HER Bar

270 Lonsdale St
Melbourne, VIC 3000
https://her.melbourne/

If we’re talking vibes, HER hits it out of the park. Though dubbing itself a ‘vertical laneway’ feels a little pretentious, it can’t be denied that every venue in the building – from their casual Thai diner to what must surely be the best rooftop bar in the city – is effortlessly charming. And HER Bar, their jaunty European diner at the ground floor, is no exception. Laid-back yet buzzy, this suave and dimly lit restaurant oozes comfort and sophistication, all without getting too serious. Admittedly, I had initially intended to visit for their French-inspired menu, but they have since changed things up for a more Euro-Aussie approach. The food does lean a little prosaic at times, but it’s easy, crowd-pleasing stuff with enough quality to carry it off. If nothing else, you can always fall back on their $25 steak frites night on Tuesdays.

Rating: 12.5/20 – steak and vibes.
No seriously, $25 for steak, salad, and chips (on Tuesdays) in the middle of the city!

The BBQ Fremantle Octopus ($33) is an interesting take on a stalwart, and it… sort of lands. The octopus had the right balance of chew and char, but I wasn’t sold on the disc of fava bean paste underneath, which whilst mild, smothered a lot of the delicate flavours.

I love anchovies, and have recently been converted to the joy or ordering the fancy version of these little buggers at restaurants. The Angelachu Cantabrian Anchovy Fillets ($30) were gorgeously plump, with a mellow flavour that pairs easily with toasted sourdough.

I was in the mood for a traditional steak dinner, and HER delivered magnificently. The 250g Black Angus Sirloin ($48) was tender and buttery, but did not sacrifice the big beefy flavours. It came with an aromatic red wine jus, and a phenomenal herb butter. The sides were equally excellent. The Somerset Farm Leaves ($14) was a punnet of soft fronds and delicate herbs, tossed in an addictive sweet mustard vinaigrette, whilst the Shoestring Fries ($15) were addictively crispy, served with some amazing garlic aioli, as well as the non-negotiable tomato sauce. I was highly satisfied with this spread.

Though not usually a drinker, I’m a sucker for anything with honey in it, and was tempted into trying the Honeycomb Highball ($23). A whiskey-based drink, the bitter notes of the liqueur was balanced out by the sweetness of the honey, and a squeeze of lemon to bring out the floral facets.