Restaurant Banksia
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Caulfield has quietly welcomed a new dining star, and it’s already reshaping what a neighbourhood restaurant can be. Banksia, led by Head Chef Nishant Arora, brings an elegance that feels effortless—rooted in skill, shaped by experience, and softened with warmth. Arora’s pedigree spans some of Australia’s most celebrated kitchens, including time in 3-hat and 2-hat restaurants, with his most recent post at Melbourne icon Cutler & Co. At Banksia, that expertise translates into food that’s polished yet wholly approachable.
The best way to experience the kitchen’s rhythm is through the $75 Journey Feed Me, a beautifully composed progression that highlights seasonality, texture and balance without ever feeling fussy. It’s the kind of set menu that draws you in gently and then sweeps you up in its momentum.
The journey begins with sourdough served with fermented mushroom butter, a silky, savoury opening that sets the tone for what follows. On the side, olives and caperberries provide a briny, palate-awakening bite—simple, thoughtful, and deeply satisfying.
A standout early highlight is the tuna tartare, paired unexpectedly yet harmoniously with stracciatella, tomato and delicate pops of salmon roe. It’s rich, bright and wonderfully layered, showing off Arora’s fine-dining instincts while still feeling comfortingly familiar.
Next comes one of the menu’s most visually striking dishes: golden beetroot with goat’s curd, blueberries and hot honey. It’s earthy, creamy, sweet and tangy all at once—a playful reminder that vegetables, when treated with imagination, can rival any main event.
For heartier flavours, the miso-glazed chicken delivers in every way. Juicy, caramelised and umami-rich, it’s paired with kohlrabi, shiso and a silky celeriac purée, bringing freshness and grounding depth to each bite.
Seafood lovers are rewarded with the Humpty Doo barramundi, cooked to flaky perfection and bathed in a fragrant curry leaf and coconut sauce. Bitter cime di rapa cuts through the richness, giving the dish a balance that feels both comforting and quietly refined.
The menu closes with a refreshing flourish: a melon sorbet with strawberry and honeycomb. Light, bright and cooling, it’s the palate cleanser you didn’t know you needed and the dessert you’ll think about long after you’ve left.
Banksia is the kind of restaurant every suburb hopes for: elevated but unpretentious, thoughtful but never intimidating, and driven by a chef whose experience and creativity shine through in every dish. With its inviting atmosphere and brilliantly priced $75 Journey Feed Me, it’s no surprise Caulfield locals are already calling it their new favourite—and visitors are quickly discovering that it’s worth crossing town for.
Location: 98 Hawthorn Rd, Caulfield North VIC 3161
Phone: 0423 905 835
