.

Approximate cost: $9

Fantastic market in Sydney. Paddington is my favourite markets out of all the markets that happens in and around Sydney. They have great items for independent designers and you can always find something unique here!

The place is quite big and have a lot of fantastic vintage clothing stalls and jewellery stalls. I bought a lovely dress here last time and because my friend wasn't sure whether she wanted to get something herself, the stall owner offered us both a discount if she ended purchasing it, which was fantastic!

You can find a lot of vintage clothing and unique printed tees here as well. If you're looking to buy someone a unique gift or even looking for a fantastic deal, definitely stop here!

Approximate cost: $25