Chef, author and TV presenter Karen Martini has landed in a restaurant that feels so right it makes her wonderfully deft cooking taste even better. At the new Bar Carolina, you’ll be looked after by pros like Martini’s husband, Michael Sapountsis and serial restaurateur Simon Denton (ex-Izakaya Den), both of whom can steer you towards the right wine and leave you feeling smart for just saying yes.
The broadly Italian food is so attractive and tasty that you don’t always realise how thoughtful, technically adept and seasonally expressive it is. Martini’s cappelletti, a filled pasta that means “little hats”, is perfectly plump, stuffed with four cheeses and a touch of toasty breadcrumb. They’re perched on verdant cavolo nero purée with a splodge of parmigiano fondue and topped with burnt-butter sage and hazelnuts.
The salt-crusted steak she served in the late 1990s at St Kilda’s Melbourne Wine Room is back, patted with a thick layer of sea salt and a tickle of pepper and cooked in a wood oven so the salt chars and the meat turns to smoky, juicy perfection. Desserts aren’t complicated: the bignè is a dressed-up eclair layered with cherries in syrup, white chocolate cream and blackberries.
Best for: Glittering, see-and-be-seen vibe.
Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.
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