Devotees of Abbotsford coffee roaster Au79, and their satellite coffee shops, will be pleased to hear their next move is to Southbank, and this new outpost includes an Italian-inspired wine bar. Located on the ground floor of the new 400 apartment Home development, residents there will even be able to score room service.

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“With this Southbank venue we’ve joined forces with the Home,” says Au79’s Phoebe Jane. “Au79 immediately understood our vision for a hotel-inspired lifestyle and residents will have the unique ability to enjoy some of the city’s best coffee delivered directly to their door, with only a tap of a button via the Au79 app,” says Christian Grahame of Home. “We’re big fans of the Au79 offering and delighted to be partnering with them.”

The cafe interior, designed in a neutral style, employs plenty of marble and lightly coloured woods, which reflects design elements in the residential areas, says Jane. “We’re like a big family, we really do have a focus on our residents.”

Beyond the room service, Au79 will cater for a 59th floor communal area and private functions. “But it’s not just for the residents (of Home),” says Jane. “It’s really for the people of Southbank.”

There is, she says, an opportunity to fill a gap in that space. “There’s just apartments everywhere, but there’s few or no good coffee spots, cafes or wine bars down below them. So I think that’s why this will work.”

Patisserie and bakery items will come direct from the Abbotsford “mothership”, as will of course the coffee, with breakfast and lunch dishes being “Australian-inspired with a touch of Asian infusion.”

Signatures include the prawn Benedict, a construction of butter- poached prawns, poached eggs, hollandaise and mustard leaves, all on a charcoal brioche with kipfler potato chips for good measure.

Found off the Home lobby, Italian-inspired The Green Room will lean more towards a sharing menu of small dishes, says Jane. This bespoke bar menu and drinks focus are under the eye of seasoned front of house manager Daniel Cormick, formally of Coombe Yarra Valley.

Expect dishes like arancini of the day, freshly shucked oysters and burrata with prosciutto. Heartier dishes will include a 300g porterhouse, chargrilled whole fish with heirloom tomatoes, or seasonally, a black truffle and wild mixed mushroom risotto. The drinks focus is on specially created cocktails and a wine selection that’s in harmony with the wider food offering. Except for a few “must- have” wines from South Australia. the list is Victorian focused says Jane, with a balance of classic and more avant-garde labels.

The new Southbank outpost isn’t the only new development from Au79, with the addition of Au79 Cafe at Richmond Traders on Bridge Rd in Richmond. “We have always treasured our connection to the unique neighbourhoods within Melbourne,” says Au79 general manager Lawrence Jones. “Particularly after beginning our journey from humbe garage in Abbotsford.”

Au79
Lobby of Home Southbank
260 City Rd
Open daily, 7am-2pm
au79cafe.com.au