Claypots

Ph: (03) 9534 1282; 213 Barkly St, ST KILDA 3182

Seafood, $$ -, * for Food
Open daily 9am-3pm,6-10.30pm; Unlicensed, BYO, Corkage none; No cards, No bookings, Seats inside 40, Outside seats 45

Mietta's Review
Relaxed, affordable, and BYO with no corkage, claypots are on the menu and the speciality of the house is seafood. Almost always a queue of people waiting for a table, get there early, put your name down, and have a drink at one of the nearby bars, and wait for the call to tell you your in! The claypots might take some time to cook, so order some tapas while you wait. Claypots, the restaurant, brims full with seafood delights, and happy customers.

Other published opinions

he Age Good Food Guide 2005 " EARLY every evening, diners cram into Claypots' small shopfront space. Stragglers arriving after 6pm will probably need to wait for a table at this, one of Melbourne's last corkage-free BYOs, killing time by checking out the magnificent fish display or scanning the blackboard menu"

The Age Cheap Eats 2005 "CATCHING a fish is easier than securing a seat at this convivial seafood haunt. No bookings are taken, so leave a mobile number and grab a drink nearby. Once seated in the cafe's modest surrounds, efficient waitstaff take mezze orders"

The Age Cheap Eats 2004 "HERE'S the drill. Arrive before 7pm to nab a perch (they don't take bookings). Fish out the day's catch at the counter, then check the blackboard to see how it's dispatched"

The Age Cheap Eats 2004,Excellent breakfasts,Somehwere really special,'Arrive before 7pm to nab a perch.Fish out the day's catch at the counter,then check the blackboard to see how its dispatched'

The Foodies' Guide 2004,Allan Campion & Michelle Curtis,'A bustling spot where the seafood is as fresh as the chef's ideas.Adam Dalton turns out his famous claypots with a huge diversity of flavours.The Morroccan,Cajun or Chinese influences might take your fancy,but the daily specials are the real stars of the show.'

AGFG 2004,score 13/20, two courses for $25 or less

The Age, Epicure, 6/4/04,Matt Preston,'Huge platter of great seafood are served in surroundings with the authentic slight grottiness of a street cafe in,say Thailand or Malaysia.'

The Age, A2, 17/1/04, John Weldon,'There's an earthiness here...an air of shabby chic...the fish is usually more impressive, too-in terms of presentation and clarity of flavour'

Herald Sun, citystyle, 3/2/04, Stephen Downes, Score 12/20,'Claypots is a hugely popular one off downbeat place.The tapas are terrific, and the choice of fish unique in Melbourne.Judging from our claypot, I'd stick to the straight seafood. No bookings, no cards accepted and Claypots is strictly BYO.Be warned, be early.'

The Age Good Food Guide 2003. Score 13/20. 30.03.99, The Age, Matthew Evans review "For the hungry and for those desperate for good cheap seafood, Claypots is the place. It's a pretty simple place, but the focus is on the food counter. Everything is on display, form meze (appertisers) to the fish. Enthusiastic staff take the time to talk options and there are plenty of good ones."

The Sunday Age, 01.03.99, author unknown "Inventive cross-cultural cuisine at its best. Claypots serves variations on the simple fish, opting for Mediterranean, Asian and Cajun flavours.

The Age, Sunday Life, 24/8/03, Dani Valent,'Fans consider it convivial:others call it chaotic.But the food has the last word'