Atrium — Restaurant in Victoria

A restaurant, in a hotel, in rural Victoria... I mean how good is it going to be?

In a word: brilliant.

The team who are running Atrium are absoloute legends. I cannot fault them, from the wait staff, through to the chef, and even the bar staff.

Dining here is like having a fine dining experience in Melbourne. I had a seriously large medium-rare ribeye that was cooked to perfection. But not just that, it was one of the finest pieces of beef I've been served anywhere - juicy, tender, with a delicious char smoke flavour.

Dessert... a tiramisu burnt Basque cheesecake creation that was heavenly.

The staff were attentive without being obtrusive, and at the top of their game.

How good was this meal? So good that I went back two night's later. And that proved it was not a one-off - it was just as good the second time.

Don't miss the hidden...

We stayed in the Quality Hotel Wangaratta over the Easter break. Considering that the stay in the hotel surprised us pleasantly we thought of trying the in-house restaurant which looked very appealing. On the second day after our stay, we ventured into the Atrium Restaurant after a booking which was almost full for a place like Wangaratta and its reason is – good food. We had chicken dish with two side dishes – pumpkin and beans. They may be side dish for some but for us it was sufficient as mains. We had never tasted beans done in such a manner and being fresh bean from the region tasted very good. Chef having an artistic flair, the vegetarian side dishes had a very nice presentation which made even more tempting to eat. I feel that both the Hotel and the restaurant are hidden gen in the High Country...

I called ahead and booked dinner for one on a Monday night. The space has high ceilings and a big operable wall along one side - presumably formerly part of a function area turned restaurant. It feels a little corporate, but pleasant enough. I ordered the gnocchi, thee duck and a desert. Dishes were well prepared with a more modern take, allowing each element space to exist. Whereas gnocchi is commonly laden with a heavy sauce this was quite the opposite, it was almost more like a warm antipasto. The venue staff were wonderful and attentive, thanks to Merril on FOH and Nick on the bar. Despite it being a Monday night and consequently there being only a relatively small team working the floor, I was attentively looked after. Overall a very nice experience at a...