‘Ordering a burger here seems weird': Our critic reviews Cutler's flexible new menu
I still think Cutler is, at its heart, a classic fine dining restaurant. The moments of true brilliance are all in the serious cooking, the dishes that require more than just good ingredients and pretty plating, the ones that can only be produced by chefs who aren't just talented but also extremely well-trained in classic European technique.
How does Cutler, which was built on a fine dining foundation, remain relevant in a city that's far more interested in casual eating?
I don't envy McConnell and the conundrum at the heart of Cutler. It is, at its best, a fantastic restaurant, worthy of icon status. But it has none of the grand drama that makes Gimlet so of-the-moment, and I'm not sure if it will ever settle into a more casual persona. I wouldn't want it to! We have lots of restaurants that fit that bill, many of them thanks to McConnell.
I would love to think that Melbourne is diverse enough in its dining needs that a quiet, grown-up, understatedly sexy fine diner would still be essential. I'd love to see Cutler settle into that role – not necessarily to return to a degustation format but to lean into the quiet luxury it does best, to be unabashedly fancy and let go of more casual ambitions. But alas, that may be wishful thinking on my part. The people want burgers.
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‘Ordering a burger here seems weird': Our critic reviews Cutler's flexible new menu
But there's a sense of a confused identity. Partly because the best cooking at the heart of this menu is just so good, and because the room feels so special, ordering a burger here honestly seems weird. (Like, I felt the need to apologise when I did so.) The more snacky small plates aren't quite worthy of the space or of an occasion in which you'd want to eat there – prosciutto with persimmon is a breezy, no-fuss wine bar dish, not something you eat before a steak topped with foie gras. I still think Cutler is, at its heart, a classic fine dining restaurant. The moments of true brilliance are all in the serious cooking, the dishes that require more than just good ingredients and pretty plating, the ones that can only be produced by chefs who aren't just talented but also extremely well-trained in classic European technique. How does Cutler, which was built on a fine dining foundation, remain relevant in a city that's far more interested in casual eating? I don't envy McConnell and the conundrum at the heart of Cutler. It is, at its best, a fantastic restaurant, worthy of icon status. But it has none of the grand drama that makes Gimlet so of-the-moment, and I'm not sure if it will ever settle into a more casual persona. I wouldn't want it to! We have lots of restaurants that fit that bill, many of them thanks to McConnell. I would love to think that Melbourne is diverse enough in its dining needs that a quiet, grown-up, understatedly sexy fine diner would still be essential. I'd love to see Cutler settle into that role – not necessarily to return to a degustation format but to lean into the quiet luxury it does best, to be unabashedly fancy and let go of more casual ambitions. But alas, that may be wishful thinking on my part. The people want burgers.
