Persimmon Cafe/Bistro at NGV International Melbourne

Persimmon Cafe/Bistro at NGV International Details

Persimmon Cafe/Bistro at NGV International Address

Ground Level, 180 St Kilda Rd
Melbourne VIC 3000
Map
Persimmon Cafe/Bistro at NGV International Website

Persimmon Cafe/Bistro at NGV International Contact Info »

Chef

Terry Clark

Hours

Mon to Sun 11am - 4pm

Serves

Serves Lunch

Classifications

Cafes

User Reviews of Persimmon Cafe/Bistro at NGV International, Melbourne

Displaying: 1 - 3 of 3 reviews

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food 8 Ambience 9 Service 9 Value 9

Southbank has long been dominated by bleary-eyed clubbers and light-fingered gamblers, spotted with a handful of extrovertedly over-priced glitzy restaurants catering for those who had the requisite bling-bling and deep pockets to frequent Crown Casino’s Mahogany Room. That shadow still lingers, but a wave of more refined sophistication increasingly laps at the Yarra River’s southern banks. Cocooned within the high stone walls of the NGV and rather as an outcast located towards the back of the NGV, Persimmon is waiting to bear fruit, and what a luscious one it proved to be. Overlooking the minimalistic Grollo Equiset Gardens, it has adopted a slickly modern colour scheme of black and red, incorporating a textural interplay of clear perspex, garnet leathers and noir hessian fabrics.

Like “British” cuisine, “Modern Australian” cuisine is a label usually met with smirks of derision. However, a short list of dining venues have redefined “Modern Australian” to mean something alluring, inspirational and as unique as the country itself (we choose as our favourite examples, Cumulus, Cutler & Co, and No 35). To this list, MoMo & Coco now adds Persimmon. Persimmon’s culinary offerings, particularly its irresistibles, deserve a museum exhibition in their own right, or at the very least, an exhibition book dedicated to waxing their sweet lyrics. It seamlessly combines both casual yet refined dining, something that many Melbourne restaurants seek but especially fail in the latter character. Overall, for the high quality of food, the ambience of the venue and the professionalism of the service, it far surpasses CBD counterparts who charge far more for far less. Bearing luscious fruits somewhere in the depths of the NGV, Persimmon is one of those un-hyped true hidden secrets, and long may it stay as such.