Speakeasy Kitchen Bar

The Overview…

Food: Mac n Cheese Croquettes, Texan Brisket Meatballs, 12 Hour Slow Cooked Lamb, Speakeasy American Burger, Bread and Butter Pudding

Ratings:
Food: 4/5
Atmosphere: 4.5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Value: 4.5/5

The details…

There’s a lot to be said for a place that can offer you a nice experience, and Speakeasy does that in spades. Whether it’s watching the energetic chefs make it all look too easy in the open kitchen, chilling out in the cool, fairy light strewn courtyard or just enjoying being looked after by the highly friendly staff, you’re sure to enjoy yourself here.

There’s such a great vibe, and while their long and narrow layout does make the place feel a bit empty at first glance, head on through towards the back where all the action is. They pull off the speakeasy vibe perfectly with a real mix of diners and people just out for a quiet drink. It’s just a real, welcoming environment.

We really liked the range of food on offer. The menu could do with a little work to make it clearer at first glance that some dishes are smaller serves, and to make sure all ingredients are listed for dishes as some descriptions are a little sparse, but there’s lots of options. With a mostly America style menu with a few Aussie and middle Eastern twists thrown in, it’s hard to tell what kind of cuisine they are aiming for but if you look past this and get down to the food there’s some good creations.

We began with the mac n cheese croquettes from the specials menu and the beef meatballs (dishes under $15 are smaller serves or entrees). On their own the croquettes aren’t anything special but the spicy kick of the peach and jalapeño jam really makes them into a unique dish, and I’d love to see them incorporate that jam on to the permanent menu somehow.

The meatballs were a filling entree. This was a really savoury dish with lots of mild flavours – ideal for the start of the meal. We enjoyed the tasty corn bread and felt this was very fitting with the Speakeasy theme. The sweet potato chips were tasty but they didn’t really bring anything to this dish as their sweet flavour didn’t stand out against the sauce.

For mains we had an American burger and the slow cooked lamb. Although it didn’t really fit with the rest of the menu I loved the slow cooked lamb. The portion of lamb was so generous and I liked the effort to get lots of colours and textures on the plate with the veggies. The burger was cooked medium and was a chunky pattie. It was a simple burger but done well and was another filling dish.

Finally we shared the bread and butter pudding for dessert which was the absolute highlight of our meal. It looked stunning and had so much going on. Once you go through the sticky caramelisation on top (which tastes just like Werther’s Original) the soft flaky croissant fell apart and chocolate oozed out. Balanced well with fresh fruit and compote this dish is one for the bucket list. I have never had a bread and butter pudding that looked or tasted this good!

We loved the genuine warmth of Speakeasy. We loved the walk through the narrow restaurant to the cute hidden courtyard and we loved the variety on their menu – to be honest we loved it so much, we’re going back for brunch soon, so keep your eyes peeled for some more droolworthy pics over on our insta!

Everything else…

Website: http://speakeasybar.com.au/

Address: 359 Chapel Street, South Yarra

Opening Times:
Mon      Closed
Tue        Closed
Wed       7am to 10pm
Thu        11am to 1am
Fri          9am to 1am
Sat          9am to 10pm
Sun        12pm to late

Parking: If you’re lucky you’ll be able to nab a street parking place somewhere in nearby Prahran. There’s a few spaces on nearby Elizabeth St and Barry St which are just behind Speakeasy. Alternatively there’s a paid car park on Elizabeth St just behind Prahran market

Getting here on PT: Take a Frankston Line train to South Yarra, or a Sandringham train to Prahran and it’s about a 10 minute walk from each (slightly closer to Prahran if you have the choice). It’s on Chapel Street so also an easy walk from both the 78 tram or the 72, which stops on nearby Malvern Road

Disclaimer: We dined as guests of Speakeasy Kitchen Bar, South Yarra. Reviews are honest and based on our own personal experiences. We cannot guarantee things at a cafe won’t change including, but not limited to, menu items and opening hours, so please confirm any details with the venue before visiting