Eau de vie: 238 Chapel Street, Prahran, 9510 0955
My score: 3.5/5
Ah Chapel Street, urban conundrum, threaded through my Melbourne story evermore. I’ve lined up at your nightclubs, bought silly trousers in your boutiques, walked home with a sloshy bag of goldfish from your pet shop. Many is the time I’ve cursed your seedy trams, hotted-up hoons and cyclist-smashing traffic. I’ve also glowed with love for your fab fashion, your Special Cake Shop spanakopitas and your sparkly $2-shop junk. Now I’m also a bit glow-glow for Eau de vie, a small year-old operation which does a nice job of segueing from daytime coffee stop to afternoon snackery and, four nights a week, morphs further into night-time eating house then late-night bar. At every step along that path, it does things in a welcoming and classy way.
The menu is nicely targeted and well priced. It’s headed ‘tapas’ but the dishes touch on French, Greek and Italian cuisine as well as Spanish. Presentation is delicate and pleasing, flavours are punchy and occasionally intriguing. Pickled anchovies on delicate palm heart slices slathered with a reduced vinegar glaze are a lovely balance of sharp and sweet. The ham hock and pea croquette is so sticky it briefly glued my jaw shut but I was happy to shaddap my face to enjoy its rich, salty loveliness. There’s a rethinking of saganaki (fried kefalograviera cheese) that I reckon could be rethought once more: the chunks of cheese are chewy rather than melted and gooey but I loved the accompanying pickled vegetable salad. Rare is the Melbourne restaurant not doing kingfish carpaccio. Eau de vie’s version is amped up with Kaffir lime leaf oil that’s enlivening but teeters on the edge of overpowering. I’d order it again. Larger dishes include straightforward spinach gnocchi and tasty sliced porterhouse with parmesan and fresh horseradish dressing. I love the fat, crisp, house-made churros with their poached strawberry and chocolate bath.
One of the nice things about Eau de vie is that those over 30 need not feel out of place. You can also eat and drink alone without feeling like a stalker. It’s amenable and welcoming, cosy but open to the street, with clever cut-away timber panelling that reveals the kitchen. The waiters are friendly and knowledgeable though sometimes there’s more bustle than actual service, especially as the evening kicks on and the bar vibe takes over. Amenable, flexible and tasteful, Eau de vie ranks among Chapel Street’s redeeming features.
More Chapel Street:
Morris Jones, 163 Chapel Street, Windsor, 9533 2055
A huge warehouse has been given a great makeover and turned into a cruisy bistro with a focus on crepes.
Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio, 647 Chapel Street, South Yarra, 9827 7060
Even Willy Wonka would be inspired by the amazing creations here. Look no further for incredible sweet Christmas hampers.
Hooked, 172 Chapel Street, Windsor, 9529 1075.
Come for great fish and chips to take-away or scoff in house at a huge communal table. I love the calamari and the house salad.
First published in The Age, December 4, 2011
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