Ocean views in Melbourne? Geographically speaking, they exist, but they’re not usually the first sight that comes to mind when thinking about the Garden City. However, sitting in Atria, the chic restaurant within the Ritz-Carlton Melbourne with views over Port Phillip Bay and beyond, it’s a question worth pondering.

Another question deserving more attention is: why aren’t the city’s locals screaming about this from the rooftops of this 80-storey building?

Perhaps it’s because they know a good thing when they see it, and rightly want to keep it a secret. Who can blame them, particularly if it involves one of executive chef Michael Greenlaw’s new seasonal tasting menus?

Available during both lunch and dinner services, the new degustation-style menu has been designed to reflect the unique bounty of the state’s produce over five courses.

For Greenlaw, who counts stints at London’s Bibendum and New York’s Gilt (both cities notorious for their seemingly fickle and hard-to-please diners) as well as time at Melbourne’s other sky-high dining venue Vue de Monde, the tasting menu showcases the most exciting flavours and dishes of the moment, allowing, “the time and space to tell a story about the season and our extraordinary produce”.

Like all good stories, you either capture the attention of your audience quickly… or face the consequences of losing them entirely.

Success is quickly assured with the arrival of the first course—a yuba tart made from a crisp tofu-skin shell layered with a creamy roasted kombu soy milk emulsion and fragrant picual Mount Zero olive oil on a bed of raw Victorian peas, all adorned with cubes of pea husk jelly. The vibrancy of the peas cutting through the umami-rich kombu is a deft lesson in humility – I’ll never look at humble peas the same way again. In quick succession, a light-as-air tempura wasabi leaf acts as a pedestal for highlighting local razorback prawns, mentaiko and a zesty finger lime kosho that hooks us in, line and sinker.

Throughout the menu, Greenlaw has handpicked producers, highlighting the best of the state’s bounty, and we’re all the better for it.

Where this shines perhaps most brightly is with the main course. Locally sourced, ruby-hued Macedon Ranges duck breast is served with a reduction of its own fat and onions, alongside plump Wandin Valley Farms cherries (preserved in-house from the previous season) and a cacao sauce, under a single radicchio leaf.

Better yet, a side salad with leaves grown sustainably not an hour away from the restaurant at former delicious. Produce Awards medallist Ramarro Farm in the Dandenong Ranges sings through its simplicity.

Or perhaps it’s the pavé of potato with its delicate patchwork of thinly sliced Victorian potatoes that arrives with a creamy potato foam, sprinkled with a crisp potato skin powder – all made from a single spud.

Granted, there are foams and emulsions at play here; words we as collective diners now tend to look at with disdain. But here they’re neither contrived nor ostentatious (nor are they mentioned on the menu). Rather, they’re a testament to the skill and preparation from Greenlaw and his stellar team behind the pans.

The closing act? A cocoa-nib brownie base filled with passionfruit jam, encased in a dark chocolate mousse made from local Cuvée Amphora 65% chocolate and served with a banana tuile, fragrant passionfruit caramel and Gippsland cultured cream. It’s a triumphant conclusion to the flavours of the great state of Victoria, with a fanfare of gusto and decadence.

The wine pairings, curated by head sommelier Sean Lam, take a broader approach to showcasing various wine regions of Australia, such as a Clare Valley Grosset Polish Hill riesling with the yuba tart. They also venture further abroad, with the likes of sake from Japan’s Tohoku region paired with an entree of handpicked mud crab, sea urchin and a tomato and saffron emulsion.

Lam, who previously cut his teeth at Melbourne stalwart Flower Drum before moving to the now-closed Ryne, likes to work with each diner to create a pairing based on preferences. Or, as we opted to do, offers to guide diners through some of his more exciting and adventurous picks.

Of these, a South Australian single vineyard 2015 Mérite merlot from Wrattonbully was the perfect match for the richness of the duck – providing acidity without the overpowering fruitiness of merlots from yesteryear.

Supporting the food is another shining star – the room. With floor-to-ceiling windows, the dining room provides views of the surrounding city not seen elsewhere. At sunset, Port Phillip Bay dazzles in the distance if you’re seated at one of the white-tableclothed tables and red club chairs that look out at the nearby skyscrapers of the skyline. Nearby, the 19-metre Victorian ash bar made from felled timber is the centrepiece of the room; the perfect place for couples or solo diners to take in the views of the surrounding ranges further afield.

For the ultimate finale, nothing can surpass slinking back to a room below for the night. Our panoramic king room envelops the outlook thanks to more floor-to-ceiling windows – perfect for taking in the city skyline enrobed in a lush Frette shawl bathrobe. From the neutral-toned interiors, the room exudes Melbourne chic – think veined Calacatta Oro and amadora marble with Diptyque toiletries in the bathroom, a marble dining table that doubles as a desk, velvet furnishings and a plush herringbone woven carpet. It’s modern and luxurious, and feels more like a chic apartment than a hotel room.

It’s said good things come in pairs, so when it’s time for breakfast the following morning, held within Atria, it’s no surprise that the menu is equally as adept. There are mornings when I still think of the chilli crab eggs made with handpicked spanner crab on top of yolk-rich scrambled eggs, woodfired roasted coconut chilli oil and curry leaves. It’s a befitting finale to a story that regretfully comes to a bittersweet close as I check out.

Three things not to miss

1.  Swipe your room key and head to level 64, where you’ll find one of the city’s best-kept pool areas. High above the clouds, the heated infinity-edged pool is a haven of tranquillity, flanked by cabana-like daybeds and rows of sun lounges overlooking the Melbourne skyline.
2. Make a beeline for Cameo, the hotel’s cocktail bar, where spirits and rare wines are the order of business. It’s the perfect place for an after-dinner drink, especially as it’s practically on your way back to your room. Not that we needed an excuse.
3. Check-in begins by ascending to the 80th-floor sky lobby. Here you’ll also find the Ritz-Carlton Lounge, which serves morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea. The nearby Melbourne CBD bar space has bottles of Levantine Hill blanc de blanc sparkling wine chilled around the clock. Need we say more?

Atria and Ritz-Carlton Melbourne
650 Lonsdale St, Melbourne, VIC
ritzcarlton.com & atriadining.com.au