Attica - Glen Eira

If you get a table here, take it! This is one of Australia’s top restaurant for a reason! Amazing innovative surprising menu and every dish is a must have. I didn’t think I would say this but Ants is the dish to have here!!!

Wonderfully creative food and a trip through a variety of Australian native flavours. We had a great experience here with great, friendly service and even better food!

Last winter, we had our first taste of ants at ATTICA, and it was a truly enjoyable dining experience from start to finish. The service was prompt and we loved the post-meal surprises. But we were still hungry and ended up buying burgers afterward.

I had been eagerly awaiting our trip to Australia, and thus, to Attica for many months. We, like everyone else, had watched the Chef 's Table episode and were really excited about all of the opportunities we were going to have to try interesting and different food. Unlike a lot of the comments, I was not put off by the variety of the food and eating things like ants or bugs that I don 't typically eat. My dinner date had two things on his food list he was never going to eat (blood sausage and bugs), and after this, he 's eaten both and survived. I also am not put off by the price--it 's not the most expensive meal I 've paid for and it won 't be the last. The staff, as many mention, are super friendly and do the work to make an expensive upscale restaurant feel casual and not stuffy. They were happy to joke around and made our dinner enjoyable and lighthearted. I love when restaurants have you get up during the meal to either wander into the kitchen or (in this case) head outside, so that was a welcome component of the meal. A couple things that cost them serious points (now, keep in mind, this is based on the fact that they *are* an upscale restaurant--if I 'm paying good money my standards are going to be higher than if it 's a bean burrito from Taco Bell). 1. I ordered sparkling water. It was offered to me. And they chose to charge me $8 for it. My date ordered a coffee, and a cup of black coffee added $5 to our tab. Now, I 'm not annoyed because of the $13. I 'm annoyed because it was a meal in which I spent hundreds of dollars (we also got a wine pairing for two), and dislike the feeling of being nickle-and-dimed for a couple of beverages that are extraordinarily cheap to produce. It irks me a bit. Just throw those in, eat the couple cents you spent on bubbly water, and give the cup of coffee for free. 2. Several of the items were served at temperatures that were too hot to eat. Again, because I 'm going to a restaurant of this caliber, the attention to detail was missing. I would expect to be able to enjoy and dig in to my food when it arrives at my table, not several minutes after receiving it. 3. Finally, the meal was acid-on-acid-on-acid-on-acid. Many of the flavors were served in the first course and then again almost every course for the rest of the dishes, which means that by the end of the meal I 've had 17 courses and my tongue was almost raw. Add that to mostly white wines with high acid content and I really was just tongue-tired by the time I finished. Overall, the meal was good, and I got to try some items I never would/have before. I wouldn 't go again, but I 'm glad I went the first time.

I finally ticked Attica off my bucket list This renowned restaurant in Ripponlea is known for serving innovative and contemporary Australian cuisine using only the best locally sourced ingredients. I made sure to book two months in advance for my birthday and boy, was it a celebration! From crocodile ribs to big bird pastrami, mud crab to wallaby, emu liver to kangaroo and even green ants for dessert (yes, you read that right), the 10-course dining extravaganza was a wild ride. They even took us outside for a bit of Melbourne Showgrounds magic! I won't spill too many details, but let's just say the dining experience was absolutely exceptional. It's very different from the usual caviar and lobster fine dining, but defs a 5/5 one-of-a-kind experience. With accolades such as being listed in the World's 50 Best Restaurants, and awarded two hats by the Good Food Guide (2023), Attica is a must-visit for an extraordinary Australian dining experience. Follow me on insta evelineeats for more food content and reviews