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Jojo Parkinson at Odette House
The name Odette House came to Jojo Parkinson at 4.30 in the morning. Later, she discovered it meant “prosperous,” which felt right for a venue with three distinct levels: an all-day café downstairs, Uday restaurant upstairs, and a rooftop bar with a view of the city. Uday means “sunrise” in Sanskrit, a nod to new…
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Joe Vargetto at Mister Bianco
Joe Vargetto has turned his restaurant into a truffle wonderland. Step inside Mr Bianco right now and you’ll find moss, fairy lights, oak leaves, and, if you’re lucky, a truffle-hunting spaniel on duty. Some chefs talk about truffles as a luxury. Joe talks about them as if they’re alive, creatures that seduce trees, steal nutrients…
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Tommy Er at T6 Patisserie
In Carnegie, there’s a little patisserie turning out some of the most beautiful cakes in Melbourne. Tommy Er’s T6 Patisserie has been open just over a year and already has a loyal following, very definitely including me. Tommy’s pastries are French in style but layered with the flavours he grew up with in Southeast Asia.…
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Nick McGonigal at The Dining Room at Lancemore Lindenderry Red Hill
The drive into The Dining Room At Lancemore Lindenderry in Red Hill takes you past rows of vines and manicured gardens that open out to 38 acres of rolling lawns, a tennis court, wood-fired hot tubs and 41 elegant rooms. It’s the sort of place you can settle into for the weekend or drive down for lunch…
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Scott Connolly at The George Hotel, South Melbourne
I had dinner at The George Hotel in South Melbourne the night before this conversation, and I’m still thinking about that prawn toast. The parma came on the bone, the romesco on the pumpkin was deeply smoky, and the vibe was spot on. Fire crackling, carpet slightly retro, and classic pub food done with care,…
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Pawan Dutta at The Royce Hotel
Two years after our first conversation, Pawan Dutta has made the kitchen at The Royce Hotel entirely his own. The Showroom Bar still gleams. The menu is bolder, with flavours that travel from Peru to France and back again, yet nothing feels forced. He’s as hands-on as ever, still on the pans, still chasing that…
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Stephane Nguyen at French Cooking Academy
Stéphane Nguyen is the founder of the French Cooking Academy alongside his wife, Kate. Stephane has built a global following by teaching classic French techniques in a way that actually makes sense: clear, methodical, and with a real focus on understanding the whybehind each step. But it didn’t start there. Stéphane moved to Australia, missed French…
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Antonio Loffredo at Pepe’s Parlour
If Pepe’s Italian & Liquor is all swagger and spectacle: snow machines, themed decor, and a big personality, then Pepe’s Parlour offers something quieter and more composed. The original venue opened in 2019 in a former synagogue on Exhibition Street, serving Italian American classics in a space that leans into old-school New York glamour. Next door, Pepe’s Parlour channels the elegance of…
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Daniel Livingstone at The Chandlery
It’s not every day you get to have a chat in a former ship’s chandlery from the 1860s, but that’s exactly where I found myself with Dan Livingstone, chef, self-taught cook, ex-pop songwriter, and co-owner of The Chandlery in Port Melbourne. I first met Dan at one of his collaborative events a few weeks ago,…
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Mike McEnearney at From Here by Mike
Mike McEnearney doesn’t follow trends. He follows his gut, his growers, and the seasons. He’s worked in some of the world’s toughest kitchens, cooked for Damien Hirst, and lived off the land in rural Wales. He opened Kitchen by Mike in a converted factory canteen in Sydney’s CBD, another Kitchen by Mike at the International…