Nice Restaurants around the University of Melbourne

Last week, I was in the University of Melbourne, Australia, to attend the MTNS 2012 conference.

In the daytime, I discussed with some researchers, listend presentations, and also had my presentation. In the evening, I ate a lot at nice restaurants around the Uni of Melbourne. Today's post is on restaurants I recommend to go for lunch or dinner. 

1. IL GAMBERO ON THE PARK
   A quite nice Italian restaurant near the university. Around this restaurant, there are many Italian restaurants, and they call the place Little Italy. My friend, Yeon Jeong, who lives in Melbourne, took me to this nice restaurant for lunch, and she recommended marinara pasta, which I had. The pasta is full of sea food: clams, mussels, calamari, and scallops with olive oil and garlic. I enjoyed the pasta very much. You should try it!
2. The Carlton Wine Room
   My friend and also my research colleague, Daniel Quevedo, invited me to have dinner at this restaurant. It was by chance that I got this restaurant; he planned to go dinner with a professor in Melbourne, who recommended this restaurant, but he was sick at the time. I was a quite lucky man (sorry, Professor). We ordered Chef's picks and grasses of wine which a waitress recommended. After we ordered, a group of professors who attended the conference appeared in the restaurant. What a coincidence! This proves that the restaurant is loved by "high level" foodies as professors (as you know, professors go abroad many times a year and they are often invited to five-star restaurants!).
   Note: you should make a reservation before you go for dinner; this restaurant is full of customers every night.
3. Dainty Sichuan Food
   Daniel's friend, Alex, invited us (Daniel, Masashi, and me) to this restaurant. This is a Chinese restaurant, located a bit far from the Uni of Melbourne (20 minutes from the uni by car). The restaurant is full of Chinese customers, this proves the restaurant is a quite nice Chinese restaurant. I like spicy food very much, and I enjoyed spicy (level 1 to 3) and very tasty food. I also recommend drink Tsingtao beer, which goes with spicy Chinese food. We ate and drank a lot!