The excellent service and décor of the establishment (which was renovated from its previous life as a small factory), helps you immerse yourself in the atmosphere. The tables and layout promote a culture of sharing which is essentially the essence of the Tapas experience. Dishes and choices are seemingly infinite but the friendly and helpful waiters will guide you through your meal with a pleasant smile and occasionally some comical banter.

If you have the time check in to the very trendy Mur Mur Bar upstairs where they can pretty much sort you out with any cocktail request you can muster. Portello Rosso is perfect for a quite night for two, or something more substantial with a group of friends. For comparable quality to the very famous Movida  with the much lower price tag and waiting time attached I would definitely recommend that you make time to visit this quaint but bold restaurant in the heart of the city.

Jamie

“So what do YOU suggest?” I hear you asking. Well. Seeing as I’m in the same predicament, let’s brainstorm.

Now, you’ve got to decide, do you perform some big, grand gesture that wipes out your bank balance to tell her exactly how much you appreciate her? Or does a hug suffice? I’m going to go for neither, those options were terrible, let’s move on.

Essentially (well, this is what my mother tells me), all they want from Mothers Day is to spend time with their beautiful children and for them to show some form of gratitude. Can do.

There are some amazing sites out there at the moment that do all the hard work for you, all you have to do is put in your credit card details (and sign your life away) and BOOM! You’re saved. I’ll give you a few examples:

-          Red Balloon: Red Balloon is all about the ‘experience’, they’ve got a heap of deals under a bunch of categories. The categories are adventure, creative, flying, getaways, gift boxes, indulge, the list goes on. If you can’t find her something from there, give up now.

-          Everything But Flowers: As the name suggests, this company asks you to be a bit more creative with your gifts, well for you to pick a creative gift anyway.

-          Oxfam: You could always go for the ‘feel good’ gift, and get her something from a charity shop- this also makes her feel good as she has obviously created such kind and considerate offspring. Oxfam also do as great thing, where you can buy a goat for a less fortunate family.

-          Edible Blooms: let’s be honest, who doesn’t love beautifully presented treats?

-          Caroline Serviced Apartments: Take the time out of your busy schedule and book a weekend away with your mum. Whether it be South Yarra with incredible shopping and close to the city, or Brighton, metres away from the beach and impressive cafes, your mum will love to spend some quality time with you…

So, I’ve hopefully made your life that little bit easier for you and you can now make your mother a very happy lady. Another failsafe idea, go over to her place, cook her an incredible meal, and let her relax with the family.

And if you have any other ideas, please share!! HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

FYI: Mothers Day is on the 12th May this year

I’m glad we booked a table in advance as the restaurant was packed, full of life and buzzing, now I know why.

This restaurant is nothing short of sexy with it’s compact, backlit bar & sparkly dark mirrored dining room & enormous fringed red lampshade.

Gingerboy is  South East Asia street food given a polish. Great place to share plates as the variety of food is amazing, you need to sample as much as you could possible fit in. Trust me – you will not be disappointed.

Warning with the cocktail’s – they will knock your socks off! I’m a fan of ginger and was impressed on so many levels.

Try the Aperol, Pomegrante & Ginger Sour. Fresh ginger is smashed & shaken with it’s best buddies in the whole world, lemon, sugar, aperol & pama pomegranate liqueur. Served over ice with candied ginger. Seriously delicious!

Enjoy,

Jelina

Caroline Apts South Yarra - As seen from the hedge

Here’s a couple of samples of what we’ve included on our pinboards: