Pictured: Spicy chicken wings with ranch sauce, 2 x beer flights
If you’re looking for a must-visit place for a truly Melbourne experience, I would say Little Creatures Dining Hall ticks all the boxes. Situated in eclectic Fitzroy, the warehouse-turned-dining hall and its various eating areas evokes a casual, urban dining experience, making it suitable for many different types of occasions. On Friday and Saturday evenings, the atmosphere is lively and full of energy whilst during the day, it’s a bit more laid-back and not uncommon to see young families and children. I’ve been coming here for years for birthday dinners, drinks and late night dessert runs (you can’t go past their doughnuts!) and it’s still one of my go to places whenever I’m in the area.
In terms of the drinks, one of best items on the menu would undoubtedly be the pipsqueak ciders ($5.80 a pot, $10 a pint) and the beer flights – $13 for a selection of 4 ponys (pony = 140ml glass). Whilst it’s recommended to start off with a pale ale and work your way up, speak to any bartender they would be more than happy to help you out with your choices. The home made non-alcoholic beverages – such as the white peach & raspberry and ginger beer – are equally excellent, crisp and refreshing.
Whilst Little Creatures is known as a brewery, it offers a well rounded sharing menu with pizzas, smaller to large plates and some fantastic desserts.
The food
Fresh Cut Chips, garlic aioli
My most recent visit to Little Creatures Dining Hall was when a cousin came down to visit from Sydney earlier this year. A few of us from Melbourne had been raving about the fries for ages and it certainly did not disappoint on this occasion. The fries were crispy, perfectly seasoned and were not greasy. These are by far one of the best fries in Melbourne.
Pulled pork sliders, coleslaw (2 per serve)
These are another favourite here. The brioche bun was soft with a slightly crispy exterior whilst the pulled pork was incredibly flavoursome and a good kick of spice.
Braised beef cheek, creamy mash, jus
Beef cheek is one of the dishes where you have a specific expectation of what it will taste like and this certainly lived up to our expectations. The beef cheeks were delicious and incredibly tender, however I felt that the winner of this dish was actually the creamy, luxurious mash which you could eat on its own, or with just a bit of jus.
Salted caramel doughnuts, ice cream
The doughnut flavours change once in a while and this time, we were offered salted caramel. The texture of these doughnuts were en pointe, soft and crispy on the outside – I just wish there was more salted caramel as it was just a dollop on the top.. next time!
Little creatures dining hall
222 Brunswick Street
Fitzroy VIC
https://littlecreatures.com.au
