Porters

Welcome to Porters, Williamstown’s modern Australian fine dining restaurant. Having opened their doors in September 2018, the eatery is situated just a short jaunt from Gem Pier where you can take in the gorgeous view of the city skyline. Milk Bar supped at Porters one mid-week evening and experienced their tantalising autumn menu.

Having emigrated from East Sussex, England, husband-and-wife duo John and Zoey Porter’s vision for their restaurant was to create a sophisticated yet relaxed dining space that celebrated Australia’s rich cultural diversity. The result? Think entrée options such as spiced pumpkin hummus, chickpea crunch and flatbread; taleggio and Jerusalem artichoke galette; or torched hiramasa kingfish crudo finished with citrus nam jim, pickles, puffed wild rice and paprika oil.

To start, we sampled the kingfish. Fans of kingfish won’t be disappointed – the serving is generous, the fish light, and the nim jim makes it pop. The real talk of the town were the garlic and oregano prawns with halloumi, red pepper and chilli emulsion. The prawns were fresh and flavoursome, and the dish was balanced with slices of tangy halloumi.

For mains, John recommended the orange-and-ricotta stuffed zucchini flowers, which were adorned with saffron pilaf and spiced rubbed vegetables. The rich, creamy ricotta and zesty orange filling was delicious. The meat-heavy main options were all impressive, but in the end, we opted for the confit pork belly. The pork belly was tender, juicy and ornately dressed with cauliflower skordalia, caramelised fennel, crackling and topped with a red wine jus.

The desserts, each one more decadent than the last, are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. I would recommend the beetroot chocolate brownie served with blood-orange ice cream and mascarpone.

Porters’ drinks list is a mix of cocktails, spirits, premium and reserve wines by the glass. We fully support anyone who orders the Perfect Gin Tonic (Siderit Gin, Fever Tree tonic water and rosemary), which is fresh and the ‘perfect’ thing to drink while chatting to friends about the latest happenings in life. Finalising the top three are the Elderflower Spritz and the Espresso Martini. The wine list is curated by Raúl Moreno Yagüe, and has been awarded two Glasses in The Drinks Association Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards for the past two years.

In response to the COVID-19 lockdowns, Porters developed an online store dubbed Porters At Home. Available for pick-up or delivery, punters are now still able to order their favourite dishes from the menu and simply reheat them in the comfort of their own home.

Finished with statement lighting and accents of grey, green and gold, this elegant space is the perfect date-night spot or small-group function venue. Make Porters your first port of call.

Porters
49 Nelson Place, Williamstown, 3016
Open Wednesday to Sunday, Wednesday to Friday, from 5pm, Saturday and Sunday, from 12pm
porterswilliamstown.com