The St Kilda icon was purchased by Melbourne entrepreneur and businessman Gerry Ryan and his son Andrew, who set to transform the drinking den into a multi-million dollar multi-purpose venue. Melbourne architecture firm IF Architecture are behind the three-phase revamp of the venue, which just unveiled stage-two in the form of new eatery Prince Dining Room. “It has been a significant undertaking, re-creating and opening the space. We knew it needed to feel different, to feel new, but wewere also mindful that we needed to respect the soul and architectural integrity of the space we love,” says managing director Andrew Ryan. “We’re excited by what it will bring to The Prince Hotel – a beautifully curated space to enjoy great food and beverage. The menu is not what we have traditionally seen in Melbourne and in particular St. Kilda. We’ve worked hard in recruiting an innovative team to bring Prince Dining Room to life.”

Prince Dining Room’s kitchen is to be led by Executive Chef Dan Hawkins (Stokehouse, Circa and Longrain) and Head Chef Dan Cooper (Circa and Garden State Hotel). The duo have crafted a menu with share plates in mind, with flavours inspired by the Mediterranean rim. It’s light, it’s seasonal, and its contemporary, for which they are proud. Celebrating local produce was also important to the team, who source ingredients from local markets, the St Kilda Veg Out garden and a curated collection of regional growers, producers, and fisherman. “While working on the food concept for Prince Dining Room we considered global food trends, but more importantly, global food issues,” Hawkins said. “The deeper we went, the more defined our food ethos became. We now work within a simple triangle LOCAL- SUSTAINABLE-ETHICAL as the foundation of our food ethos. When deciding on a potential product for a particular dish, we always refer back to this triangle.”

Food at Prince Dining Room is simple Hawkins, but intentionally so. “We want the produce to shine without it being overwhelmed by too many add-ons. At Prince Dining Room our food celebrates great farmers, growers and producers,” he says. Plenty of dishes are also designed to be cooked over fire to add an element of intrigue. “Fire causes changes in flavour, texture and appearance, to provide a unique final product that cannot be replicated by other means,” Hawkins explains. The new eatery marks a change in the edible offerings at the Prince Hotel; its opening marks a shift towards more relaxed dining.

The sleek new look of Prince Dining Room has been heavily influenced by the glamour and grime of St Kilda in years past. Iva Foschia of IF Architecture sought to create a contemporary eating space but wanted to avoid changing too much of the original Art Deco character of the building and the local area. It’s a modern ode to the history of the suburb and has resulted in a restaurant awash with natural light and plenty of contemporary custom furniture. “Our aim with Prince Dining Room was to use the beautiful foundation of the building to conceive something relevant to our current time. We wanted to create a comfortable, approachable space that is welcoming to everyone,” she explains.

Prince Dining Room has undergone a complete revamp of its original fittings says Foschia, but major change was necessary. “We had to strip back the space visibly, physically and functionally and remove any of our prior attachments to its previous incarnation,” she explains. “We have chosen deliberate ‘clashes’ and provocative forms to reflect a venue that knows itself and is comfortable with its quirky direction,” Foschia continues, referencing the contrasting colours and textures of objects in the dining space. At the restaurant’s centre sits an elliptical blackened steel bar, around which soft banquette sofas, wooden and wrought iron chairs are scattered, accompanied by Italian marble, onyx and American oak tables.

Prince Dining Room is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Acland and Fitzroy Streets, St Kilda, Melbourne; theprince.com.au.