hazel

i had pretty high expectations for hazel- it got a good rep for its modern take on french classics, however the dishes were slightly underwhelming. the stand out was the asparagus with crab vinaigrette. flavours were bold and ingredients exceptional quality and fresh. the seafood stew was flavoursome but lacked presentation finesse and not worth the price. the seafood was fresh and complimented nicely by the broth/sauce. the steak was nothing special as the mushroom butter topping was a poor match. chunky mushrooms interrupted the tenderness of the steak and i found myself avoiding them in the dish. the chopped salad was bland due to under seasoning. probably wouldn’t return, but the service was lovely and the interiors are welcoming and impressive at the same time.

i took someone here for a date, we both love good food & we weren’t disappointed. we had the $85 chef’s menu, a bottle of tempranillo and a couple of cocktails.
the ambience is great, the food was delicious and well portioned. we were both very happy with the experience and would recommend hazel to anyone.
only hiccup was when our waitress had a break, the server who took over didn’t realise we’d not had the lamb course and delivered dessert. it was fixed quickly and discreetly though.
favourite for both of us was the barramundi salami with fried toast, followed by the calamari & broad bean dish. also the plate of vegetables with the chickpea miso… it was all delicious.

hazel has one of the best interiors i've ever seen in a restaurant. gorgeous creamy colour palette with lots of natural lighting. exposed brick, tastefully decorated - it's a beautiful place to catch up with friends.

ordered:
entree:
🦪 oysters + mirepoix mignonette ($5.00 each)
🧀 our halloumi + mustard figs ($16.00)
🥖 duck liver parfait, baguette + watermelon pickle ($19.00)

main:
🥩 scotch fillet (medium) + charred onion butter ($45.00)
🍄 john's mushrooms, celeriac + yolk ($25.00)
🥔 kipflers, whey + trout roe ($24.00)

dessert:
🍐 quince + buttermilk sorbet ($14.00)

review:
oysters were plump, but a little salty. can't say they've been my favourite (i prefer marameo) but it's always nice to kick start a meal with oysters.

duck liver parfait was decent, but still prefer the version from small french bar in footscray. it could definitely benefit from mayo to have a hit of creaminess but we're starting to land into banh mi territory. in the meantime, the watermelon pickle was a good way to add another flavour profile (tanginess) to the dish.

in terms of the main, scotch fillet was delicious especially with how salty some pieces were 🤩. fatty juicy hits of flavour accompanied by the surprisingly clean mushroom and egg yolk.
wish the kipflers were fried and crispy but the raw nature with the white creamy (buttermilk?) kept our palates fresh.

wasn't a fan of the dessert of the quince and buttermilk sorbet. cut up in layers, the quince was a bit too sour and the consistency was soft layered apples. what was really cute was the plates - apparently the owner goes to antique stores and picks up unique plates!

stunning interior and we took very nice photos here, service was very friendly but not a place i'd go back again.

these are only some of the dishes from the 95/head set menu! there was so much food! in the past we have been to restaurants like these where the set menus did not fill us up or were not ‘worth it’. every dish was high quality, full of flavour and delicious. there wasn’t one dish we didn’t like. usually am not a fan of watermelon and fetta.. but this place converted me. wine recommendations was perfect, and service was great too. would come here again!

a stones throw away from the ever trendy hosier lane lies hazel, the relatively new kid on the block. the chic decor, attentive staff and cosy ambience made for a wonderful wednesday night dinner. we sampled the chefs tasting menu which was fresh and celebrated local produce; absolutely delicious. would definitely recommend for a casual dinner or private event!

chefs choice menu was great value. left feeling comfortably full. the fresh bread and butters were stand outs. the steak was also fantastic.

absolutely loving this place! food was nice and fresh. service was 10/10.
will come back next time for different dishes:)

loved every single dish. there are very few places i can say that of, and hazel is one of those few. the portions are small, which means you can order more dishes to try. the service was good and the menu is reasonably priced. we loved that the kitchen cut everything into 4 portions for us, which made sharing so much easier! will definitely be coming back again.

everything we ordered was wonderful, and a gluten free version for our gluten intolerant friend delivered for all dishes with bread! food was very fairly priced, but i guess balanced out by the pricier wine menu. the restaurant was busy which is fine, however it becomes difficult to hear the staff when they speak at a normal volume. out of the three staff we primarily spoke to, one was particularly tall and did not bend down to speak to us, so it was a bit uncomfortable to converse.

itself – spanning across 2 levels – is nothing short of exquisite, blending sophistication. with a welcoming sense of hamptons charm. being such an exquisite venue, it only seemed appropriate to. commence our meal with just as an exquisite starter – so fresh, plump, juicy oysters. with salted chilli mignonette had to be on our menu.

really enjoyed eating at hazel - beautiful and bright interior, food is simply delicious - enjoyed the beef tartare and spent noodles the most. service is incredible - the staff are very attentive and helpful. will be back for more sure.

we recently celebrated our anniversary at hazel and were blown away by everything they had to offer. i had been wanting to go here since i had heard about it's opening, and i wasn't disappointed. this venue is in a beautiful part of town, in the most gorgeous old building, and the decor is just divine. so chic and elegant, with amazing lighting and furniture; hazel just oozes style and class. we were served by several different people, and each of them was extremely hospitable and friendly.

after toasting with fabulous wine, we began with the complementary french onion dip with hand made crackers. such a welcome touch, and extremely tasty. we wanted to start with their famous toasts, and i'm so glad that we did. one came with the richest pate imaginable, and was just sublime; and the other was a refreshing beef tartare which was seasoned perfectly. the toasts are fun to share, and an interesting menu concept that i think really works.

our mains were a divine duck breast, and the succulent lamb chop, with a side of broccolini. everything was just delicious and perfectly cooked. the proteins were still tender and full of flavour, and the broccoluni was dressed beautifully.

we were delighted when our dessert of apple crumble came out with an anniversary message. another lovely and personal touch which shows the level of care that this restaurant takes. the crumble itself was amazing, with it's tart apple, crunchy caramel crumble and divinely creamy ice cream. the perfect end to a fabulous dinner.

i'm so glad that we chose hazel for this special occasion and would absolutely return again in a heartbeat. the menu is extensive and interesting enough to tempt us back, as is the fabulous service and serene ambience. hazel is all class, and should do well in this part of town.

do: the noodles, pate and lamb.

don’t: forget any of the toast dishes. soooo good.

tip: go in a group since the meals are designed to share. otherwise sit at the bar upstairs and see the magic at the open kitchen.

we came to hazel for dinner and were seriously impressed. before we even get to food, the restaurant space is beautiful and the open kitchen was great to see. we celebrated a special occasion and multiple staff were aware of this, offering their congratulations which really added to the already amazing service.

it is recommended that food is shared here and thanks to our wonderful waitress we ordered the perfect amount. do order something from the toast section - we loved the beef tartare and duck pate on sourdough. other dishes to try include the lamb, scotch fillet and crumble dessert. we found the other dishes we ordered to be quite nice but not particularly memorable.

we will definitely be back to try more from hazel!

amazing dinner / date experience.
the place you would like to take someone your adore to so you can impress them with the beautiful place and food like such.
hazel: simple made best and sophisticated.