Eat Me. Trunk Melbourne

I was in Melbourne recently for three weeks doing an internship. I absolutely love it there, it’s a fantastic city – there is so much culture and history, so many things to do and an amazing food scene. I went to Trunk following a recommendation from my work friends. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but a quick check of their website and I knew I was in for a distinctive Melbourne dining experience – that is, a restaurant that is housed in a building with plenty of history and interesting decor, an amazing food selection and some serious demand, making booking a challenge.

I think it is safe to say that Trunk is housed in one of the most historic Melbourne buildings. It was originally built in 1859 when it was used as a synagogue. It then went on to become a school, a social welfare office and a childcare facility. Since 1980 the building has been used for hospitality venues.

I visited Trunk on a Friday night and it was packed. You enter from the street into a brick courtyard with tables and umbrellas, before walking into the building itself. There is a bar area at the front and the restaurant is towards the back. Trunk also has a diner in an adjoining building on the same block, which is open during the day. The whole place is really quite big and it boasts one of the largest outdoor courtyards in the CBD, making it the perfect summer haunt. The courtyard is home to a 150 year-old heritage listed Coral Tree, inspiring the name ‘Trunk’.

If you are a lover of wine then Trunk is the place for you. The wine list is over 12 pages long, with bottles from every vineyard you could imagine. The spirits list is also very impressive – there are over a dozen types of most spirits; vodkas, tequilas, rums, etc., so you are certain to find a drink you love!

For food I ordered arancini balls, a beetroot and goats cheese salad and a salumi pizza, all to share. It was more than enough! The arancini were some of the best I have ever tasted, a delightfully crisp outside with yummy risotto within. The salad was delicious; it was made of roasted julienned beetroot, shredded basil and luscious clumps of goats cheese that melted in your mouth. It was pretty amazing and definitely something I’m going to recreate for myself soon. The pizza was another hit. It had a great crisp base (I am a lover of thin pizza bases, I can’t stand when they are too doughy.) and featured a selection of meats like prosciutto, pork sausage and salami. It was perhaps a little meaty for my taste, but very flavoursome. The service was good aside from an initial mix up with our booking. The waiters had a great knowledge of the food and beverage menus.

Overall, it’s a funky Melbourne restaurant with yummy food. I would definitely go back. 4/5

Where: 275 Exhibition Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Bookings: essential
Phone: (03) 9663 7994

Photos by Krissie.