epocha

epocha had been on my list since i first arrived in melbourne where an ex-colleague told me that epocha and town mouse were her favourite restaurants. she told me she loved the cheese and the wine and the starters. unfortunately, my experience was very mediocre and it could be because i ordered neither the cheese nor the wine nor the starters. 
we booked for two at 6.30pm for a special occasion. the staff were very nice and had us seated right away. there is free on street parking after 6.30pm and plenty of spaces so i do recommend it. 
at the look of the prices, we decided to go for the most affordable options and chose the goat's cheese risotto and then something interesting, the rudderfish. 

we received complimentary black bread which just tasted like dark rye sourdough. it came with some herby creme fraiche. it was ok. though i did like the bread but nothing special. 

the fish arrived first and as we were sharing, the waitress cut it in half and served it for us. the cauliflower puree, the morsel of brussel sprout was nice, but the fish was very bland. rudderfish basically tasted like snapper but less fishy. the consomme was like lemony water. it didn't add to the taste. i would have preferred some salt, pepper and maybe even some garlic aioli. 

the risotto was floating and the rice very thick and large. the taste was quite grainy and tasted like raw spinach. both my friend and i didn't like both the dishes. the goat's cheese helped with the taste due to its saltiness and the almonds definitely added to the taste. but on it's own, the risotto rice was below par. 

we then ordered a dessert - the rum baba as we were told that it's the most popular. a large round cake (tastes like sweet bread) with a small dollop of vanilla ice-cream and some cream. it's literally floating on milky rum and there is a huge show as the chef lights it up with dry flame. 

the flame does not add a smokiness to the flavour. the cake basically tastes like watery bread with a hint of coffee and a hint of salt (not a hint of salted caramel). if we had known we would have unearthed the milky rum from the bottom and mixed it with our watery bread. but we only got to it at the end. and by then, i felt like i was having baileys with milk . 

we also got a complimentary lemon tart for which i'm immensely grateful. this lemon tart was radically sweet. too sweet for my liking which detracted from the sourness of the lime. 

the massive cheese blocks and honeycomb sitting next to us looked quite inviting and i think if we had taken my friend's advice, we would have enjoyed our meals. but it seems like we ordered all the wrong stuff. 

service is excellent. waitstaff are thoughtful. split billing is allowed. and the venue has a nice homely, romantic vibe. good for special occasions.

the staff are friendly. food is nothing to write home about, though. you get far more favoursome greek food at piraeus blues. we had the chef's menu and all dishes were easily forgettable. only exception was the beet salad that was full of bursting aromas. bread comes in a bag, yes, but who cares. it's tired fare, the dark color not stemming from whole grains but coloring. no crust, no bite. home churned butter was far too salty - they should leave it to people who do this better and concentrate in their food.

bottom line: you pay too much here for tired dishes. if you enjoy spending money for food that is worth it you need to look elsewhere. if you enjoy paying for make-believe you might enjoy this place.

one of the best tasting menus i have ever had and that includes vue de monde and ezards. friendly affable wait staff and an excellent array of food , catering also for our wheat intolerant guest. a lovely location that is a go to place for a romantic dinner or special occasion. the only criticism is the very limited wine by glass selection which consist of a handful of european wines. we were offered two glasses of as local red normally available by bottle only. the cost was $44 . next time be sure to ask what the wine will cost!

stop looking elsewhere!. this is one of the few places that ticks all of the boxes as far as i am concerned and i am glad more people haven't realized it yet! but, as selfish as i am, these guys deserve success. so, they get my upvote and any other praise i can give them. everything about this place and experience is incredible. you are crazy to look elsewhere tonight or any other night. the food, the booze, the atmosphere, and especially the staff, are as good as it gets.

meh. the atmosphere reeked of pretentiousness. the food was mediocre and didn't live up to expectations.
chickpea fritters were the best thing about the night, the duck was pretty good but everything else was pretty ordinary.
not worth the price paid.

as the name may suggest, epocha is a journey back in time. located in a beautiful victorian townhouse epocha impresses with a homey vibe and hearty menu. famous for their roasts, we were excited to spend a special night at epocha. we selected chicken liver pate as well as the spinach & ricotta tortellini for entree and the slow roasted lamb with a side of fried brocoli for main. and the summary - it was simply superb. along with fantastic service all evening long, the dishes were bursting of flavour and sheer skill. every bite was a delight and took us back in time to those moments when our grandma used to cook up some special treats for birthdays or christmas. the lamb was just so tender and juicy, the mushrooms that came with the tortellini on another level and even the bread was heavenly tasty. the only reason why this is not a 5 out of 5 is that while everything tastes fantastic, the menu lacks a bit of creativity, which to be honest, doesn't deter me from coming back!

a perfect evening, wednesday 27 may 2015.. our party of 4 enjoyed a wonderful, shared dinner with matching wines. upon arrival the aroma from the kitchen had us anticipating something special and that is exactly what we were treated to. dish after dish was beautifully presented. each one displaying vibrantly colored, perfectly seasoned, fresh and flavoursome produce. the staff were friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. the home-made pasta was gorgeously rustic. the lamb shoulder was melt-in-the-mouth superbness and i don't think i've ever tasted such tender chicken. what angie doesn't know about wine isn't worth knowing. she had us transported across europe with each evocative description. desserts were simply too good not to eat - even after all that gorgeous food. we would highly recommend this restaurant. they really know what they're doing, they love it and it shows in everything. we will definitely be back for more. the upcoming sunday night roasts sound way too tempting. thanks for a very special meal.

i went to a wedding function on the upper floor, where it is set to a private and spacious area. as one should expect less good food in a wedding function, i will give thumb up for the quality of food as well as generous portion. good service across throughout all night, i will consider this place for my function as well if any.
參加了一個朋友的婚禮，我本來以為今晚肯定是吃不飽又吃不好了，結果他們除了環境非常棒之外，食物做得耶很好吃！當中有點不常吃西餐的朋友都表示可以接受這裏的出品，最主要還是環境很好，考慮開一個dinner party的朋友不妨參考這裏。

terrible experience. i came here for my anniversary and after showing my vaccine passport i was asked to wear a mask to enter the restaurant, my partner had hers on. i explained i have a medical condition which prevents me to wear a mask. the owner then asked to see my mask exemption (which isn't required to be shown under the humans rights website and department of health regulations) and when i said i don't have it on me nor do i need to reveal that sort of information to you,
she asked us to sit outside rather than inside (it was cold) we were made to feel like criminals and that we were diseased. she then kicked us out when i refused to wear a mask to walk to the table and refused entry to the restaurant. i'm so disappointed in this experience, they seemed to have a very good reputation and i can only hope that lessons are learnt from this to avoid this type of discrimination against their customers again.
she kept explaining what she had been through the last two years as a business owner yet she has no compassion towards those who retreat to her well known restaraunt to escape and enjoy a night out and to help the business prosper which is what we came to do. we have had our wedding postponed 3 times and wanted to celebrate our 5 year anniversary together quietly before our big day in a few weeks time.

i am very disappointed in the way i was treated, i have never had this happen to me in two years of the pandemic in melbourne or anywhere in general and i will gladly spend my money elsewhere tonight .

if i have learnt anything tonight it is not in a business owners best interest to treat their customers with such disrespect. as business owners ourselves we understand the rules around mask exemptions and its about time others educated themselves particularly since it has now been over 2 years of this.

covid aside, i don't know what was honestly wrong with this business owner or manager, but she was on the attack from the get go storming out of the kitchen and then trying to offer us bottles of wine and cheese to soften the blow but in a rude and condescending way. there was absolutely no way of reasoning with this person. i'm just gobsmacked how people can be this horrible but very glad i never have to see her again.

i wish i could put a review down on the food. such a shame the owner is so incredibly rude and kicked myself and my partner out of her restaurant. how she has continued in business with this attitude is beyond me. no compassion or soul, clearly just in the business to have a job and then thinks her restaurant is the best in the world.

very ordinary. beautiful decor in a wonderful building, but after that it was pretty much all downhill. "pretentious" is the correct description. having heard excellent reports about epocha, we were very disappointed with the result. the initial welcome was anything but warm, the wine and beer list somewhat pretentious and expensive (all european, no australian at all) and the food (apart from the lamb which was delicious) was very disappointing. the fish was very chewy, the pork somewhat fatty and the heirloom carrots a real disappointment. we felt we were hurried through the meal, with service somewhat brusque. overall, very ordinary.

sunday roast is excellent value. expensive but great selection of european wine. we had the beef today. it was not the best cut but was cooked perfectly. the pork was much too fatty although the sliver of meat located absolutely melted in my mouth with the most gorgeous flavour that lingered. great side dishes, especially the fennel salad. cheese wheel and the out-of-this-world panna cotta made an elegant end to a beautiful lunch. skip the rhubarb mess, don't even touch it. oh and enjoy the service. it is second to none.

the zomato rating is what attracted us to epocha and once again it didn't let us down.
we both selected a major course and steve our well informed waiter, who was also a sommelier, warned us that the courses were very generous which was indeed the case. sylvia had the fish of the day and i had the slow cooked lamb; delicious.
yes, the main courses were expensive but in our view great value.
bob appetite!!
ps if i had a criticism is was that there were no australian wines by the glass

went for the sunday roast set menu and didn’t disappoint. great service, good value and great relaxed atmosphere . great wine list too. ideal place for a lazy sunday afternoon in a bit of style

i love the setting of this little restaurant. it's like walking into a period house and the decor is relaxed.

the food was delicious. there was 6 of us so we shared a few courses.

the butterfish!!! wow. it's so yummy and melt in the mouth. served with a creamy eggplant mash.

i also really enjoyed the roast lamb. but very rich so i couldn't have had that dish alone.

the pate was wonderful, smooth and creamy.

i'd highly recommend this little cherub of a restaurant.