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‘Beautiful chaos’: Iconic Melbourne power diner owner calls time

Simon Hartley has hosted every prime minister since Gough Whitlam at his CBD restaurant Becco. But on Friday, he held the last supper.

Gus McCubbing

One night in the late 1990s Simon Hartley, owner of iconic Melbourne restaurant Becco, tapped his business partner Richard Lodge on the shoulder and asked “do you know who that is?”

Lodge had spotted champion British F1 driver Damon Hill, and was impressed. But that wasn’t who Hartley meant. He was pointing to another table at the Italian eatery, where former Beatle George Harrison was seated.

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Gus McCubbing is a markets reporter in the Melbourne newsroom. He was previously the Australian Financial Review’s Victorian political correspondent. Connect with Gus on Twitter. Email Gus at gus.mccubbing@afr.com

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