When Kirbie Tate opened her first cafe, Giddiup, in South Melbourne in the early 2010s, “there was this real feeling – with all the creative agencies and, of course, the [South Melbourne Market] – that the suburb was about to go crazy”.

“That happened for about five years, then there was a lull ... [Operators] were complaining how flat it was.”

But in the past year, she’s seen a shift. “I’ve felt this energy and vibrancy coming back to the area,” Tate says. “People are getting more confident about South Melbourne again.”

Openings such as the Riserva team’s recently hatted fine diner, Lucia, and Florian’s south-side spin-off cafe Juniper are helping to change the face of the ’burb. But there’s more where they came from.

Here’s a handful of newcomers to add to your hit list.

Eateries multitasking for mass appeal

Tate’s most recent South Melbourne venue, hatted Korean-Australian diner James, will be replaced on Wednesday by her eponymous bistro Kirbie, which is more of a chameleon.

“What I thought [James] was lacking was the ability to cross both services – lunch and dinner – successfully,” she says. The bistro, which has a broadly European offering, will be “a place you can do everything”, open from 11am until late six days a week.

That could be a coffee (or glass of chablis) in the newly activated side laneway. A “beautiful salad, broth or braise” from a chalked-up menu in the pared-back front bar. A feast in the white-tableclothed back dining room – think mussels and fennel in Pernod, tortellini in brodo, strip steak. Or a late-night cocktail in the red glow of the neon sign.

Open Mon-Sat 11am-late from Wednesday, October 9

323 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne, kirbie.com.au

A stone’s throw from the market, the Darling Group (Higher Ground, Top Paddock, The Terrace) is expanding its cafe portfolio with handsome patisserie and eatery Cheri. “The whole idea is it’s a one-stop shop,” says the group’s creative director, Chris Seoud.

They’ve acquired – and adjoined – the former Bibelot and Chez Dre sites, making way for a daytime diner with room for 150 inside and 50 in the weatherproof courtyard.

Entering off Coventry Street, you’ll find a six-metre-long glass cabinet filled with everything from classic eclairs to pistachio-cream-filled choux pastry, as well as large-format celebration cakes. And moving into the dining area, there’s an all-day menu that runs the gamut from cinnamon-sugar-dusted French toast (made with Cheri’s croissant loaf), to a Middle Eastern-style fry-up brekkie, to pizzas made with 72-hour-fermented dough.

Upstairs is a production kitchen churning out 600 sourdough loaves, 1000 croissants, and 800 brownie pain au chocolats a week exclusively for the group’s venues.

Open daily 7am-5pm from Wednesday, October 30

285-287 Coventry Street, South Melbourne, cherieatery.com.au

Sandwich shops capitalising on the craze

Earlier this year, Deli Boy (182 York Street, South Melbourne) brought home-style panini and open-faced sandwiches to the suburb, proudly made with market produce.

But West Melbourne’s loss will be South Melbourne’s gain when much-loved cafe Moon Mart relocates in mid-October to 315 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne, along with its existing Japanese- and Korean-inspired sangers, plus a new unagi (eel) katsu sando.

And there might be a sandwich stand-off on Coventry Street when, following the success of its original Thornbury focaccia bar, Juju’s Deli (263 Coventry Street, South Melbourne) opens just down from Hector’s Deli (253 Coventry Street, South Melbourne) next week. Expect a sanger (and a dessert) exclusive to the new location.

Neighbourhood watering holes

Pirate Life’s (139-145 Market Street, South Melbourne) recently opened beer hall – the first Victorian foray for the South Australian brewer – is one of the best bars of the year.

But come summer, there’ll be another fresh-faced South Melbourne boozer to try, with publican Scott Connolly (Orrong Hotel, Healesville Hotel) reopening the market-adjacent George Hotel (139 Cecil Street, South Melbourne) with a retro-inspired reno.