Review of Melbourne restaurant Gimlet

Updated October 12, 2026,first published November 18, 2024

You have reached your maximum number of saved items.

Remove items from your saved list to add more.

You've used all of your gift articles. 3 more will become available on the 1st of every month.

The ground floor of 1927-built Cavendish House blends art-deco grandeur with the verve of a restaurant that pulses from noon to late at night. Bigger groups, solo bar diners and one-on-one liaisons are all ably looked after by a consummately professional team.

They’ll guide you across herringbone floors to your table, to the right bottle on the classic-meets-contemporary wine list, to the digestif for your chosen dessert. A bite-sized parcel of parmesan and bresaola might be paired with the namesake cocktail, an all-too-drinkable Gimlet. Steaks dot most tables, each a triumph of farming, butchery and cooking.

But veering away from the obvious might lead you to a main of honeyed celeriac and truffle tart that nimbly walks a sweet-savoury line. A slab of enriched, just-set dark chocolate needs nothing more than creme fraiche and salt to sing, proof that classicism never dies.

Best for: A celebration of loved ones (or yourself).

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.

A spot that ships its ramen in from Tokyo.

Noodles from the north and more.

A choose-your-own-adventure experience.