Photography by Julia Sansone
Trunk Restaurant & Bar takes food envy to a whole new level.
Arguably the simplest way to determine if a bar or restaurant is worth your time is to observe the traffic it attracts. If it’s popular, it’s usually popular for a reason. Enter Trunk Restaurant & Bar, a venue eternally buzzing with business types, tourists and families – and that’s just afternoon tea on a weekday.
This place does well for itself and from the very first impression, it’s easy to see why. You’ll know you’re onto a winner from the moment their immaculate Mediterranean-inspired food is placed before you.
Of the smaller plates, you can’t go past the kataifi-wrapped halloumi with fig jam and walnuts – each flaky parcel a tiny-yet-potent grenade of flavour that bursts with a sweetness that’s bound to stay with you. The octopus is another highlight of the venue’s small snack selection, presented with kipfler potato, sumac and almond skordalia. It’s yet another instance where colourful presentation promises the world and, of course, Trunk Restaurant & Bar deliver.
Pleasingly, as far as the mains are concerned, it’s much the same story. The pulled lamb shoulder with jeweled freekeh and tzatziki is undeniably moreish, while the tuna niçoise assembles a mish-mash of tasty morsels – black sesame-crusted yellowfin tuna, boiled egg, kipfler potato, tomato, lettuce, olives, capers and anchovies – combining them all to form one delectable dish.
Trunk Restaurant & Bar deliver in the drinks department too, which comes as no shock given their enormous, well-stocked bar space. When it comes to cocktails, you’ll need to pencil in a few returns to properly appreciate the variety on offer. The venue serves a range of specialties, as well as several classics developed “with a Trunk twist”. They’ve nailed the science, too – take the Ferrero Rocher for example, its flavour perfectly encapsulating its namesake.
Trunk offers a range of summer spritzes, too, bound to tempt anyone spending a nice, sunny afternoon in the venue’s street-facing beer garden. Located on Exhibition Street, Trunk Restaurant & Bar boasts scenes that tease passers-by – patrons seen kicking back, a cocktail in hand, without a care in the world.