Basement of 141 Flinders Lane (Cnr Oliver Lane)
Melbourne Vic 3001

So there’s this little ol restaurant serving up cuisine that’s best described as French – Asian fusion in a basement on iconic Flinders Lane. Know the one I’m talking about? Yep, it’s Adam D’Sylva’s super popular Coda. Walk past on any night of the week and it’ll be packed full of dinners, just the way it’s been for years and no doubt it’ll remain that way for many more to come. Dark, moody and cosy, it’s the perfect spot to enjoy a drink and great food with friends or that someone special and clearly most of Melbourne agrees.

Despite working a hop, skip and a jump away for a number of years, securing an ever elusive table at Coda always seemed to slip through my fingers. So I kinda gave up, figured it was one of those places that would stay on my to do list forever. That was until my annual ladies Christmas lunch came around and as luck would have it, they had a free table – winning!

What ensued was an 8 course chef set lunch where each dish remained a surprise until it landed on the table and despite out numerous allergies and aversions, not one of us was disappointed. With dishes like the blackened quails with baby radish and shiso salad, where each little quail was tender, juicy and bursting with flavour. Or the zucchini fritters that resembled soft little pillows and were served with a buffalo mozzarella, mint and pea salad that was super fresh and light. And of course the roasted yellow duck curry that just melted in my mouth. The food kept rolling out and we devoured every last morsel, all the while sipping our pretty cocktails and sharing a laugh amongst friends.

Great food and drinks were matched by exceptional service. The team were genuinely friendly, attentive and every request was swiftly met. By the end we were tempted to ask our waiter to sit and have a drink with us.

So was it worth the wait? Yes, yes it was. If you haven’t been yet, I suggest making a booking and if you’ve been before, I’d say it’s time for round two.