Ludlow Formation: 3/6 Riverside Quay, Southbank, 9699 1676
My score: 3.5/5
I’ve usually hustled along Riverside Quay on the way somewhere else, pitying buskers whose melodies are shredded by the wind. Ludlow Formation, a big new restaurant and bar on the ground level of an 1980s office block is a reason to consider stopping. Part of the same hospitality group as Bearbrass, Temperance Hotel and the tram restaurant, it’s a please-all-comers place. Morning coffee: yes. Business meeting: sure. Quick lunch: come in. Dinner alone or with a group: easy. Friday night drinks: HELL YEAH!
The dining terrace flows nicely between indoors and out. Perimeter spaces are sheltered from wind and rain while still offering a riverside feel. If there was a way of stopping smoke drifting from lounge to dining room it would be even better. Recycled timber, graphic tiling and sheer curtains are practical and textural; seating includes stools, resort-y cane lounges and stylish upholstered dining chairs. It’s all pretty cool.
Our waiter was as big on rapid-fire banter as a caffeinated FM radio host. I liked him, partly because his energy level stayed constant from cocktail to credit card, and he knew his stuff, right down to steering us away from one special (‘rip off’) towards another (I’m always going to like someone who makes it easier for me to eat bacon and cheese croquettes). Not all the waiters were as amped up but there is a fun team spirit to the place.
An emphasis on good drinking is backed up by a dozen beers on tap, exuberant cocktails and a canny wine list of breadth and balance. Much of the food is upscale drinking fodder, which isn’t to undersell the large kitchen team which drills efficiently through a large menu. Typical dishes include fried, tender calamari on garlicky almond puree and subtly spiced quail-stuffed pastries with apple and raisin salad. The barbecue share platter is less interesting than much on offer but it’s a decent spread of barbecue basics, including lamb cutlets and sausages.
Portions are generous: the marinated tuna salad would make a great lunch. Rump steak is fine; the colcannon mash on the side is the yummiest stodge I’ve had for a while. Braised rabbit with peperonata is understated but enjoyable. Yoghurt pannacotta with pop rocks and poached pears is the stand out on a predictable dessert list. But you can’t blame a restaurant for crowd-pleasing tactics when the crowds roll in to lap it all up.
See their website.
In the area:
Ponyfish Island, under the Southgate Footbridge, 0426 501 857.
Laneways are too easy; let’s eat under bridges. Ponyfish Island is a fun place to drink beer, peer into the Yarra and eat simple dishes like waffles with mascarpone, quesadilla and rigatoni. Cash only.
Pure South, River Level, Southgate, 9699 4600.
The food here is based on produce sourced from Tasmania, King Island and Flinders Island. Think great beef, lamb, seafood, dairy and more. Sunday’s more informal menu includes shared dishes such as crisp-skin salmon, pipis, mussels and peas with leek veloute.
Giuseppe, Arnaldo & Sons, Crown, 9694 7400.
GAS does a really good job of making eating fun, especially once you get a table (reservations available lunch only). Try spaghetti arrabbiata baked in a paper bag with crab and chilli.
First Published in The Age, March 6, 2011
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