Rokkbank & Co. – The Overview…
Sadly Rokkbank & Co is now closed! If you’re looking for a great venue in South Melbourne, we’d recommend the fab Left Handed Chef, or for a more similar cuisine, head out west to Imbue.
Food: Sourdough, Zucchini Flowers, Spatchcock, Lamb rump, Duck Breast, Peach Tart
Ratings:
Food: 4.5/5
Atmosphere: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Value: 5/5
The details…
Rokkbank & co offers a pleasantly refined dining experience. The glass-ceiling wine cellar is a subtle, yet very effective feature point as you arrive. Internally the rest of the venue is adorned in lovely rich greens that lend it the feeling of an upmarket London dining room. The central seating helps perfectly separate the dining area from the bar behind (so much so I had to actually get up and walk around to see there was actually a bar there).
Our meal began with their sourdough. The charcoal and multigrain providing the perfect contrast on the plate, served with a seaweed, salt and Sichuan spice along with a healthy serve of butter to top your bread with. The butter is airy light and while the sourdough is delicious, it was this butter that really stole the show. We then opted for the Tempura Zucchini Flowers and Pan fried spatchcock for entree.
There’s a real art to what Rokkbank do with their food. The menu is a little convoluted at times and some of the dishes read like a shopping list but this doesn’t translate to the plate at all. The zucchini flowers are a very green dish, and I love the complementary style of how they are plated. The icing on the cake with this dish is the pea purée which just pulls together everything perfectly and with its sweetness both lifting the flavour of the zucchini flower and tempering the saltiness of the cheese. An interesting and delightful entree.
The spatchcock obviously doesn’t plate quite as well but its taste more than makes up for that. Large enough (in my opinion) to be a main , it’s full of delicious flavour – served with a little of the pan juices. The little pops of celery and grapes in the salad provide an ideal spring freshness and this dish makes great use of seasonal products. It also matches diner expectations with food at this time of year: it’s filling without being hearty. Another great dish from the team at Rokkbank & co.
It’s a fairly meat and seafood heavy menu at Rokkbank, so rolling with this we opted for the duck breast and lamb rump. The lamb, cooked medium rare was a nice thick cut and cooked perfectly. I loved the slight spicy zing from the yuzu-Kosho sauce. The mixed grain salad on the side was tasty, and not overwhelmed by the beetroot which was really pleasing. It added both a nice splash of colour and broke up the richness of the lamb. We popped some wedges on the side, but honestly the dish is filling enough to stand alone.
The duck was also a large serve and beautifully soft. The lup cheong added a nice contrasting meat flavour and the beans and chickpeas turned the dish into a nice filling meal. The hoisin sauce just pulled the whole dish together nicely and it was a delicious take on an Asian classic. The mains retain enough of a feel of classic Aussie dishes, while pleasantly pulling in seasonal fare and modern influences to allow you to enjoy them in a new way.
Finally despite being pretty full we squeezed in a peach tart for dessert. Slightly creamy yet fruity it was an enjoyable end to our meal. We loved the zing from the sorbet and the crumbly pastry. I also liked that it was its own stand alone tart as opposed to a slice of something larger. While I didn’t think it shone quite as much as the wonderful mains, it was still an excellent way to finish out meal.
Everything else…
Website: https://www.rokkbank.com/
Address: 334 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne
Opening Times:
Mon 12pm to late
Tue 12pm to late
Wed 12pm to late
Thu 12pm to late
Fri 12pm to late
Sat 12pm to late
Sun 12pm to late
Parking: We never find parking in South Melbourne an issue. You might never get a spot right outside, but there’s heaps of parking around and you will easily get a spot within a five minute walk. Rokkbank do have a lovely wine list though so you might want to leave the car at home.
Getting here on PT: Catch a 1 or a 12 tram and alight at the Clarendon/Park Street intersection. This is just a couple of minutes walk from Rokkbank & co.
Disclaimer: We dined as guests of Rokkbank & co, South Melbourne. 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.