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Julien Pascal & Julien Wurtlin at Babines
Collingwood has no shortage of bars, but Babines stands out, thanks to the two Juliens behind it: Julien Pascal and Julien Wurtlin. When I first went in not long after they opened a year and a half ago (on the recommendation of a French friend, naturally), I was hooked: the cocktails, the tapenade soldiers, the…
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Sunny Gilbert at Hofbrauhaus
I’ve spoken to Sunny Gilbert at Melbourne’s Hofbrauhaus before and it was such a delight to catch up with him again, especially at this time of year. He’d just flown back from Munich, where Oktoberfest really is as big, loud and joyful as everyone says: ten beer tents, each crammed with 10,000 people, steins thudding…
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Lorcán Kan at Etta
Lorcán Kan has one of those reputations that precedes him, not in the loud, headline-grabbing way, but in the quiet way that matters more. Mention his name to other chefs and their response is usually the same: “He’s such a lovely guy.” Kan, head chef at Etta in Brunswick East, carries that reputation with the…
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Eleftheria Amanatidis at Eleni’s Kitchen & Bar
I’m upstairs at Eleni’s Kitchen & Bar in Yarraville with Eleftheria Amanatidis. The room feels like a taverna: a criss cross of dark beams, low light, and the sense that food is at the centre of everything. Eleftheria has captured not just the dishes of her Yiayias and Papous, but the atmosphere too: the smells,…
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Kyle Nicol
When I first spoke to Kyle Nicol back in late 2020, he was head chef at Rascal, and Melbourne was lurching in and out of lockdown. He was already thinking deeply about sustainability in kitchens, not just in terms of produce, but of chefs themselves. Five years on, Kyle’s covered a lot of ground: Lilac,…
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Brooke Silk at Dine in by Brooke Silk
Brooke is a pastry chef with a flair for precision and a competitive streak that’s taken her from Sydney kitchens to the World Food Championships in Indianapolis, where her buttermilk cheesecake earned her third place in the world for dessert. She’s now preparing to return in October to take out the top spot all while…
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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…