Henry and the Fox

Nice and warm inside on a rather wet day out. Food was tasty. I had the baked eggs which was served on a board still in frypan.
Coffee was good but a little on the weak side. I’d ask for a strong next time

My sister and I had just arrived in Melbourne from Adelaide and were super hungry! A friend had recommended Henry and the Fox due to their gluten free know-​how so we decided to grab some lunch before we explored a little more.
We were seated quickly at a high-​top table and noticed that the establishment was pretty busy, mostly business looking people enjoying lunch.
Our waitress was very knowledgable about coeliac disease and discussed the menu with me to find a dish I could have (a deliciously creamy mushroom risotto) while my gluten eating sister opted for the Margharita pizza. She enjoyed a blood orange soda while I took the chance for the $ 5 bottomless sparkling water deal.
We didn’t stay for coffee but my nosy personality meant I was spying on others and the coffee looked delicious.
Service was so nice but my sister’s pizza needed just a little more cheese and basil.
Reasonable prices though and we were both really full by the end.

Henry and the fox has certainly improved since it first opened. Originally it served overpriced and fancy fare that had really no market
Finally they listened to their punters and now offer a tasty range of well priced (although still at the pricey end) menu items included some great pizzas.
But the majority of their customers are after work drinkers. And this is a great option in the area
Happy hour is a bargain with $ 5 schooners of coopers, glass of wine etc. Grab a bowl of chips and enjoy the nice outdoor space. Some evenings they do a well priced outdoor BBQ and that’s also a fab option.

I had dinner here which was informal, relaxed and quite pleasant. The restaurant is large with options for shared tables or seating for individual parties. The drinks menu offers a range of wines, beers, mixed drinks and cocktails. I had a Lychee Martini which, disappointingly, was served in a tumbler rather than a martini glass. Our waitress explained this by telling me «that’s just how we do it» — strange. To eat, my companion and I chose the Charcuterie Platter, the for mains a Beef Cheeks and a Fennel Salad. Everything was tasty and enjoyable. Watch out for the whole cloves of cooked garlic on the platter’s flatbread! Service is nice and at a good, attentive but discrete level. The place wasn’t busy at all, which was surprising for a Thursday night.

Was staying in Melbourne with a work colleague who happened to be Henry, so where else would we go for dinner?
Seriously, though, the food we ordered was excellent and the staff were friendly and attentive, plus the wine was certainly affordably during Henry’s Happy Hour which ends at 7PM
I had an excellent steak, cooked just the way I like it and I enjoyed my meal in the casual atmosphere of this restaurant.

Nice, clean décor and good for a drink after work. Can be noisy inside at times if busy or they put the music up too loud.
Tried the wagyu burger here once and it was just OK in taste and not worth the money in my opinion.

Yeah… no. If the description on the menu translates into something completely different (that’s a really nice way of saying WTF?) once it’s put in front of me then I’m gonna have go give Henry and his fox a big ol’ thumbs down! Also, if I wanted few prawns and some spinach on a plate I’d make it at home, for like 5 dollars, not 30! Sheesh. Sorry, won’t be coming back — Melbs has wayyyy better places in this hood to hang out at and Unilocal about.

very good food, good service. it is, however very loud with an evening crowd and lots of hard surfaces to not absorb sound

I’ve been here twice recently and both times the pizzas were great. I tried the slow cooked lamb and then the spicy salami. The second time however I was by myself and waited well over 25 minutes before being served as I was obviously forgotten about and was too polite to speak up.

No sneaky fox business going on in here folks. Just great food and great coffee, all served by very stylishly attired gentlemen.
Mini-​mushrooms on toast, accompanied with a superb skinny latte made my one spare hour of report writting fly by.
This little fox den is the perfect place to hold an informal work meeting or interview. As it seems everyone bar me the loner, was doing when I visited. The tables are roomy enough for coffee, snacks and papers. Lighting reflects a relaxed and comforting ambience. Did I mention the good coffee?
Corporate me love this place.

45 minutes for our meals to arrive during lunch service, overpriced, unimpressed pedestrian meals. Uptight rude staff. Won’t be back.

Really appreciated finding this restaurant near our «mystery» hotel. The neighborhood is sadly short of good restaurants, most of the nearby choices are weekday lunch only.
Nice modern vibe, limited gastropub type menu. Everything I had was good, high quality and tasty. The portions were generous too! The service was exceptional especially for Australia, where the lack of tipping usually means lackadaisical service.
I went there several times in the week I was there and was never disappointed.

Yeh! Prompt friendly service, tasty food, thoughtfully conceived, carefully presented. A welcoming absence of condescension.

