Food to count on in Chapel St
MUCH of Chapel St’s cool dining cachet might have headed down the Windsor end in recent years, but this South Yarra brunch spot is redressing the balance.
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MUCH of Chapel St’s cool dining cachet might have headed down the Windsor end in recent years but a few new spots on the South Yarra section of the strip are redressing the balance.
Several doors down from Nick Stanton’s ace Ramblr restaurant comes Abacus, a smart all-day affair once home to the Westpac bank building.
Opened in late December, it’s here for breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks, with a striking fitout that not only handles noise well, but transforms easily from cafe hot spot to bar and restaurant after dark.
By night, there are shared plates, wood-fired pizzas and a live DJ, and by day, enticing gourmet versions of breakfast and lunch dishes with cheffy ingredients such as seaweed butter, wasabi custard and pig’s cheek.
FOOD
Here for brunch, the day menu from Chris Connolly (ex-Top Paddock) looks supremely interesting. And it’s impressive to know the bread and pastries are cooked on site each morning in the pizza oven.
We open with the croquettes ($18), three thick-shelled beauties with a fluffy filling of speck and gruyere cheese. Each is wearing a party hat of broccolini and strips of striped radish, all sprinkled with diced chorizo. It’s excellent.
The scrambled eggs ($19, pictured) were prettily presented but suffered a little from style over substance. The eggs were cooked well but the charcoal toast was dry (send butter, stat) and the chilli oil was so overpowering it bullied everything else on the plate into submission. The olive dust didn’t stand a chance.
Will be back for the wood-fired cauliflower ($18) with fried egg and horseradish and the buckwheat and chia crepes ($22) with saffron pear, berries and a Tim Tam crush.
DRINK
Coffee is from local brewer Padre and there are several juice and smoothie options.
There’s also booze aplenty with eight craft beers on tap and an extensive wine list with a local focus.
Cocktails will entice, many featuring fruit such as pistachio gin mixed with berries, lemon, honeycomb and mint.
SERVICE
Genial yet perfunctory service from some staffers, warm and welcoming from others.
You can’t win ’em all.
X FACTOR
This corner spot is made for sunny mornings, with an attractive fitout that’s heavy on wood, concrete and greenery yet open and light.
With 100 seats and a double-storey ceiling, it’s vast without feeling cavernous. About 30 outdoor seats are coming soon.
Salt and sugar in dinky hessian sacks was a nice touch, unlike the shabby menus, which needed replacing.
BANG FOR YOUR BUCK
Between $18-$23 per plate, it’s standard pricing for this upwardly mobile part of town.
VERDICT
Buzzy, busy and mostly bankable, put Abacus on your to-visit list.
ABACUS BAR & KITCHEN
383 Chapel St, South Yarra, 9824 1026
FOOD
Mod cafe
HOURS
Mon-Tue 7am-4pm; Wed-Thu 7am-10pm; Fri 7am-1am; Sat 8am-1am; Sun 8am-11pm
CHEF
Chris Connolly
BOOKINGS
Yes, except for weekend brunch
TIME BETWEEN ORDERING AND EATING
12 minutes
PERFECT FOR
Retail pit stopping
DESTINATION DISH
Speck and gruyere croquettes
NOISE LEVEL
Lively
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