Trunk

Ugh. Just ugh. Filet. Pizza. Truffle risotto. Youll love everything you eat here. Come relax. Get a bottle of wine. Eat.

Lumberjack Pancakes…
there I said it!
If you do not have the Lumberjack pancakes on one of your first three visits then we can not be friends anymore!
Ok, on to Trunk itself.
This place has lots of little places to hide, inside, outside, in the sun, in the shade, out the back everywhere! Find a place, and sit down. Someone will be along shortly to take your order.
All the food I have had here is amazing and the coffee really is right up there with the best Melbourne has to offer!
I will be back again! and again! and again!

«FOR SHAME, JACKIE» I hear you all yelling. Yes, I know. I have lived in Melbourne for umpteen years and have never once set foot in Trunk. It seems almost impossible, huh? I don’t know how I managed it.
So finally, last night was the night. It was a 42 degree day but was an absolute DELIGHT to be sitting in the Trunk courtyard, under their gorgeous candy-​striped umbrellas and stunning fairy lights. The atmosphere was perfection.
The four of us ordered a couple of pints of Kosciusko Pale Ale, while I went for the Chicken Club Sandwich and my friends went for the Mushroom Pizza, Chicken Burger and a Super-​sized Chicken Burger (it was pretty big). Everyone’s plates were clear within 15 minutes (you can’t go wrong with a chicken club, right?) however it really would have made my day had it come with fries — it just looked so lonely on the plate.
Then the dares came… We noticed on the menu that for a measly three clams you could try «STUPID HOT WINGS — 900 times hotter jalapeño!!!»
Game. Set. Match. The staff actually tried to talk us OUT of buying them. When they arrived on the table the spicy scent was ominous. Dripping with sauce, only two of us were game to give it a bite with one left gasping for air for twenty minutes after.
The Stupid Hot Wings are stupidly hot. You’ve been warned.
Trunk is the perfect spot for a mid-​week lunch or dinner on lovely, summers day. It’s just so damn pretty!

Nice spanish omlette and americano coffee for breakfast. I really enjoy the atmospherr and servives at this lovely café.

Good food, laid back waitstaff… I’m from Hawaii I should know, so don’t expect anything in a hurry. No worries.

Great vibe at night with after work crowd. Tasty meals, there is a fireplace at the back for cold night. Indoors and outdoors seating means u can squeeze in a crowd and they don’t mind.

Trunk was my work lunch destination today. Being on the corporate card I didn’t mind shelling out $ 22 for a standard fish-​n-​chips but if I was on my own dime, I would probably opt for another establishment. That being said, the meal was good. Tempura battered fish was tasty and not too heavy. There were a few thick cut chips along with some greens on the side which made for a tasty meal.
I would have to say the highlight was the arancini, lovely rice, cheese and herbs cooked into a nice crisp coating. It was flavourful with the aioli sauce underneath. I could have, should have, eaten more than one! Perhaps this was worth the $ 4 each.
The service was slow. I understand they were busy, it was the lunch rush. There was only one server in the restaurant area and she could have used some help to top off water and get our order in quicker.
Overall, it was a good place and I would go back but would opt to try the diner/​bar area unless I had an hour and a half on the company again. I think this is a nice place but depending on what you are looking for, can get just as good a meal, somewhere else for a fraction of the cost. (Actual rating = 3.5 stars)

Great food with a very intimate vibe. The concept is meditarrean, and the menu half italian half lebanese.
We had a lot of different dishes to share and all of them were delicious. Special mention to the pistacchio lamb cutlets, duck risotto and arancini.
First time I had a lebanese pizza, definitely worth trying!

Trunk enjoys a large outdoor area screened from the road and with good shady spots, while the inside is a nicely presented synagogue conversion. I went with a group for a Christmas party. The food on the whole was beautifully presented, the service prompt, the wine list very comprehensive. Would have preferred more generous portions — I’ve never been served just six chips with a meal before!

I went in today for Mother’s Day with my mum and the experience was very special! We drank lovely wine and there was a great selection of tap beers. We shared a few small dishes and ordered mains each. The soft shell chilli crab was the best we had ever had and the quail was a delight and super juicy! Not only was the food fantastic but our waitress was too. She was friendly but not intrusive and was always there when we needed something. I have never written a review before but this place stood out and I wanted to commend it. I will go back and back and back!

A great place to dine inside or out. The calamari was tender and had a delicate batter. We enjoyed our pasta dishes but the real star of the night was the schnitzel. Super juicy and flavorful. Yum!
Hummus plate with warm bread
Fried calamari, rocket and lime mayo
Rigatoni with wagyu beef and veal bolognese
Hand-​cut egg pappadelle, 18 hour braised lamb, artichokes, green olives, and pecorino
Brioche and parmesan crusted veal schnitzel with Trunkslaw

4 stars for the garden — 2 for the main indoor venue (that opens at 4pm), 3 for the Diner bit that’s open most of the day.
Easily the best ground level beer garden this end of the CBD — we’ve been coming here regularly for 7 years. Sadly this is not a secret so it gets very busy. Midday to 6pm is the best time. It gets insanely busy after work on warm days.
Something that is incredibly annoying is that they frequently close for private functions (weddings usually) on the weekend. What’s especially annoying about it is that the staff are unable to update the website or the Facebook page informing the public about this — ever. I have even called them (a few days ahead) and asked and they had no idea what I was taking about and claimed that they are never shut for private functions.
The food is very tasty (from the diner) and that, combined with the awesome garden is what gives it 4 stars for me.