My scheduled lunch yesterday kept being pushed back by silly people ringing me, wanting things and general banter. At around 4:00 PM, I toddled down to Little Collins Street and took a high chair at a communal table at Henry and the Fox. They did not have a time limit on their menu, so I was looking forward to ordering food at this awkward time as I was absolutely famished.
Walking past the comfortable outside dining and smoking area, I thought it would be a great place to hang out when it warms up (again) and looking around the dining room, it reminded me a bit of Bistro Guillaume with the combination of lime green, white and natural wood finishes being used. There were office workers camped out at various tables with their IT, eating and drinking and looking happy. Before the server approached me, which was extremely quick I might add, I was able to inspect the facial expressions of every customer at this place and the staff and everyone just looked remarkably happy. It immediately put me in a better mood.
As my lunch excursion was delayed so long, I ended up turning up just as happy hour started at 4:00 PM, which lasts until 6:00 PM in their aptly called «Bar Aperitivo» so I was able to enjoy a few complementary canapés, along with bread, whilst I waited for my first order of jamon and manchego croquettes and a bottle of Asahi. The croquettes were freshly made and I needed to let them cool down for a few minutes before putting the tasty morsels down my throat. A great way to start my very late lunch.
Service was very friendly and attentive. My water glass was re-​filled as quickly as I was drinking the beer and after my Asahi was completely depleted, I decided to order Samuel Adams Boston Lager, which I hadn’t drank since I was at the Shady Pines in Sydney last.
In my previous blog post today, I went outside of my comfort zone a bit and ordered a Chicken Parmigiana at the Exchange Hotel and really enjoyed it. Following in the tradition of ordering things I normally don’t bother with, I requested a Prawn, Sweetcorn, Red Onion and Coriander Pizza. The restaurant seems to be well known for their pizzas so I was very intrigued and still very hungry. I haven’t ordered a pizza from anywhere for over a year.
What was presented to me was a work of art. I did not want eat it as it just looked beautiful and also smelled wonderful. The coriander had a good strong fresh smell, the tomatoes were still very juicy, the prawns were cooked perfectly and the pizza base itself was fantastic. The kitchen certainly knows what they are doing. As chef Michael Fox was the 2011 The Age Young Chef of the year, I expected magic and it was delivered. If you subsribe to my Twitter feed, you would have seen a photo of the pizza, but if not and you are interested, check it out here.
I spent two hours at this place relaxing, eating, drinking, observing and reading the news. There are many other things on the menu that I want to try so I look forward to returning. Sadly they are not open on weekends which is probably the only negative about this place but I suppose since I do not work on the weekends usually, I can’t expect everyone else to.

Henry and the Fox is an impressive restaurant in the heart of the Melbourne CBD which oozes charm and elegance, superb cuisine and a modern edge. It’s part of the Paul Mathis stable, and as such, comes with the top end quality that Mathis has delivered over decades in Melbourne.
The cuisine at Henry and the Fox is superb across the board, with no disappointments, only highlights. It offers classic dining but not at over the top prices. Creativity and imagination abound here around classic dishes. It’s no wonder as the chef Michael fox was awarded 2011 The Age Good Food Guide award for Young Chef of the Year.
The cuisine is described as Modern Australian but has a European theme. For mine it is rustic and hearty but with fine dining sophistication. We enjoyed a food bloggers evening at Henry and the Fox. I’m not prone to rave if I don’t mean it — but Henry and the Fox delivered on all fronts so this blog reflects my enthusiasm.
The Jamon and Manchego Croquettes were sublime with crisp exterior and creamy inside — perfecto and one of the favourites of the night.
Another favourite of the night was the Fried zuchinni flowers, which I always find pleasingly refreshing and not a heavy starter. These were moorish, filled with ricotta, mint and peas — and I had to battle to stop eating them knowing more delights were to come.
The Goats cheese, roasted baby beets, pickled shallots, horseradish, watercress and raspberry vinegar vegetarian option was all class and the presentation spectacular.
After being impressed with previous starters we were presented with the overall highlight of the evening — the Rabbit terrine with rhubarb compote and salad, and brioche. I’m a big fan of rabbit with its heartiness and richness. In fact I used to manage a company that exported Australian game meats including rabbit. I love rabbit slow cooked. Or in this case my eyes were opened to the amazing treatment of rabbit in a classic terrine.
The flavour of rabbit shone through without being overbearing (which can be the case with rabbit). The salad was a perfect accompaniment. And the brioche was super impressive and served in a seperate bowl.
At this point I want to say the presentation at Henry and the Fox is superb and befits a top dining occasion. A great place to come with your fellow work collegues, friends and that romantic interlude.
Then there was the Seared scallops with apple, and celeraic remoulade, caper and raisin purée with toasted pumpernickel. Exclamation marks here. The scallops were the heroe but this was done with a fair amount of sophistication. Seared is the right treatment for scallops because overcooking is a crime. These scallops were sensational.
A course I was waiting for was the Roasted Moreton bay bugs with cauliflower purée and spiced cauliflower. A great combination of flavours. Sumptious bugs. By now we were realising we were in a seriously excellent restaurant.
The ambience is first class at Henry and the Fox with cool timber features, a low ceiling with mood lighting, a tiled floor and spacious bar. The open kitchen is a highlight and in step with a Meditteranean and French theme. What is exceptional is the outdoor area — one of the few outdoor dining areas on Little Collins. Vive the astroturf!
The mains arrived and looked spectacular. The Cured Kingfish with coriander and fennel seeds, mandarin and coriander shoots looked as good as it tasted. The orange of the mandarin was a great backdrop against the Kingfish. Again this meal was a triumph. The sweetness of the mandarin to balance the richness of the Kingfish.
In all honesty, the dishes we received were a series of triumphs. The Poached chicken breast with quinoa, pistachio, fig and sorrel was also sumptious. These are imaginative and thoughful flavour combinations. Sweetness and crunch and finesse around a superbly poached chicken breast.
Another fish dish was impressive, the Mulloway with avocado, chickpea, and red pepper.
And just when we thought we had reached the summit we were presented with the Pork belly with fennel, dill and orange. I’m a lover of pork belly — it’s a reflex to order whenever I see it on the menu. But some do it better than others. Some places overwhelm pork belly with sauce. But here at Henry and the Fox the pork belly remained the hero of the dish. Just wonderfully cooked and with a few simple well chosen accompaniments. A sensational dish.

