Dolly @ Melbourne

Descend the art deco staircase at Le Meridien in Melbourne to discover Dolly, the restaurant name pays homage to iconic storytelling and the site’s long history – originally as a hotel, through to theatre, cinema, live music venue, and entertainment playground.

Named after the dolly zoom camera technique, pioneered during Hitchcock’s 1958 masterpiece ‘Vertigo,’ Dolly in the basement of Le Meridien Melbourne is a nod to the golden age of cinema, evoking the glamour and mystique of the backstage. Led by Bordeaux-born Executive Chef Hervé Borghini, Dolly’s dinner menu celebrates bold bistro flavours and seasonal ingredients.

Indulgent and romantic, the moody 1930s-inspired backdrop sets the stage for an unforgettable evening, only if there’s no function going on in the ballrooms by the restaurant. Unfortunately for me, AISA was having their meeting and the reception that followed was so rowdy, I couldn’t properly finish my meal.

And as the course started coming, a slice of warm sourdough was served with some unsalted butter infused with lime zest.

Seasonal Oysters

Natural, served with lemon and tarragon raspberry mignonette

Three types of oysters were on offer, but I couldn’t remember what they were. But they were all Sydney rock oysters from nearby farms, and were really sweet and succulent as they fattened up for winter.

Peachy Burrata

Compressed peach, asparagus, burrata, vanilla tarragon dressing

Peachy Burrata is a delicious mix of sweet, caramelised peaches and creamy burrata cheese, with strips of blanched asparagus and fresh arugula. 

The creaminess of burrata works so well in this salad, and the sweet and tart peach vinegar is the perfect dressing.

MB2 Porterhouse Victoria Grass-Fed, 250G

French fries, Robert jus

This is their modern bistro take on the classic Steak Frites — a 250g MB2 grass-fed Porterhouse, served with double-cooked golden fries and Robert jus. Marble beef (MB) score (ranging from 1 to 9) refers to the intramuscular fat content within the meat, and MB2 is quite a lean piece of meat. Sauce Robert is a classic French brown mustard sauce, dating back to the 17th century, is known for its rich, tangy flavour and simplicity. 

The Porterhouse was tender, full of flavour with a tasty layer of fat on the top. It’s a much more marbled cut of meat than the Filet Mignon, especially on the larger strip steak side. The fries were really addictive, and they would replenish the tubers without additional cost, just like in steak frites restaurant. And the bacon bits from the sauce Robert was perfect with the lean meat.

As mentioned earlier, there was a gathering of IT specialists, and as they gathered around the bar for drinks, the decibel of the place went up a few notches. The low ceiling of the basement did not help with the din. I decided to skip dessert and went back to my room.

Dolly Melbourne
20 Bourke Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3000
Tel : +61 (03) 9123 3960 (Reservations)

Visited May 2025