Studley Park Boathouse, Kew, Attraction, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Studley Park Boathouse
Attraction

Address: 1 Boathouse Rd
Kew 3101
Phone: 03 98531828
Web: http://www.studleyparkboathouse.com.au

If you're after a weekend getaway without the substantial price tag - and want to go somewhere a little more happening than Bonnie Doon - the Studley Park Boathouse brings you all the trappings of a trip to the countryside without having to leave the city. Nestled only kilometres from the CBD, but with scenery that'll have you checking your Melways twice, this flawlessly restored Victorian house-cum-restaurant is situated on the Yarra River and offers diners a little slice of time gone by. Imagine a yellow-painted interior, gold-framed mirrors and the sort of Australian bush art that looks like it's been nicked from your grandma's attic.

The kitchen serves up modern Australian meals with a splash of Asian influence and a particular emphasis on sourcing the freshest of local ingredients. Steak aficionados would do well to set their sights on the signature dish of seared grain-fed eye fillet of beef, served with horseradish creamed mash, balsamic and port jus. This serene haven of pastoral views covers its bases by combining a fine dining restaurant with a more casual cafe downstairs.

A boathouse by name and, perhaps unsurprisingly, a boathouse by nature, the Studley Park Boathouse offers patrons the chance to work off their indulgent meals via boats, canoes and kayaks for hire - a considerate service to help the overeaters among us justify our excesses.

Chef: Oliver Fulljames