Surrey Hills has a brand new eatery and it is attracting the attention of Melburnian foodies for a very good reason. Introducing The Girl & The Goat, a wonderful addition to the village style shopping strip between Canterbury and Mont Albert Road.
The Girl & The Goat
Boroondara locals may know of Union Road's revamped restaurant by its former name; Watts Cooking. The Girl & The Goat is now under the guidance of Executive Head Chef Darryn Pitman, who trained as a French chef and spent twelve years living and working in Antigua and Barbuda. He brings a wealth of experience to this quaint little restaurant in Melbourne's east and injects brand new flavours to the suburb.
Darryn's wife is coincidently "The Girl" who, as a child growing up in Antigua, befriended "The Goat" and this therefore becomes the sweet back story behind the restaurant's name.
My family and I ventured to the atmospheric eatery on a blustery Sunday in July. First impressions? Warm, cosy and very welcoming. Although smallish on first sight, don't be fooled! There is another seating area to the rear in an undercover courtyard. A special mention for the emphasis on customer service. Darryn demonstrates a natural approach to get to know his customers, this is evident as he welcomes all patrons who walk through the door and continues to circulate the restaurant floor to engage in conversation.
The Girl & The Goat serves up a fine selection of dishes influenced by South American and Caribbean cuisines. Menu choices do vary slightly with the seasons to reflect the fresh, locally sourced ingredients available at the time.
If you are a meat lover, you will revel in the menu choices. With dishes such as roast pork belly, baked snapper fillet wrapped in banana leaves, hand cut pappardelle pasta with slow braised goat and an incredible seafood soup. Your mouth will be watering even before you've taken a bite.
Hand cut papperdelle pasta
Looking for a wine to enjoy with your dish? No problem, Darryn will help you match the appropriate flavours, alternatively choose your own wines from the menu or you can BYO.
Although meat choices are varied, I chose the roast parsnip and kale risotto, which proved to be a delicious and warming treat for a cold and rainy day.
Parsnip & kale risotto
The Girl & The Goat welcomes families, with a kids menu available to suit younger taste buds. With two children in tow who aren't particularly daring with their food choices, we had two happy little fellows with their usual lunch of chicken and chips.
My husband chose the hand cut pappardelle pasta, and we supplemented mains with a side of the delicious fritters-of-the-day to share.
Fritters of the day
I talk of lunches, but The Girl & The Goat is a popular restaurant for breakfast and dinner, too. Bookings are a must. All day breakfasts are available such as breakfast burgers, eggs benedict, smashed avocado, pancakes and a super healthy breakfast salad.
Breakfast salad
For something different, try the Cellar Nights on a Tuesday and Wednesday evening, when you can enjoy a selection of the restaurant's international cuisines with strong influences from South America and The Caribbean along with accompanying wines.
Darryn advises of future degustation nights and special events coming over the forthcoming months. Keep up to date with all the latest news on
Facebook where you'll be reminded of The Girl & The Goat's happenings.
Do consider The Girl & The Goat for your next breakfast or lunch or dinner outing. Surrey Hill's newest addition is definitely worth a visit, particularly if you're after a menu filled with new fresh new tastes to fire up your bellies. We are excited to try the summer dishes, which we are told will be further influenced by the Caribbean. You should be too!
