Farm to table dining used to be rare. Now it is increasingly stamping itself as not only attractive, but accessible. You are guaranteed freshness, the environmental impact is markedly lessened, and there is normally a passion that is infectiously shared across the entire restaurant staff.

There is now a farm to table option that is within a very short distance of the Melbourne CBD, and actually backs on to a farm. Abbotsford Convent, and the Collingwood Children’s Farm, just make sense as a venue, though it is never one I had thought about. For those who’ve been to this area you know it feels like going back in time. The heritage buildings, the farm with its bountiful supply of fresh fruit and vegetables, along with friendly animals, a bustling cafe, and a farmer’s market. Lots of events happen here too, including regular markets.

We feel a bit late to the party, as Julie Restaurant opened in September 2023, but better late than never. As we arrive it is a cool early evening for the mid part of Spring, and we note the outdoor tables on the terrace for a future a la carte meal, or a drink, on a warm night. Inside, the white space is quite small, but the high ceiling reaches upward creating an airy space for the dozen or so tables. Many of the tables, including ours, face the opening to the kitchen pass. In that window, chef Julieanne Blum in turn faces the restaurant whilst controlling the quality of the kitchen, and communicating with the terrific floor staff.

I love the feeling you get when a restaurant is going well, and the staff enjoy working there. From the time you enter, through to the farewell, there is a sense of comfort. There’s something clever from the kitchen too with the way the tasting menu works. The menu is on a blackboard showcasing the main dishes for the incredibly reasonable price of $85. Then there are a host of additions depending on your appetite, and tastes. Oysters, beef tongue, zucchini flower, and coral trout are all options on another blackboard to the left.

As well as adding in the beef tongue, and the zucchini flower, we also opt for the buttery potatoes, not because we need them, but because we want them! As we enjoy our excellently executed aperitifs, a house martini for me, and a Campari spritz for Catherine, our obligatory platter of vegetables, preserves, and dip, arrives on the table. This is becoming a clichéd beginning to a farm to table / seasonal restaurant, but we normally enjoy them, and this one is worthwhile. The vegetable fritter served next is packed with oily goodness, and perfectly handled in the fryer to add a different element to the other starters. Housemade sourdough accompanies as a treat in itself.

The wines by the glass are enticing, and there’s good assistance available to choose one when not already choosing the optional wine matching. I’m offered an off-menu Savagnin by Defialy and it is delicious, with great mouthfeel and complexity, showing good fruit, but layered with honeyed notes. Catherine decides on the Garganega by Alla Caster, which is one of a few Italian wines by the glass offered, on a local leaning list. They both go nicely with our mackerel dish, which is a pleasant surprise for Catherine not normally loving mackerel. It is served in a ceviche type style, diced and mixed with asparagus through a buttermilk sauce, with chips used to add some texture.

Our additional entrees come next with charred thinly sliced beef tongue that is superb, and a beautifully presented, and beautiful tasting zucchini flower. The main course is lamb backstrap cooked sous-vide and finished in the oven, with a delicious gravy using the run-off juices, and a long silverbeet that has soaked it in for a full flavour explosion. Buttery Kipfler potatoes are worth the addition, though we were never going to be able to completely finish all of them, and a spread of peas and sugar snaps are wonderful. As a combination this is what comfort food is all about, and the whole meal is just like one of our waitperson’s favourite descriptors, “gorgeous”.

The medium bodied red wine I enjoyed with our lamb was curious enough for me to research following dinner. Made in Alto Adige, Italy, with two grape varieties I’m not familiar with in Schiava and Lagrein, it is great the restaurant is choosing to showcase something so unusual. Had I not already been a fan of Northern Italian wines, perhaps I would have stuck with the safer Grenache. I’ve got used to trusting the intelligence of the sommelier / wine waitperson in these well regarded venues, and normally am better for it.

It was time for dessert and it had been impossible to miss seeing a bunch of good looking concoctions going out in the same glass I had earlier enjoyed my martini from. Here you have a rather savoury leaning dessert with good balance. There’s just enough sweetness in the honey parfait topped with thyme and rhubarb; salt and olive oil show through as key ingredients.

Our experience at Julie Restaurant brought back some interesting memories. It brought us back to when we first tried Atlas Restaurant in South Yarra / Prahran and it was incredibly reasonable as it started life. It brought us back to great experiences further outside of this inner part of Melbourne where you feel you are closer to a farm than city infrastructure. Julie is an anomaly, but a tremendous one, because it is within good reach of many who may not prioritise travelling for such experiences. Looking around tonight there are only happy faces, both on the customers, and the staff, which is the best expression to find at any place.

Julie Restaurant
https://www.julierestaurant.com.au
1-4 St Heliers Street, Abbotsford Convent
info@julierestaurant.com.au
Dinner – Thursday to Saturday; Lunch Saturday and Sunday