The Denn - Northcote

This place has has a great feel to it, you walk in and feel instantly warm and welcomed, there are different pockets of seating that also add to the unique feel of The Denn.  The food menu is decent with some great Tapas options that are really well prepared and tasty.  The Paella was a generous serve and had fantastic flavour but unfortunately the seafood was overcooked.  The Wagu beef burger my friend had was dry and difficult to eat but otherwise flavorsome. The service was pretty good however some of the staff need to have a better understanding of the drinks menu, in particular the wines.  The bar is really well stocked and lends itself to being a great catch-up venue with friends for drinks and Tapas in particular.  Would happily return here as the food is decent (although some of the dishes are a tad pricey) and the energy of the place is awesome.

I particularly enjoyed the Saganaki, which was served with a berry compote. I was skeptical at first, but ended up liking the combination. For my main course, I chose the lamb three ways. It consisted of slow-cooked ribs, lamb shoulder, and a medium rare loin with various salads and greens. I enjoyed the ribs and loin, but found the lamb shoulder to be dry and shredded. My friend ordered the Caprese pizza with anchovies, which she loved. The pizza base was good, but lacked the springiness I prefer. Although I was participating in dry July, the bar staff happily made me a non-alcoholic version of what seemed to be an apple and strawberry mojito. We ended the night with New York-style cheesecake served with ice cream and a colorful fruit assortment. The service was excellent, with staff checking in on us multiple times throughout the evening. We stayed past closing time catching up with our friends from Sydney, and the staff remained calm and courteous. I was impressed with their professionalism, as I would have expected them to ask us to leave.

I hadn't been to Denn for years, but decided to give it a try on a whim tonight with a friend before catching a movie at the nearby Westgarth Cinema. I had some reservations about this bistro in the past, but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food and service. The server recommended the beef cheeks, which turned out to be delicious and perfectly cooked. My friend enjoyed their vegan paella as well. The cozy atmosphere, attentive server, and a glass of Heathcote Shiraz made for a very enjoyable dining experience. I realize now that I may have been too quick to judge Denn in the past.

Very Friendly service. Nice and comfortable seating. We had the Wagyu burger, Paella, baby octopus. Burger patty was just a little on the dry side but overall still pretty good. Paella was nice and had good flavor. Baby Octopus was nice although the serving size was smallish.

I frequently visit this diner because I live only 50 meters away. The food here is always delicious and the staff is fantastic. I highly recommend stopping by for a meal.