It says something about the quality of the restaurants in Melbourne that we find so many good candidates for return visits. Even when the prices are high, the quality of the food usually rises to match.
The Deck is such a place. Towards the top of our usual price range ($15 - $20 entrees, $25 - $30 mains, $12 - $16 desserts), nearly everything about the place justifies the cost. The service we received was exemplary, easily passing the auto-water-refill test and backing it up by automatically refilling our bread as well.
The decor is clean and modern. I had a minor quibble with the chairs, which were wicker over metal frames, the front edge of the seat frame biting into the underside of my thighs. But this didn't detract from the food at all.
Having thoroughly enjoyed the delicious crusty sourdough bread, we skipped the entree this time and went straight for the mains. Dave tried the Crisp Skinned Duck Breast with Seared Diver Scallop, Parsnip Chips, Vanilla-lime Pomme Purée and Vanilla Jus ($26.50, or only $1.56 per descriptive word). I had one of the daily specials, which was Tasmanian Salmon with Wilted Spinach, Caviar, Fennel and Cream Sauce ($25.90, or a staggering $2.59 per descriptive word).
In spite of the fact that my meal's descriptive words cost more, both dishes were equally fantastic.
I accompanied mine with a glass of Murdoch Hill 2001 Sauvignon Blanc, which went down well alongside the salmon.
We weren't going to skip dessert two weeks in a row. Dave ordered the Green Apple Crème Brulée with Vanilla and Rhubarb Trifle ($11.90). He enjoyed it, in spite of its relatively succint description. I had the Warm Pear, Raspberry and Ginger Charlotte with Five Spice Ice Cream ($11.90). Apparently when you order a Charlotte for dessert, you don't get a woman - you get a sort of baked or stewed fruit mix inside a pastry cage. Mine was topped with a scoop of five spice ice cream, which was topped with a large tuft of vanilla spun sugar. It kind of looked like it had white hair. But it tasted good. The cappuccino I ordered with it was excellent, with very dense creamy foam, the way it should be.
Apart from the chairs, the only other quibble I had was with the restrooms. They were clean, but of the cubbyhole variety - narrow stalls complete with toilet and half-size sink. I can never get both my hands to fit under the tap in one of those tiny sinks, making washing up awkward. Still, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the meal.
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Dave's summary: "Quite a pleasant meal."
Probability that we will return: 35 / 42
Note that the probability rating is affected by the fact that there are hundreds of places to eat around here.