Gluten Savvy

I’m a bit late to the party on this one, which is even more embarrassing because I know the owner through a friend. I knew he was planning to start a café… I just had no idea it was the famous café everyone’s been talking about that I hadn’t made it to due to parenthood. Anyhow, the mutual friend was visiting from New York and suggested Auction Rooms as the obvious meet-up spot. Andrew Kelly, the owner, joined us to say hi. The menu isn’t the most gluten-free-friendly thing on the planet at first glance, but looks can be deceiving.

The first thing that strikes you at Auction Rooms is the scale of the place. Located in the old WB Ellis auction house in Errol Street, North Melbourne, the refit has preserved the brick walls and the height of the ceiling, but with quirky touches such as a sun-shade made of milk crates, creating a funky space without being intimidating. A lot has been written elsewhere about the way the central bar and innovative use of levels allows the tables to have privacy and a nook-like feel while staying airy and spacious.

The menu features quite a few bread-based items, which can all be made with gluten-free bread. I’m suspicious of that in most cafés — the bread is usually packet stuff from the supermarket that tastes like cake. At Auction Rooms, though, it’s good crusty bread sourced from Silly Yaks. Points already. I decided I wanted something different, though, and ended up with calamari, tossed in spices and rice flour and lightly fried, served in a salad with the most amazing thin strips of salted cucumber. Finished off with a perfect aioli, the result was mouth-watering and I took my time to savour each bite.