Pablo Honey

Fitzroy Street has a welcome new restaurant/bar addition: Pablo Honey. The brain-child of long time friends and seasoned hospitality entrepreneurs Russell McKenzie, Brad Jones, Mat Carpenter and Azza Mondo, Pablo Honey is relaxed dining at its best, with a flavoursome menu, smart service and great cocktails.

With a paddock-to-plate philosophy, Pablo Honey's cuisine has a distinctive Mexican and Spanish influences. The menu created by head chef Lachy Cashman (Circa, Sloaney Pony, Salsa Bar and Grill Port Douglas) has been developed with sharing in mind. Diners can choose from a generous selection of well-priced Small Share Plates, the family style Large Share Plates and tasty bar snacks.

Pablo Honey is incredibly versatile - Dine in the restaurant or pull up a stool at the bar and enjoy the delicious tastes on offer. Or be tempted by fabulous cocktails prepared by Brad (who just so happens to be an expert mixologist). The popular Pablo’s Blossom cocktail is a must-try - A zingy blend of gin, lychee and cranberry all combined in a snow cone like drink.

To start, we recommend the Cumin Roasted Lamb Ribs - Tender, falling off the bone, juicy and packed with flavour. We loved the ample seasoning of garlic, tomato and parsley sofrito.

For something a little different to entice the taste buds, the Shaved Calamari Salad was a wonderful amalgamation of flavours. Tender ribbons of calamari featured alongside tart lemon balm, textural quinoa and fresh coriander and crispy chicharon.

An absolute highlight of our visit was the Chimichurri Grass Fed Rump Cap (500g) from the Large Share Plates section of the menu. The steak was outstanding - perfectly seared on the outside and beautifully juicy and pink on the inside. It was evident that the meat sourced was of a good standard and there was great pride and care taken in the preparation of the simple-looking but delicious dishes. The combination of pickled chilli, wonderfully fresh salsa verde and creamy chipa guasu made for a magical explosion of flavours.

Our evening concluded on a sweet end with the cheeky Dulce de Leche Mousse. A translucent sugar skull encases oozy dulce de leche, dark chocolate popping candy mousse and dehydrated berries. Very clever and very tasty.

Location: 68A Acland Street, St Kilda
Phone: 03 8658 3127
Link: http://www.pablohoney.net/
Cuisine: Tapas