Fine Dining or Pub Food?

Steps away from the number one Chrissy Amphlett destination in Melbourne, are two great Indian and Thai restaurants – and a rock’n’roll pub.

Pub or Restaurant?

Amphlett Lane backs onto Venom Brewing Taphouse, at 19-25 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne. It’s a rock’n’roll pub with classic album sleeves on the back wall and a tattooed hostess.

If you want $9 Onion Rings, this is the place. Or how about Nanna’s Leftover Christmas Pavlova? The Rockling is also fresh from the market if you prefer fish and chips. There’s a big-screen TV and photo opportunities at the Amphlett Lane mural outside.

Longrain Thai

Longrain is easy to miss on the other side of the street from Amphlett Lane, at the top end of Little Bourke Street – at number 44.

We visited for the $60 banquet on Friday lunch on one of the big, long communal tables.

Longrain’s big drawback is the noise. It’s hard to hear yourself talk when it’s packed. There is no outdoor seating.

It’s a vast, dark, space inside with plenty of room if you don’t have a reservation and just want to drop in – and go for an early lunch or dinner.

The big plus at Longrain is the modern Thai bite-sized grazing food and the delicious cocktails.

Pacific oysters with smoked chilli, spring onion oil and fried shallots are visibly prepared by a look-in kitchen full of busy chefs, at the back of the restaurant.

Prawns and Betel Leaf

You can drop in here for a drink and something light, then move on. Or bring a large group and work your way through prawns on a betel leaf with green chilli, lime and peanuts. That’s the traditional Thai no-plate way.

The caramelised pork hock with five spice and chilli vinegar is incredible, however – and definitely not finger food.

Vegetarians can dine on green tomato salad with fennel, cashews, sesame and tamarind and steamed rice, with mango tart.

The wow-factor standout at Longrain which people go back for, is filled eggnet, which looks like a big, mysterious woven basket. Inside you will find sweet and spicy pork, prawn and peanuts. That’s quite a memorable $36 dish and it’s so filling you won’t need the a la carte snacks first (all $12 and under). In fact we had to ask for a doggy bag. Sorry, plastic container.

Daughter In Law

This is not predictable Indian food. In fact, Daughter In Law is proudly ‘unauthentic’.

It’s also pricey if you are used to budget beef curry and rice, but Little Bourke Street is good for special occasion, memorable dining. Daughter In Law holds its own for birthdays and in fact you can buy gift vouchers here.

At 37 Little Bourke Street, it decorates the short walk to Amphlett Lane with exquisite fabric Indian flowers and comfortable outdoor tables.

The cocktails include Bombay Cherry (Mezcal, gin, cherry and rose) and are all around $20.

You’ll be on familiar ground with garlic naan, pappadums and raita. And yes, there’s dhal, butter chicken and tandoori chicken too.

After that, though, Daughter In Law challenges her old Indian mother’s recipes with street food (Balls of Happiness) and Colonel Tso’s Cauliflower. There is also Blue Cheese Naan. If you prefer grazing to hunkering-down eating, you can mix and match easily at this atypical Indian joint.

We had a vegetarian birthday for two and got away with a $30 fixed price menu including Paneer Makhani.

A seafood loving guest chose huge prawns and a large glass of Indian Sangria.