The Newmarket

34 Inkerman St, St Kilda

Gone are the days that the Newmarket Hotel on Inkerman St was renowned for its dingy interior, questionable adult entertainment and the rough and ready crowd that it attracted. Today it is an uber modern gastro pub, an intriguing establishment serving their unique take on Central American cuisine to a mix of the hip and trendy, chic and stylish, young and old.

Designers 6 Degrees architects have taken influences from both Mexican and Spanish cultures and added their own personal twist to the mix. Chequered autumn coloured carpet, soft yellow and pink patterned wall paper, tall rough concrete walls, dark wooden tables and modern leather chairs all clash in a way that is dramatically cool.  High concrete pillars shelter the main dining area, drawing on the architectural features of a Spanish cathedral and adding to the powerful structure of the restaurant.

This is my third visit to the Newmarket and today I am accompanied by a small group of friends to celebrate the weekend and I am already looking forward to the spiced lamb, pumpkin hummus, grape and queso fresco cocas, a Latin flat bread pizza which stole my heart on my first visit.

Taking our seats we order Guacamole with native lime salsa fresca, taro, jicama & tortilla chips to share and our first round of drinks for the afternoon.  The wines are poured straight from the barrel and served in carafes with stemless tumblers to drink from; a quirk that adds to the restaurants charm and pulls on the heart strings of typical Spanish tapas bars.

The menu is large and it takes a moment to get your head around the different Hispanic and Latin Street foods on offer. Designed for sharing, we order a mix of soft tacos with prawns, fragrant herbs and jicama slaw; lamb ribs barbacoa, pomegranate mole, avocado and tahini; triple cooked bravas potatoes; baked sweet potato with jalapeños and queso fresco; winter salad with wood fired caramelised onion and fennel tart, quince aioli, walnuts and local goats cheese and of course the spices lamb cocas. It is a feast of rich flavour and textures that transports you to the street stalls of Mexico City and inspires you to visit your local travel agent with this new taste of adventure.

To satisfy the sweet tooth amongst us we also order three deserts to share, chocolate and macadamia pie with kahlua ice cream; pay de queso cheesecake with tequila and native lime sorbet and Latin style chocolate pot with bananas and dulche de leche. Chocolate and macadamia are always a heavenly mix and the pie is the stand out desert of the day; the pastry delightfully buttery and crumbles when spooned. While the modern take on a cheese cake left us questioning the placement of its base and the sharp tang of tequila and lime in the sorbet was somewhat out of place with the smooth creamy filling.  

The wine continued to flow and the conversation grew louder with excitement and laughter as we made our way to the bar area, all the while singing the praises of this new and exciting St Kilda resident.

Rates 15.5 O’s out of 20