My footy team isn’t doing so well at the moment. It’s quite depressing. Especially after spending a week in Sydney where they don’t even really care about football and I had no one to sympathise with. Yesterday we didn’t play so badly, but still didn’t manage to get up. Everyone has an excuse – injuries, a young play list, no ruckman, the weather – but at the end of the day when my team goes home empty handed, there is only one way to get over it. A fine dining experience. Preferably with company who are also drowning their sorrows and wine. Lot’s of wine. We chose Breezes at Crown.

The Crown complex at Melbourne is almost a city in itself, it’s easy to get lost in and you could probably live there and never want for anything. Bright lights, endless corridors and floors as far as the eye can see. It’s dazzling. But Breezes, located in the hotel complex on the third floor, is quiet, with subdued lighting and a peaceful view; a location where it would you could forget the din of poker machines and the food hall downstairs. Although located next to the Crown hotel pool facility where the smell of chlorine does initially hit you, this is quickly taken over by the smell of delicious food and the distraction of the Crown fire feature right outside the window.

We drank a lovely Pinot Noir and while my friend enjoyed the soup of the day for an entrée, the rest of us went straight to main. I ordered chicken breast with wild mushrooms, chestnuts, madeira cream and coffee syrup, which was delicious and also timely given that I spent a good part of today in Melbourne’s most outer eastern suburbs where chestnuts are as common as (insert appropriate commonality here). My friends dined on grilled sirloin of pork with choucroute, apple sauce and cider jus and the Victorian Farm tenderloin 220 grams steak. Sides of greens and fries were a great accompaniment to a wonderful meal.

When you are onto a good thing, you should keep on it, so of course we ordered dessert. Lemon tart with yoghurt ice cream, valrhona chocolate mousse, chocolate brownie and candied orange, and vanilla crème brûlée with berry compote, poppy seed sable. Fantastic.

The staff were quite brilliant in their gluten free knowledge and ability to adapt the menu – they even had gluten free bread on hand! By the end of the evening I was thinking, what football team? – But that probably had more to do with the wine.

Breezes at Crown
Level 3, Crown Towers
Southbank
(03) 9292 6896
http://www.breezesatcrown.com.au