Camus - Northcote

Having enjoyed Camus for a family lunch a few months ago, we decided to return one Friday evening recently. Initially shown upstairs to a newly opened dining room, which we immediately rejected as it was very bright and uninviting, we were finally settled at a table on the ground floor with a great view of the pass and the hardworking chefs. After a delicious starter of creamy burrata, with house-baked rolls, good olive oil and dukkah, we shared mains of the duck barilla, braised goat tagine and a lively beetroot salad. All wonderful. There were also new potatoes, which were a bit bland and disappointing.We selected a brilliant Spanish red wine which complemented the food perfectly. No room for dessert, sadly, as I had fond memories of the Turkish Delight Souffle! Maybe next time.... the kitchen performed brilliantly, as did the charming floor staff.

We were a party of 3 who all agreed the food was delicious! Northcote has some well known restaurants over the hill and this gem in Westgarth village will make them sit up and take notice! We had 2 starters & 2 mains to share with 4 sides because I love vegetables!, The calamari & sardines sooooo tasty and the carrot dish had 5 very large & extremely tasty carrots, the snapper was superb. The duck is a must and the celeriac absolutely fab. I can't wait to dine here again and this time leave room for desserts. Thank you Thank you Thank you for such a sensational dinner!!!!

Very nice food.great atmosphere and service. The chef / owner is extremely knowledgeable with attention to a small details. This restaurant is an asset to northcote. Being there twice and looking forward to my next visit.

I've been meaning to try Camus since it opened and last night I finally did. It's located in a busy section of High Street Northcote and parking can be a little challenging. That said, it's a destination that makes it worth persevering. The welcome is warm and the staff are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. Head chef Pierre Khodja works in an open kitchen at the back, so he can keep a tight rein on service and customer satisfaction. The menu is small, but there are many tempting choices and everything is cooked to perfection. Dish after dish left the pass causing us large doses of order envy and a resolve to return and work through the menu. Wine and cocktail choices reflect the same care and attention afforded to the food. Courses are designed for sharing and are of a size that makes each dish is suitable for two. If you have more people, order sufficient so everyone gets enough. We started with the Burrata which was light, creamy and partnered with a delicious combination of pumpkin slivers, za'atar, fried coriander and pomegranate dressing. Simple and utterly delicious, which is the keynote of all Pierre's food. Next a Duck Bastilla with almonds and chutney. Delectable shredded duck, impossibly thin pastry accompanied by a house made fruit chutney. We also chose the slow cooked goat with caramelised onion and apricots. It was perfectly cooked, fork tender and full of flavour. A side of red and yellow beetroot with a Burrata dressing completed and was enjoyed with the mains. Suitably impressed, it was suggested we order their 'dish of the year', a delectable combination of a Turkish Delight soufflé, Halva ice cream and pistachio baklava. There was dead silence at the table while every morsel was savoured. Always the sign of a great dessert. Our waiter suggested a German Rheingau sweet white which had the right amount of delicacy and acidity to offset, but not overpower the Soufflé. I have been involved with North African cuisine in the past and this food gives it a modern, light and totally delicious touch. The traditional flavours and ingredients are all there and appear simple. This is an artful deception, as they're actually quite complex, delicately and professionally combined to achieve a sophisticated edge to what is essentially home style cooking.If you love North African food Camus restaurant is well worth a visit. You'll experience a sophisticated, modern interpretation of it. If you haven't experienced that cuisine previously, I think you'll be more than impressed.

OK, So I'm the last to know? Really? I must be, it seems every time I ring to book they are fully booked....now I know why! Everyone must know about this place already, down from Ruckers Hill at the start of Northcote, a sensational find. French Algerian influenced cuisine?... that's a bit different for Melbourne, and this find adds to the general foodie charm of Northcote, but lifts it way more than just a notch. This is a new level. This is fine dining, Exquisite tastes, clever presentation, adventurous pairings of classic dishes with new spices and rubs. ...I guess the experience of a Michelin starred chef or Michelin starred restaurant experience in the UK...it's all on show here...The most delicious, expertly boned, roasted quail, luscious fresh scallops, a kid goat dish that was as tender as, in fact more tender than any goat dish I've ever experienced...and tastier!...Of course if you want to find a new 'go to' signature dish....the Turkish Delight Souffle with its rosewater colouring is the finest most delicate and novel take on a souffle yet. A modest range of approachable wines, well priced, a decor that reminds me of what was new and hip in Brooklyn a decade ago, sandblasted red brick interior walls, lots of exposed timber and unpretentious table settings, but an open kitchen that looks the business.The service, friendly relaxed, pretension free, but expert, and the chef....well as it transpires a lovely bloke, passionate about his produce of course, but a lovely chap...how do I know, he comes out of the kitchen and inquires, and, genuinely so. This place will get 'hatted' for sure come the good food awards I suspect...it deserves it too!...Damn!...it'll be harder to get in there then...