Even the most voracious diner would have struggled to visit all the new restaurants that opened in Melbourne this year. But don’t give up just yet! There’s still time to add these exciting new openings to your end-of-year calendar.
Tartine brings a slice of Paris to Richmond. Here, the specialty is open-faced sandwiches delicately piled with chic French toppings. Say oui to the crab, green apple and chervil, or perhaps anchovies, caramelised onion and olives on house baked organic spelt sourdough. Not to be confused with the upside-down apple tart, tarte tatin, which also makes an appearance on the menu. 1035 High St, Armadale; tartine.com.au.
Move over Noma, a new Nordic restaurant has opened in the CBD with a two Michelin-starred chef at the helm. Set in Olderfleet, the 130-year heritage-listed building on Collins Street, Freyja has been given an oh-so-Scandi update that combines earthy red brick with the warmth of oak timber. Jae Bang, of Norway’s famed Re-Naa restaurant, has paired Australian ingredients with ancient preserving techniques like fermenting, curing, smoking and pickling. Swing by at lunchtime to try the smørrebrød, an open-faced sandwich piled with school prawns and savoy cabbage. 477 Collins St, Melbourne; freyjarestaurant.com.
Six months in and Grill Americano is firing on all four cylinders. The kitchen revolves around a hand-built wood oven and Josper grill where specially procured beef, including the rarest wagyu breeds, are grilled to perfection. Choose from Tuscany’s top chop – a 1.2kg bistecca alla Fiorentina – or try the lot in the grigliata mista, a mixed grill of steak, sausage and bacon. Dishes are ferried around the floor by white gloved and jacketed waiters, with finishing touches delivered tableside. 112 Flinders Ln, Melbourne; grillamericano.com.
Get a taste of old Paree at Scott Pickett’s new French restaurant, Smith St Bistrot in Collingwood. Bon vivants can swing by for a bougie dinner of southern rock lobster thermidor and vol au vents d’escargot. For brunch, there’s simple plats du jour like quiche asperges, steak baguettes, croque madame, and all that jazz. The former Lupo site has been reimagined to reflect the classic Parisienne bistrots of the années folles, with velvet banquettes, antique mirrors and bespoke brass chandeliers. 300 Smith St, Collingwood; smithstbistrot.com.au.
The Victor Churchill door handle is a link of sausages, cast in bronze. It’s the first clue this is no ordinary butcher. Inside lies a space that could as easily be a diamond showroom as a meat market. Gleaming vitrines of pies, parfaits and terrines flank the walls. Slabs of premium beef hang like artworks in the curing room, purpose-built with backlit Himalayan salt blocks. The capstone of the lavish fit-out is the horseshoe bar, where diners assemble at 12 coveted olive-green leather stools. The menu echoes the decadence of the surrounds, with fresh oysters and charcuterie, premium steaks and porchetta from the rotisserie. 953 High St, Armadale; victorchurchill.com
A vision of retro opulence, Shane Delia’s latest venue earns its Levantine-accented place in Melbourne’s cocktail bar canon. While Jayda is first and foremost a bar, the snack-happy menu can easily constitute a full meal. The Maha staff meal goes legit in the “after-service sandwich”, made from crisp, bottom-of-the-pan meat nubbles wrapped in thick, flaky pastry, For something daintier, there’s salmon roe-dabbed tuna kibbeh comes ready to roll with a perilla leaf. 19 Bond St, Melbourne; barjayda.com.au.
A luxe new Japanese restaurant has opened two levels underground in South Yarra, Melbourne. Take the glass elevator down to Yugen, where you’ll find sparkling chandeliers and a golden orb-shaped dining room suspended from the ceiling. The venue is home to a restaurant, bar and omakase counter with former Sokyo sushi chef Alex Yu behind the impressive sashimi selection. Top orders include the prawn toast-inspired Chinese doughnuts with prawn mousse and the smoked eel chawanmushi with crispy chicken skin. 605 Chapel Street, South Yarra; yugendining.com.au.
The duo from Park Street Pasta & Wine have brought their celebrated strands to Prahran. Osteria Renata dishes up homestyle Italian fare inspired by the generosity of nonna’s table. Homemade artisan pasta is available in all shapes and sizes from a braised veal shank tortelli to cacio e pepe with gnocco fritto. The olive green osteria even has its own prosecco garden where you can sip sparkling wine in the sun. 436-438 High St, Prahran; osteriarenata.com.au.
Snap up a seat at Melbourne’s new Pearl Chablis and Oyster Bar. The elegant CBD venue boasts an impressive selection of freshly shucked shellfish, served chilled, grilled, or au natural. Order individually or by degustation, which lets you taste your way around Australia’s preeminent oyster-growing regions. Make the most of their minerality with a crisp glass of chardonnay from the Chablis library, which contains more than 500 bottles from Burgundy. L1 Shop 108/200 Bourke St, Melbourne; pearloyster.co.
The lords who brought you Tipo 00 and Osteria Illaria – Luke Skidmore, Alberto Fava and Andreas Papadakis – are spreading their carbohydrate-driven joy a little further afield, with Figlia in Brunswick East. Specialising in organic sourdough pizza, chargrilled snacks, and a wine list that errs to minimal intervention makers, it’s a well-rounded experience. The pizza selection is honed, at just eight options, ranging from the classic margherita to a spicy ‘nduja with bullhorn peppers. Our pick is the mortadella with taleggio and roasted pistachio nuts. 335 Lygon St, Brunswick East; figlia.com.au.
