Secret Eats

The best thing about secrets is that only a select few people know about them. And there's the dilemma - should I give away this hard to find restaurant or hug it close to my chest and jealously guard its culinary treats? It's better to give than receive so here goes... This eating place is so secret it has three names. One on the window, one on the business card and the real name on a sign outside. So take your pick -it could be Rosa's Kitchen, Journal or Canteen. Call it what you like, i'll always think of it as plain old delicious. It's hidden away up a few steps and I pity the pedestrians who unknowingly pass by its modest door. You really have to be a local to know to head towards the library and take a sharp right into the bustling dining room of Canteen. On the street below the lane is full of Melbournian's heading down the laneways to their favourite coffee stops but in Canteen, the diners sit at workroom like tables with linen napkins and a chalkboard offering up the daily fare. Three simple mains that change daily according to whats fresh and best at the markets. You might get a rabbit ravioli or chicken cottaletta with a cos salad on the side sprinkled with fresh parmesan. The antipasto doesn't change though - it's that good, it would be a crime to mess with it. The service is snappy and friendly whether you're a local, a bikie or a business man. There are more secrets to be revealed here. Lunch is the only meal you'll get here - at night Canteen doubles as a cooking school. You have to pay by cash, credit cards are not accepted, but that's ok, this simple Italian fare won't break the bank. It's a humble restaurant Canteen, but so good Gourmet World Traveller rates it among the top eateries in Melbourne and given the vast smorgasbord of culinary choices in this fine city, that's high praise indeed. So take a stroll through the laneways and admire the graffiti as you turn into Flinders Lane. Look like a local and quick step up the stairs to the dining room that will leave your tummy full and your appetite wanting more.
Canteen is in Flinders Lane, next to the Public Library.