Updated ,first published
Contemporary$$$
Step into a cloistered four-seat restaurant for a deg with a difference.
There’s wizardry at work here. An unadorned wooden counter hidden behind velvet drapery at the back of a Healesville bar, Emerald City defines “tiny but mighty”. There are no shy and retiring flavours on the flame-driven set menu from chef-auteur Joel Alderdice.
Among his opening gambit? Slivers of abalone and jellified egg yolk crowned with smoked roe. Cured prawns with yuzu cream proves an excellent warm-up act to miso-crusted potato cake that’s a pure umami explosion. But he knows how to rein things in, opting for a winning simplicity for his final savoury course: a piece of nine-marble-score Sher wagyu served only with a sprinkle of salt flakes to best appreciate its buttery beauty.
Carried by Alderdice’s easy informality and a wine list steeped in artisanal Australian excellence, this is a chef’s table built on the good vibes of breaking bread – or a salted-koji-caramel macadamia cake – together.
Best for: Book it out with your three besties and enjoy the show.
Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.
Last visited: September 2026
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