After another day touring Melbourne, my mum and I wanted dinner. We didn’t have any particular place or preference, just that it would not be expensive. While walking around Flinders Street Station, we passed by Degraves Street and thought ‘There are restaurants here. Let’s check them out.” I had walked passed this street at least a couple of times in the past but never paid a lot of attention to it. Btw, Degraves Street is another one of Melbourne’s laneways.

We walked by a Pizza/Italian place and stopped by El Calibre. There were two other diners when we got there. My guess was that they were just opening because it seemed too deserted (I checked their operating hours and they open in the morning at 11am). Anyway, after looking at their menu, we decided to eat at El Calibre.

My mum ordered the Mexican seafood which had shrimp, calamari and squid while I got the vegetarian quesadilla. Reflecting on quesadillas I’ve had in the past, I feel like I have a lukewarm relationship with them. On one hand, they are made with tortillas and cheese, which I love. On the other hand, if the filling is ‘meh’, the quesadilla will be ‘meh’. (Sidenote: quesadillas are similar the Turkish gozleme.)

El Calibre is an unassuming place that is easy to ignore. The seating is mainly communal but it could be a very good option for chilled hangouts with friends. The kitchen is also an open one but I don’t remember being affected by the aroma/smoke from the preparation of the food. One thing I found weird though was the way they served us (free) water by the cupful, without a bottle.

The Mexican seafood dish looked a lot like, and had similar ingredients to the seafood risotto we had at Grill Steak Seafood. My mum even asked the waitress what the difference was. However, despite those similarities, it was much tastier than the risotto. So tasty I had to help myself to more.

The vegetarian quesadilla, on the other hand, could have done with some seasoning. However, after I dipped it into the guacamole, the tastelessness was forgiven. The guacamole was sooo good! I wanted to take it home. It was very creamy and smooth. The sour cream, which my mum said was basically yoghurt, also made the quesadilla taste very good.

The guacamole itself is enough to make me want to return to El Calibre. I also like the chilled vibe. It’s a simple place that delivers tasty food. What’s not to love?

I won’t leave you guys alone with this deliciousness and not at least provide a recipe. This one appears to be simple! Happy cooking!

El Calibre is located at 13 Degraves St, Melbourne VIC 3000.