The Cornerstone — Restaurant in Melbourne

Such a great experience here! M and I went in for lunch on a Friday afternoon. First impressions: What a beautiful space! Funky art work that works wonders for the ambience and so much natural light flooding in. Upon entering we were greeted warmly. We took a seat on the stools near the window and had the menu explained to us. The service was genuine and attentive. I especially appreciated the beer recommendations.

DRINKS!! The Hack has a tailored range of craft beers, focusing on local and independent brewers. We were able to taste test before placing an order. It was a tough choice, but the Green Beacon won me over.

THE MENU! We were so spoilt for choice. Limp Brisket BBQ is currently running the kitchen and serves up some of THE best slow-cooked American BBQ in Melbourne! Poor M had to deal with my indecisiveness and patiently wait for me to choose what I wanted!

We ordered the following:

Mac & Cheese Croquettes w. Sriracha cream: As a lover of all things cheese, I may be a little biased, but these were incredible!! Crunchy on the outside and perfectly gooey on the inside. We almost ordered another plate but self-control took over, as mains were yet to come.

Smoked Hot Wings w. Blue cheese sauce: They had me at blue cheese! This may be an acquired taste for some, but M and I scraped the plate.

12 hour Smoked Brisket: Local grass fed, free-range meat, wood smoked from the pit! Deliciously tender and bursting with flavour. Meat lovers, this one is for you.

The Iron Jack: This is by far the most interesting vegan option I’ve seen on any menu. I’ve never tried it as a fruit let alone a savoury option. Truth be told, I couldn’t tell the difference between this and pulled pork! !

BEERMISU: Such a quirky take on tiramisu! This was the cherry on top. M and I shared because by this point we were full to the brim. If I had a second stomach, I would have ordered a burger as well, but this just provides a good excuse to come back again ;) Thank you The Hack & Limp Brisket for a...

I will start with a positive - nice venue was clean and presentable. We ordered a Goupon voucher so of course booked in advance and went along. Apparently it was there first time doing Groupon and they were not prepared whatsoever. We were there from 1pm to 4.30pm - had an entree (which we waited a good hour for) and before we even finished that our mains arrived which was fine. We waited and waited and waited for the dessert that never came. Table of 6 beside us also brought coffee to have with their dessert, but there's never arrived either. Another table received one meal (there were 2 of them) and had to go and ask for the second which came much much later. Disappointed that the staff (owners possibly) did not offer any compensation for this. Staff were obviously to scared to come and talk to people as they avoided everyone by looking extremely busy. Is a shame as could be a really nice venue. Food was good - however I ordered the bangers, mash and leek - it came minus the leek - probably run out of that as well. Hope...

📍The Cornerstone | 1 Crockford St, Port Melbourne VIC 3207 @cornerstone.melb

It has been a place for meet-ups, where locals have been enjoying drinks and food since 1860s. The outdoor swing area is a cool concept. Perfect for those who are restless. 😁

We ordered: 🍴KFC Cauliflower 🍴Mussels in Chilli Tomato Sauce 🍴Mushroom Ragu Linguini 🍴Chips w/ garlic aioli

🍷Dog ridge butterfingers Chardonnay 🍺 Kirin Ichiban on tap 🍹 Vodka lemonade

✨Highlight of our meal: the mussels ❤️ Loved the spicy and velvety texture of the sauce. It paired nicely with the mussels and the crusty bread served on the side. We would have appreciated a few more mussels (we were literally served 6 mussels).

The cauliflower florets were crunchy and coated in a light, savoury batter.

Linguini pasta was cooked al dente, and the mushroom sauce had a robust flavour. We would have liked to be served fresh egg pasta and a bigger portion.

Finn bites dining...