MELBOURNE | Lane’s Edge has been a staple on the corner of Myers Place and Bourke Street for over a decade. While always a fun spot for a drink, food was never the highlight and the place was starting to feel tired. Things changed a few years ago, when Lane’s Edge was renovated, and the food and drink offering updated. I was recently invited in to take a look.
Visually, heritage-listed 1800s brick building makes the most of its heritage bones, but feels fresh, with additional comforts like weatherproofing in the courtyard adding to the appeal. More importantly, the revamped drinks list, combined with the food coming out of Scottish-born head chef Garry Dick’s kitchen make Lane’s Edge a place well worth visiting.
The menu is cantered around European snacks and share plates, with Garry bringing his experience from the kitchens of Bar Margaux and Scotland’s Michelin-starred Martin Wishart to the table. It’s a small but mighty menu of things like focaccia with olive oil and warm pumpkin and goats cheese whip with orange and roasted pine nuts; and crispy skin chicken breast with parsley root, negi onion, and house chili crisp.
Two dishes in particular, the gratinated mussels with garlic, parsley, and pastis butter; and the fried Brussels sprouts with tahini, honey, and pumpkin seed, I’m still thinking about.
To drink, there’s an impressive list of around 30 local and international wines available by the glass, with a wide variety of styles on offer from top notch producers at all price points. There’s also local, independent beer on tap, along with about 20 interesting rotating cans. For cocktails it’s the classics, plus house creations that put a twist on things.
The kitchen closes at 9, but a reduced, quality snack menu is available until late into the night. There’s also a decent happy hour from 3-6pm during weekdays, along with keenly priced daily food specials.
Lane’s Edge
39 Bourke Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia
Telephone: (03) 9654 2409
E-mail: [email protected]
Website
Open
Mon: 3:00pm to 10:00pm
Tue – Thu: 3:00pm to 11:00pm
Fri – Sat: 3:00pm to 1:00am