There’s pretty much nothing more that I can write about St.ALi that hasn’t already been written.
St.ALi holds a lot of pleasant memories for me. It was one of my first ‘proper’ brunch places and probably where I first learned the distinction between a Latte and a Flat White. Rightly so, because St.ALi’s coffee and food is really one of the best in Melbourne. In fact, I am of the opinion that St.ALi has the best combination of both, which pretty much makes it my first go-to place for brunch (with Hammer & Tong coming a close, close 2nd).
What I like about the place is the quirkiness and level of cooking. It is a brunch institution that serves wonderful food. My first visit there I had the “Mi-so Hungry” dish, which was a perfectly grilled (pink) miso glazed salmon served with a slowly fried egg and wakame (seaweed). It was really well conceived and executed: they could pass off as a 1 chef hat kitchen.
The menu changes from time to time, incorporating elements of popular food culture like foraged sea herbs to go with your fish and such. Sometimes the dishes can include high-end ingredients that you wouldn’t expect from a typical brunch place but hey, St.ALi is no typical brunch place with dishes such as the Arnold Bennett Omelette which was a crazy crayfish omelette and even truffle toast. It is this unpredictability, coupled with excellent cooking, that keeps me coming back to St.ALi.
More often than not the places that try to be different fizzle out and die within a year or so after the hype dies out. The reason why St.ALi continues to be an institution is because of their consistency. I have not received a bad dish or bad service in my four years of eating there, not even once, which is pretty damn consistent if you ask me. Truly better than some “high-end” places in Melbourne who use fancy terms and Byzantine descriptions of their food but fail to deliver on a consistent basis.
finding resonance 