Holly's Bar & Kitchen

Tucked beside the Budgie Bar in Ringwood, Holly’s Bar and Kitchen is the neighbourhood’s quieter mood. It is a place to slow down, sip well and settle in. Drawing on Melbourne’s wine and cocktail bar culture with a distinctly suburban soul, it balances polish with ease and good company with even better food.

The menu leans modern Italian with a coastal edge. Arancini come scented with field mushrooms and truffle salt, while burrata lands with heirloom tomatoes and basil oil. Chilli crab risotto, lifted with saffron and dill, brings a gentle hit of the sea, whereas red wine braised beef rib falls apart over creamy polenta, finished with parmesan crisps. Lighter plates keep things fresh, such as frisée with parmesan and sweet onion, or pear and walnut with goat’s cheese and roquette.

Dessert holds its own. Tiramisu layers white chocolate sponge with coffee liqueur mascarpone, while a s’more panna cotta pairs chocolate silk with toasted marshmallow. In-the-know picks include the sage butter gnocchi and the truffle fries rarely left unfinished!

Holly’s Bar & Kitchen is perfect for an easy date, a long catch-up or a cosy meal at the bar.