Scorcher reviews: Citrus — ‘Melbourne’s best value dinner’

Citrus
252 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North
Ph: 7012 7601

CITRUS SNAPSHOT:

• Its best feature is: the 14-plus dish, all-you-can-eat buffet!
• Make sure you try: buttered fish with peppers, mango lassi, watalappam (Sri Lankan coconut custard pudding).
• Come here for: Melbourne’s best-value dinner; cheap date night; vegan and vegetarian-friendly meals.
• We’re eating: slow-cooked beef curry, devilled chicken, cashew and turmeric curry, spiced potatoes.
• If you like this you’ll like: Fusion Ceylon, Werribee; Elephant Corridor, Glen Waverley.
• It’ll set you back: $15 for the 14-plus dish, all-you-can-eat buffet; $20 on Saturdays.

Penny-pinchers listen up: this may well just be Melbourne’s best value dinner.

Citrus in North Fitzroy is a welcoming, family-run Sri Lankan diner that offers a knockout all-you-can-eat buffet for $15. Fifteen dollars, seriously? I challenge anyone to find a thriftier deal so close to the CBD.

Citrus really hums during lunch and dinner hours so it pays to book ahead; punters get the option of 14-plus dishes including hot buttered fish with peppers, slow-cooked beef curry, yellow-lentil curry, rices dishes and the spoils of the dessert table.

The restaurant is owned by Somaweera family (mum and dad run the kitchen, with their son and daughter on front-of-house duties) and despite the shiny metallic interior and the tourist board-style wall decorations, you could be mistaken for thinking you’ve wandered into a celebratory family gathering and a feast has been prepared in your honour.

Top tip: be sure to pace yourself. You’ll be tempted to load up your plate on your first flyover of the buffet.  But Citrus is the kind of place where a second helping is almost mandatory.