Smoked by AI · Melbourne · people

Lauren Dinse

Critic · Journalist — Melbourne bars, wine bars and neighbourhood drinking.

Time Out Melbourne food and drink writer, author of its signed star reviews (Bar Bellamy, five stars, December 2024) and of the 2023 Apollo Inn assessment its later review quotes back.

Their own reviews and picks.

Their own judgment, in their own words, by the piece it appeared in.

• Time Out Melbourne ↗their review · 2025-06-28
  • Cutler & CoFitzroy

    “Cutler gets our pick as the cream of Melbourne's crop.”

• Time Out Melbourne, five stars (Lauren Dinse) ↗their review · 2025-05-07
  • Cumulus Inc.CBD

    “Like many resident Melbournians interested in eating out, I'd dined at Cumulus Inc before and I knew it was good, but I didn't remember it being this good. Something stirred me to rebook a table immediately for a larger meal.”

• Time Out Melbourne, 'Everyone wishes they had a Bar Bellamy in their neighbourhood' (Lauren Dinse) ↗their review · 2024-12-08
  • Bar BellamyCarlton

    “The bang-on perfect Martini is far more interesting than your average stock standard, a creatively mixed blend of Never Never Triple Juniper gin, olive herb wine, manzanilla sherry and an 'olive'. It's my favourite Martini riff I've tried all year.”

• Time Out Melbourne, venue review (Lauren Dinse) ↗their review · 2024-06-21
  • Gin PalaceCBD

    “There have been many keys to the cocktail haunt's longevity: those famed chicken and mayo sangas, 90-milliletre Martini pours, a generous closing time of 3am (ideal for post-shift workers), a certain brand of bohemian swagger and a mastery of all drinks juniper.”

Pieces they wrote about these places.

Reporting, openings and roundups. Kept for the trail, and not read as their endorsement — a writer relaying someone else's award is not recommending it.

• Time Out Melbourne (Lauren Dinse) ↗reporting · 2025-06-17
  • Axil Coffee RoastersHawthorn

    “For the third year in a row, local Melbourne barista Jack Simpson from Axil Coffee Roasters has just been crowned the Australian Barista Champion at the nation's fiercest espresso-fuelled competition: the ASCA (Australian Specialty Coffee Association) Australian Barista Championship.”