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Bird's eye view of a tapas and jamon restaurant called Portello Rosso

Once upon a time, in a winter wonderland called Melbourne, there was a lady called Tubbymistress and a tapas-slash-jamon restaurant called Portello Rosso. Their long-awaited rendezvous took place on an icy Saturday night in June – not so much a meeting of minds as a meeting of empty stomach with Spanish-inspired food …

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Chocolate tart: one of the sweet delights on offer at Moulin Noir

Moulin Noir, a little French café/restaurant tucked off Bay St, is a great casual dining experience. It’s perfect for lunch, with sandwiches large enough to silence even the most talkative of ladies. As I found out recently, dinner was pretty good too.

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Don't want to book? The bar is your friend.

Craving Vietnamese food? Or maybe something a little more ooh la la? Whether it’s Vietnamese or French cuisine you’re after, you’ll find something to please your tastebuds at Coda—another Hot New Thing Down a Laneway Serving Dishes Designed to be Shared.

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Seasonal fresh fruit plate with passionfruit hung yoghurt

This is the question I chose to answer, after perusing Nacional’s breakfast menu on a sunny Melbourne morning. You might remember that Mr Tubbymaster and I were impressed with the tapas we sampled at this contemporary café on the border of Albert Park and Middle Park.

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One problem with the city on a rainy Saturday night is the traffic. If you don’t want to contend with Melbourne’s public transport system, you’ll likely have to circumnavigate the CBD along with everyone else who’s searching for that elusive off-street car park.

Thankfully, there’s no such worry when heading to Nacional, a Mediterranean-inspired eatery, provedore and bottle shop from the same stable as city restaurant Syracuse. It’s out of the way—walking the tightrope between Albert Park and Middle Park—meaning you can dash out of the car and be settled in this slick, contemporary establishment without an entrée of silk dress à la raindrop.

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Churros con chocolate

AROUND 3 PM ON A WARM MELBOURNE DAY

Tubbymistress is getting hungry. She gazes longingly at her computer screen, then outside at a slender tree swaying softly in the breeze.

TUBBYMISTRESS: Oh, I’d love to go to MoVida Next Door tonight.

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