Some nights you don’t just want dinner, you want a quick trip to France without the jetlag, and anyone who knows me, knows I like to be frenchy whenever I can.
First stop: Babines in Collingwood, where two Juliens have somehow bottled that loose, happy French energy you find on a warm evening in a tucked-away Parisian bar, maybe somewhere in the 10th around the Canal Saint-Martin. The drinks take centre stage, but the snacks aren’t just along for the ride; the tapenade soldiers, in particular, channel the bold, salty spirit of Provence.
Just around the corner (or at least within easy ambling distance) is Norma in Fitzroy, a restaurant that feels stitched together with memories. Chef Benjamin Tremblay has named it after his grandmother, and the space hums with that same mix of heart and history. Green-panelled walls are hung with an eclectic sprawl of paintings and photos that feel lifted straight from a Provençal flea market. The food? The kind Benjamin grew up with — honest, seasonal, and shaped by both French and Italian kitchens.
And then there’s Bar Magnolia on Sydney Road in Brunswick, where the welcome is as warm as the lighting. Co-owners Mia Coady-Plumb and winemaker Lawrence Scanlon have created something special: part elegant bar, part intimate French home. Sitting up at the bar, watching Mia plate up light, clever twists on classic French dishes, feels like pulling up a chair at the very heart of the action.
Three places. Three different flavours of France. All of them little portals to my favourite place and all without leaving Melbourne. À bientôt.