Bar mSida – Hawthorn

Bar mSida recently opened its doors to the hoards of hungry folk on Glenferrie Road in Hawthorn. The restaurant, whose name is drawn from a harbour town in northeast Malta, is contemporary, sleek and a great addition to the Glenferrie strip.

mSida is a family owned restaurant that offers a morning, noon and night service complemented by friendly easygoing staff and great food. The head chef , Raymond Fenech, learned to appreciate food while spending time with his grandmother, and after stints at Kensington and the city has decided that Hawthorn regulars would appreciate his Mediterranean style food.

The breakfast menu ranges from light meals – croissants stuffed with ham and cheese – to large serves of a meal known as Spanish beans (beans, chorizo, tomatoes and eggs on toast) to fill a hunger of any size. I also high recommend the coffee and the made to order juices. A shining star on the juice menu is the mSida juice made from lovely fresh fruit and a kick of ginger.

The lunch and dinner menus offer a range of tapas style plates to share and a good stock of healthy sized main plates. The price of the share plates is around the eight-dollar mark, while the main plates range form fourteen dollars to seventeen dollars. The usual sides of salad, potatoes, greens and fries are also offered. Eight delicious desserts are available and the wine list is equally as extensive.

mSida also prepare weekly specials, which could well be the best value deal in Glenferrie Road at the moment. These deals include:

Sundays – family roast – $15.50
Mondays – gourmet steak, mash & salad – $15.50
Tuesdays – hand made pasta, salad & a glass of wine $15.50

Perhaps even more fantastic is the mSida at home service. The great taste of well-prepared food with the casualness of tracksuit pants around the coffee table. I’m sold.

791 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122
Telephone 03 9818 1232

Monday to Friday from 12 midday
Weekend Brunch 8.30am – 4.00pm
Saturday and Sunday open until late