Spent a cracking good Sunday afternoon with a large group set-​up in the courtyard out the back. Beers were flowing, fun messy American hot dogs and wings being devoured everywhere you looked, sun smiling down — almost a good enough day to let you forget you were back at work the next day.
Staff seemed friendly but stuffed up our drinks orders several times. There was only 2 cocktails on offer but they kept bringing the wrong one out — four times in a row. They never did get it right either — we just stopped asking. At least our friends enjoyed the spoils of their stuff-​ups.
Only other issue is that with the place split between Trunk Restaurant and the Diner and then the inside bar it got confusing as to where you could order what: can’t order diner food from the bar, can’t order beer from the diner (they eventually opened the taps at the diner later in the day). Could do well with a little more cohesion there.
As others have said — the crazy hot chicken wings (so hot they’re single serve only) are *seriously* hot. Don’t mess around with them if you can’t hold your heat. I observed two of our group’s chilli lovers nearly get badly beaten. (Still don’t believe they were ‘ok’ the next day…). Super fun as a spectator sport though.
It says a lot that even with a dodgy cocktail experience I still rate this so high — have been other times and found it can get too busy outside at peak times and too noisy inside also, but otherwise Trunk remains a great CBD staple.

We know what we like, my wife and I. We have our weekend rituals of spots for breakfast, and we love the warm welcome we receive as regulars.
However, one of our regular spots is on their annual one-​month holiday at the moment, which means we’ve had to branch out for breakfast. and today I let an Internet query for «best bacon in Melbourne» lead me towards somewhere new to try.
We wound up at Trunk for a few reasons: We live nearby, they have bacon, they served breakfast till 1130 on a Sunday, and I’ve been meaning to try them for a few years.
Now, I hear you asking (well, I don’t, I’m not actually in your house listening to you. Or am I?) «why did you look for bacon, Scott?» — it’s quite simple: When we were on holiday the last few weeks, we didn’t have ANY bacon. It wasn’t that we were in a bacon-​free zone or anything, it’s just that we were having fresh fruit for breakfast and seafood for dinner, and not a single slice of delicious porcine perfection crossed our lips since the start of December. A travesty, I know.
Anywho, we arrived at Trunk and opted to sit inside in the Diner area. As soon as we got our menus my attention was divided — the huevos rancheros or the Jamaican pancakes.
After some in-​depth deliberation with the wife, we both decided that pancakes were what was required. She went with the Blueberry, and I with the Jamaican. She got a side of bacon, and I got a side of pork and fennel sausage, and we shared our sides.
Result: O to the M to the G. Outstanding. The caramelised bananas with the slightest crunch to them were incredible. The little pots of liquid yum to pour over the pancakes… well, let’s just say I wanted to do shots with them, but the wife didn’t encourage me. WOW. Her blueberry pancakes were incredible as well — we both chose well.
I loved the pork and fennel sausage, and getting a bit of the bacon my wife ordered made the breakfast absolutely complete.
I also tried their seven-​spice chai latte… wonderful! But don’t make the same mistake I did: Keep stirring it, and if you forget, don’t chug the last sip at the bottom. It’ll be pretty much solid spice. Cough. Still, wonderfully flavoured!
As usual, I’m staring with four stars simply because it’s our first visit, and we want to make sure it’s consistently good before I give that final star. Can’t wait to return!

Reading through some other reviews, I’m going to assume that the quality of your visit depends on what time of day/​week you go to Trunk. We went on a rainy Saturday at lunch time, and had a grand ol’ time.
We visited the Diner, so I can’t really speak to the restaurant situated next door. The beer list was well thought-​out, the food was fresh and oh-​so-​delicious (I had a salad with goats cheese and pine nuts and it was glorious — very minimally fussed-​with), and the wings were THE HOTTEST THINGS ON THE PLANET (just ask my boyfriend, who ate but one little wing and spent the next hour openly weeping at the table). The staff were really friendly and laid-​back, which was actually really refreshing.
The venue was really, really cute. Creeping vines one way you look, and Trunk restaurant’s beautiful brick building in the other direction. For the time of day we visited, I would classify this as a laid-​back lunch date venue. I think it’s worth a look!

came here with a friend for a quick coffee.
these guys know how to make quality coffee. I thoroughly enjoyed my mocca and my friend ordered latte that he also loved.
but the best is desserts≠) the carrot cake piece we shared was just out of this world. moist and flavourful with a delicious creamy topping. it’s worth coming here just to try all the desserts they have on offer.
I also really liked their patio that has few nooks and corners where you can hide with a friend for a quiet conversation or just sit there sipping coffee with a book.

This is an awesome place for a working week lunch. Today we sat outside in the beautiful Melbourne sunshine. As such we were brought the limited casual menu. To get the full other menu with the tapas ect we just had to ask. Although it wasn’t offered.
The service was nice if a little disengaged. We both had fish and chips. I’m sorry I’ve forgotten the type of fish blue something? Anyway it was delicious with a lovely light batter. It came with fat chips which I think we’re beer battered. They were in fact perfectly battered and deliciously crispy. The tartar sauce was nice too but like the rocket on the side paled in comparison with the fat chippies and perfectly battered fish.
Also had a delightful glass of ‘fizz’. Happy!
Although at just over $ 30 for fish and chips and a glass of bubbles it was a bit pricey. But we knew that going it.

Trunk is split into effectively two restaurants — Trunk and Trunk Diner, sharing a courtyard and covering all bases from weekday lunch, after work drinks to Italian dining.
Inside, Trunk the restaurant is expansive and a perfect place for groups or casual dates. The Italian inspired menu is packed full of fresh and delicious pizzas, pastas and crowd pleasing dishes. It’s one of those great places that you can bring a bunch of people and know that no one will leave disappointed or hungry.
Outside, there is a large courtyard and smaller sheltered section for Trunk Diner. Out here, it’s all about casual dining and American classics with burgers, hot dogs and salads. They’re all great (I’m a big fan of the beef burger with jalapeños and pickles — so good) and insanely popular — most salads will sell out during the lunch rush if you’re not quick enough. They’ve also been friendly to my gluten intolerant dining counterparts which is another tick under ‘crowd pleaser’.
The courtyard/​diner is equally good for a lazy drink in the sunshine. Pumping on a Friday night after work with the suit crowd and relaxed on the weekend with visitors and locals.
It’s the combination of nice restaurant dining, casual diner and sunny courtyard that has «what about Trunk?» pop-​up almost weekly when suggesting places to go around Melbourne.
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Also…side note for the chilli fiends and challenge eaters. Their hot wings are mental. They claim them to be 900 times hotter than a jalapeño. My crazy heat-​seeking partner took one on as a challenge and his eyes glassed up and he gave a few little coughs. That’s the most damage I’ve seen anything do to him and the staff were enthralled because normally it leaves people wailing. $ 3 per wing to dare your friends.

Trunk is on of those on-​off venues that I’ve been going to for years, then promptly forget about or it falls off the radar. Trunk is the quintessential end of the working
–day knock off corporate and suits drinking spot. But then again, so is every spot
in the city serving something remotely similar to everyone’s favourite ethyl-​alcohol molecule. Or is that di-​ethyl? But I digress, alcohol and the city, add about .1
of a trillionth of a second past 5pm and any venue with this combination near an
office block is usually teaming with people.
Trunk has developed an unspeakable notoriety for being incredibly busy. Trunk therefore is also incredibly popular and well traded. There’s a little restaurant area, which always reminds me of a portable school class room/​over sized old school tram/​river barge/​tuck shop/​and some kind of old speech hall. It’s hard to describe. There’s the outside area, with trees and stuff, but sometimes it has a haze thicker
than a coal plant due to all the smokers. If the weathers nice, It’ll be hard work nabbing a seat. When it is busy inside, expect a push past or force your way through, everyone where it’s at crush capacity. Never-​mind though, you will get served
and the drinks will be good many and varied, as will the food. Try not to trip
over the groups of douche-​bags on your way out. I should come back here
to actually add either something noteworthy or of substance.
Damien P, Hope you like this review?

Sunday session in the sun? Donut fix during the day? Rib craving?
Yes. Yes. And Yes. Trunk has you sorted with all of these, plus more! The menu is extensive and will keep everyone happy. From burgers to salads, there’s a little bit of everything here and it’s all done well.
My tip: wait for a sunny day and then grab your friends for a cocktail session in the courtyard.

On our way to the movies my wife and I stoped by to make a reservation for 9pm when the movie was finished. It was around 6 and the restaurant was empty so we were thinking maybe we wouldn’t have need a reservation anyway. Thank God we made that reservation.
When we came back at 9pm the place was packed. It was a bit difficult to find someone to ask about our table at first but once we talked to someone he showed us to our table. The table was a bit of a let down because it was right next to the entrance. Since we made a reservation I hoped that they would hold a better table for us.
The first thing you will realize on a packed night like this is the noise. It is extremely loud and if you are on a date or just want to talk to your friends that are with you it will be very difficult to understand a word.
The service was nice and quickly brought us water and the menu. The menu has a really nice choice of mouthwatering meals. I chose the porterhouse and my wife went with the crumbed pork chop with red cabbage. I also chose a salad to share because my meal had no veggies.
We waited a very long time for our food which I blamed on the many people who ordered before us. Once our meals came it looked very appetizing in the dim light of the large room. My steak was medium as I wanted it but taste wise it was just ok. I had worse but I also had much better. My wifes pork chop was pretty good. The only complaint we had there was that the meat close to the bone was raw.
Since it was quite late and the crowd next to us who was celebrating the retirement of two radiologists where slowly starting to invading our space we asked for the bill and didn’t try a dessert.
All in all decent food for a good price but nothing special about it.