The Commoner

I heard good things about the commoner, so I gave it a try for Sunday lunch. My partner and I decided to go with the degustation option. Which was probably not the best option. The first few courses came out relatively quick. A special mention to the 3 types of beetroot salad cause who doesn’t love beetroot done 3 ways. Thank god for some goat cheese cause otherwise it’s just beetroot but now with goats cheese its gourmet. We had a long pause (20 mins or so) between the first few dishes while we waited for king fish (ceviche?) which required not cooking and the roast of the day being pork loin. Honesty no idea why we had such a long wait. The fish was nice but not great. The pork loin was cold with only a hint of gravy. We were hoping for a good finish with desserts which was hit and miss. The white chocolate mousse was great but the salted caramel pudding was heavy on the salt, which was very off putting. When this was mentioned to the waitress she said ‘oh I eat the pudding with the mousse to offset the saltiness’. Of course why didn’t I think to combine the 2 desserts… duh!
Atmosphere was also not great with staff rushing around and sorting cutlery nearby. Overall good but not great

A perfect balance between fine food and a homely, comfortable atmosphere. I went here for the degustation, and everything was perfect. The food was adventurous yet all still delicious, wine pairings were perfect, and more than anything, the service was warm, friendly and faultless. I can’t recommend this charming place enough.

Had the Valentines Day set menu there last night and enjoyed every second. The wait staff were very polite and professional and the atmosphere was cosy and romantic. The food was delicate and delicious, we just needed a little bit more of it. Highly recommend!

Great, knowledgeable service and excellent traditional– with– a– twist food in a clean and funky setting. Only reason I’ve docked a star is because it’s maybe a tad pricey, with not overly generous main courses coming in at around $ 30.

We went to The Commoner for our end of year lunch and the food was very nice. Now, this place is not about massive portions but more about quality and taste so diners expecting to eat a heavy and hearty meal — well. heads up, you’re gonna be very disappointed.
Conveniently located on Johnston St, The Commoner reflects the Fitroy-​ish atmosphere and setting perfectly — cool layout and design. It has an upstairs area to accommodate additional diners and a few tables outside at the back for those wanting to hang out while having drinks. If there was one thing that was frustrating, well it would have to be the tiny mosquitoes continuously swirling around our heads and no matter how many you got rid of, they just kept coming out of nowhere!
The food was great, we started with the Scampi and roast potato with a tomato broth followed by Potato Croquettes and the Chef’s surprise peppers. The chick pea Harissa with mushroom and chick pea salsa was next (that mushroom was to die for!)…then came the Blue eye, mussels, fennel and massala. The braised beef rib with lentils, carrots, brocolini with tahini and shallots was next and it was accompanied by roasted potatoes. For dessert, we had a Brown earl pudding with caramel sauce and cream as well as a beignet with lemon curd. The pudding was my favourite of course!
The drinks menu is quite comprehensive with various cocktails (I’ll have to try a Mr Tom Collins next time!), red and white wine, ciders and beers from Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tassie.
Great lunch overall… although it was surprising that we were the only ones there for the whole arvo really.

Balmy, beautiful Xmassy Eve and we are heading off to The Commoner for a treat! We enter into the already busy main dining room and it’s cozy with an excited buzz of Xmas revellers enjoying some wonderful food. There is a special Xmas Menu for December with lots of wonderful seasonal dishes and we tuck into house bread with a couple of other dishes of small eats. — Sicilian White Anchovies on Crostini with Sweet Pepper & Aioli’ are fantastic, a little bitesize heavenly morsel of salty, sweet anchovy on a super crusty bed with smooth sweet aioli and pepper… read more at my blog

While The Commoner may sound like the name of a traditional English pub, this fancy wine bar and restaurant is anything but. Sure they serve up English cuisine inspired by modern cooking trends of adding Mediterranean and middle eastern spices that have apparently crept into British kitchens over the years. This coupled with the fact that they are keen on serving up local and seasonal produce, makes The Commoner very un-​British in my view.
Still The Commoner serves up a refined set of ever changing dishes. It may not be cheap but you have to realise this place takes its food seriously, and if anything it is quite reasonably priced. Although the servings are quite small so don’t go here expecting to eat a horse. The wine list is absolutely brilliant and also actually quite reasonably priced considering the wines. My favourite is the Pennyweight Shiraz or Pinot Noir (not always available), if you are looking for a bit of a treat.

I’m really not sure why The Commoner isn’t better-​known than it is. It’s in a prime position on Johnston Street just near the corner of Brunswick Street, it’s been there for years, and it’s great.
Perhaps it’s because British food isn’t considered very good. But the way it’s done here is miles away from the sludge served up in average pubs across the UK. The Commoner integrates different cuisines into the traditional British dishes, like Mediterranean and north African. Yum.
On my last visit I had pork, sage and cider sausages with cabbage and it was to die for! But the main reasons I adore The Commoner is their cheese and wine. Although the dessert menu (or selection of ‘Pudds’) looks pretty good, I can’t go past a cheese plate that has Stilton and Cheshire. The wine list features a balanced mix of local, European and a few American bottles and half bottles. I really appreciate a half bottle — when you can’t quite go another full bottle, the half bottle is far more economical than ordering 2 – 3 single glasses. And it doesn’t stop at wine — The Commoner has some mean spirits including my personal favourite, Fifty Pounds gin. In my opinion, gin is the UK’s greatest export. Although hard to find in Australia, once you’ve had such a beautiful, smooth floral gin you’ll never touch a drop of skuzzy Gordon’s again…