The first thing you notice walking into Ondine is the huge sculpture of a head, complete with anatomically correct little men hanging from its ears. Definitely worth a mention!
And Ondine is definitely one of those restaurants that gets mentioned. You know, when people talk about nice restaurants. The people who run the place used to run est est est, which was often mentioned, at least while it was open. Apparently they wanted to move somewhere bigger and better, and Ondine is the result.
Having eaten at both restaurants, I can say that Ondine definitely bigger and better, at least in the atmosphere and environment. The dining space is somehow open and airy, yet dark and warm at the same time. There is an indoor courtyard of sorts at the front of the semi-basement dining room, with huge windows letting in the light from the street. Towards the back, where we were seated, the mood gets darker and more plush. The jazz being played (a bit loudly) added to the ambience.
Following the bigger and better trend, the food should be better than excellent. It's hard to say because I really enjoyed the food at both restaurants, but Ondine is definitely worth writing home about. It certainly isn't any worse than excellent. We skipped the entrées and went straight for the mains, which were Seafood Lasagne with Scallops and Mussels, Garlic Spinach and Fennel Foam ($25, Dave) and Chargrilled Rabbit with Shiitake Mushrooms, Fresh Noodles and Seeded Mustard Sauce ($26, me). Neither meal was particularly generous in size, and whilst this is common in expensive restaurants serving rich food, we didn't get quite enough and had to order (gasp) a bowl of fries ($6).
The last time I had rabbit it was too dry to eat, and I was curious to find out if dryness was a characteristic of the meat itself. It wasn't. Ondine's rabbit was very good, not exactly succulent, but juicy enough. The semi-Asian bent to my meal was an interesting twist and worked well. Dave's lasagne was individually constructed - to be honest, it didn't look at all like lasagne. More like an artfully arranged pile of seafood and pasta sheets. Nevertheless, it went down very well, if a bit quickly. The fries (our afterthought filler-order) were actually some of the best fries I've ever had. Not wedges, but thin-cut, fresh, and perfectly cooked. And plentiful, in contrast to the mains. Go figure.
We did have wine. I can't remember what it was. Not for the reasons you might think.
Dave and I ordered the same dessert. Neither one of us wanted to pass up the Soufflé of Valrhona Pur Caraibe Chocolate with a Soft Truffle Centre and Mint Caramel Ice-cream ($16). How did it stack up against the formidable range of chocolate soufflés and puddings we've tried around Melbourne? Probably number two, behind Mecca's.
The service was unfortunately a bit disappointing. It started out prompt, but as the restaurant filled up it slowed down. Understandable yes, but in a restaurant of this calibre you expect them to compensate for such variations. And they failed the auto-water refill test, something no restaurant in this league has ever done since I've been applying it.
The restrooms, however, nearly make up for it. All I can say is that you owe yourself a visit, and that there are no sinks. Sort of.
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Dave's summary: "You need to start writing up these reviews in a more timely manner, so you won't forget my summaries." (Okay, I made that one up. Sorry Dave.)
Probability that we will return: 38 / 42 (let down by the service a bit)
Note that the probability rating is affected by the fact that there are hundreds of places to eat around here.