101 Gowrie

A restaurant that can straddle the line between comforting familiarity and buzzy newness is a rare find. If you want something interesting but aren’t necessarily willing to gamble on the hottest spot in town, 101 Gowrie is where you want to be. The two-person kitchen churns out culture-straddling dishes like tagliolini bolognese with ramen and North sea squid, Chinese pancakes doused in hollandaise, and crispy new potatoes floating on vanilla espuma that remind us of dipping McDonald's fries in ice cream. Come here when you’re looking for food that’ll surprise you, but know that the dining room atmosphere is more straightforward than the menu and the background hip-hop adds to the low-key feel.