MELBOURNE — It is the flexibility of Cumulus Inc that sets it apart. It is reflected in the dining room, an open, black, white and light-filled space that features an assemblage of tables and chairs flanked by two bars. It is accommodating regardless of whether you want to wolf down a couple of oysters and a glass of soave from the wonderfully approachable list at the bar or settle in for a blow out.
It is also evident in the menu, a vast terrain of agreeables that shun the regiment of entrée-main-dessert in favour of a less restrained taxonomy. Divided into families, ideally you would construct a meal with a dish or so from each.
To start there are oysters from one of the country's best selections, many of which coming from Bateman Bay’s esteemed Moonlight Flat Oysterage. They are shucked to order, served correctly with every drop of briny spoils retained and accompanied thoughtfully, by bread and butter.
A portly little scallop arrives wrapped in speck and is served with a fantastic caper and raisin vinaigrette. Move onto a soup of salt cod and parsley that is defined by distinctions in taste, texture and temperature. The velvety, vaguely saline soup is warmed and capped with a lawn of parsley clippings — it is very, very good.
Charcuterie is for the most part made in house and it shows. A plate is coated with ethereal slices of smoked Wagyu tongue, freckled with tiny mustard fruits and finished with freshly grated horseradish. Have it with some bread for a heavenly pastrami sandwich.
The star of the show is the boudin noir, available at breakfast in a full English, it arrives later in the day skinned and set oblong upon crisp toasts. Posessing an amazingly stout flavour lying somewhere between Christmas cake and a pint of the black stuff, an appropriately toned decoration of smoked tomato and parsley renders it quite the gift.
A rubble of cracked wheat, freekeh, preserved lemon and barberries calms things down before a cassoulet of white beans, salted pork belly and Lyonnaise sausage arrives in is own little pot alongside brittle roast pork strap.
Finish with a rum baba, drown it in as much aged rum as you care for and stumble along thankful that Mr Andrew McConnell allows you to make such decisions.
Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner.
Monday - Saturday.