It has been well-​publicised that Melbourne restaurateur-​entrepreneur Paul Mathis is making 2012 the year to plant himself firmly in the hearts, minds and stomachs of hungry Melburnians. And it seems likely he’ll be successful too, with new outfits spanning genres, budgets and locations across the city and its suburbs. We previously visited his pizza emporium Firechief in Camberwell, liked what he was doing so decided to check out the very different Henry and the Fox, which is hidden down the Southern Cross end of Little Collins Street.
First thoughts? It’s a little bit quiet for 8pm on a Friday night, but then if Paul decided to open this place in the Paris end of Collins, it would be packed out every single night. Here’s a man who likes a challenge — he has made a bold decision to try and tempt customers to travel past the curse of the Elizabeth St invisible barrier. And from what we experienced on our visit, diners have every reason to. Once the good word gets out, we envisage girls’ nights out, lazy brunches, pre-​footy drinks and nibbles (free snacks with booze you say, we’re in) and everything in between — that open decking area out front just screams after-​work drinks.
Walking through the front door you will encounter a kind of L-​shaped space, which moves from marble breakfast bar and open kitchen (where you can see head chef Michael Fox and his team calmly going about their duties) through to intimate dinning and mood lighting — we love the changing colours of the upside-​down jam jar light shades.
On the evening we visit there is sultry live music, a really nice touch and demands you drink copious amounts of wine while contemplating the small-​, medium– and large-​share plate and pizza menu. And speaking of wine — they have a comprehensive wine list. We were directed to the last page, which houses a list of end-​of-​vintage bottles at very reasonable prices.
So what to order? We didn’t want to fill ourselves up too quickly so steered away from the pizzas. They are cooked in a classic Italian twin deck oven (sitting on the stone floor for a crispy base) at 360 degrees. Clearly, Mathis has decided that what works for Firechief will also work here.
We first met Michael Fox at the Stroke Foundation’s fundraiser evening Food for Thought, where he served a rich and meaty rabbit terrine. It was great to see him here in his natural surroundings and he helpfully took charge when it came to picking a selection of dishes.
Our food odyssey started with the perfectly cooked jamon and manchego croquettes. Piping hot, great crunchy breadcrumbs and an oozing salty filling studded with chunks of meat.
The cured kingfish, coriander and fennel seeds, mandarin and coriander shoots was a dish that beautifully combined fresh flavours. It played with a number of different elements but what jumped out was the balanced mix of aniseed and citrus. The coriander shoots also gave it extra punch. A less sour take on ceviche.
For those who have a need for a fantastic vegetarian dish — look no further than the goat’s cheese, roasted baby beets, pickled shallots, shiso and raspberry vinegar. This was a great earthy dish in which the salty goats cheese complemented the sweet beetroot. For a textural difference the freeze dried raspberries added a nice crunch. The cheese hails from Fox’s old stomping ground — Adelaide — we need to source some top tips from him for when we visit — any ideas readers?
Seafood pops up all over the menu and our next course was the seared scallops, apple and celeriac remoulade, caper and raisin purée and toasted pumpernickel. As Gordon Ramsey says at the top of his lungs every time we tune into Hell’s Kitchen, scallops are very difficult to get right. Michael fox has heeded the warning and ensured there was a nice caramelisation going on, while in inside was just cooked. This was the first time I had tasted the heavy, slightly sweet rye bread known as pumpernickel, and it brought a nice savoury contrast to the dish and anchored the light flavour of the scallop and apple ‘slaw’.
Keeping with the seafood theme, Moreton Bay bug tails, cauliflower purée with spiced cauliflower. One mouthful had us praising the succulent flesh and the smokiness/​curried tones of the cauliflower. The puffed rice again added an extra crunch. There’s always a lot going on with Fox’s dishes, but it is never cluttered, thoughtless or over-​the-​top. Rather perfectly complementary components.
As much of a chicken fan as I was back in my younger days, I don’t often order it when I’m out. But the moist chicken breast cooked sous vide, quinoa, pistachio, fig and sorrel blew us away. This is the antithesis of a boring restaurant chicken dish. The fig was nicely chargrilled and finished with lemon oil to give it some zing.
What better way to end the mains section than with crispy pork belly, fennel, dill and orange. The belly was again perfectly succulent. The fennel was used to its full potential — sliced, pureed (cont on blog)

What’s in a name? Barely two months old, Henry & The Fox is a curiously named, curiously located restaurant. At the backside of Melbourne’s Stock Exchange Building, it’s squished into an irregular space. At its entrance, a short covered patio lined with topiary bushes and carpeted in artificial grass entraps the sun’s golden rays from midday until it disappears on this western end of the CBD. Inside, that exasperatingly ubiquitous industrial-​noir décor too pervasive in too many Melbourne restaurants has not been plagiarised here. Instead, it has been happily forsaken for a bright, airy space exuding a touch of Ikea-​esqueness. It’s a breath of fresh air. Straight lines and clean colours alight from a mix of vintage white and the alternate melon green painted chairs, with tables seating up to six marshalled at the front of the venue. Further inside, there’s a long communal bench that overlooks a partially open kitchen discreetly tucked away, rather than being a focal point. Natural light bounces off a grey-​white chessboard floor, while grated wooden ceiling fixtures inlaid with bright halogen bulbs beam on the tessellated recycled timber wall drilled into one side of the venue. Splashed with the vitality of spring, it’s an uncluttered décor that particularly flatters the senses in this warmer season.
…What’s in a name? Henry & The Fox has a name that reveals nothing about it, though it is perhaps suggestive of a British influence. Of that, the closest connection that MoMo & Coco can discern is an English politician whom we briefly recall from our politics studies, he who served in Lord Melbourne’s administration (yes, the origins of this city’s name). However, an Australian photo-​historian and an architect share similar portions of the name, so we are bamboozled. Perhaps the more tangible British connection may be found with the parallels between Henry & The Fox and one of MoMo & Coco’s favourite London restaurants — Pollen Street Social –notably the same higher-​end casual dining philosophy and a few similar menu items, minus the latter’s raucous atmosphere and hype-​ridden beginnings. Hence, allow MoMo & Coco to sing the as-​yet-​unsung delights of Henry & The Fox. It welcomes, serves and farewells with attention, élan and smiles. It is neither share plate nor three course, but can be both. Its food converses in a youthful, re-​energised European vernacular, featuring not polarising, loaded or electric flavours, but instead, understated elegant tastes with an assured rather than contrived modernity. It’s all fastidiously plated, presented on eye-​catching dining ware, from glass tiles, stone slabs, white porcelain to lustrous bowls. Although MoMo & Coco might note that the strength of the menu is binary rather than ternary (its entrees and mains perhaps exhibit a little more consideration than its desserts), Henry & The Fox is altogether a nascent breath of fresh air. Painted in honeydew colours, it is a honeydew — sweet, cleansing, utterly refreshing. Heralding a more refined manner of casual dining, it is moreover a most welcome addition to Melbourne’s dining scene

Here we were thinking we’de stumbled across a new lunch venue in the city — some new place that looked nice but where the product wouldn’t quite match the packaging.
The bread came out and had us reconsidering our preconceptions. Filled with olives, it was was soft, fresh and slightly warm — yum!
For mains, we shared the Squid Ink & Clam Tagliatelle (light and simply flavoured), Kingfish Ceviche (very fresh) and the Snapper (more depth and flavour than the simple menu suggested). They were all excellent and we didn’t know whose plate to steal food off first: P
Service was also good, with food coming out within 15 minutes of ordering and staff that are friendly and attentive.
This place surprised me, and I’ll definitely be returning on a regular basis. It’s my new favourite in the area, and I can’t wait to return and try their breakfast menu in the new year :)