24 hot new Victorian restaurants to visit in 2024

An Italian mega-market, Chadstone cafe with a floor-to-ceiling cake room and a swathe of new bars — add these 24 new venues to your eat list next year.

Top name chefs and restaurateurs will open new venues in Melbourne and Victoria next year.

Strap in for another mega-year of eating and drinking, with these 24 delicious openings slated for Melbourne and Victoria in 2024.

Johnny's Green Room opens in Carlton next week, with Karen Martini leading the culinary direction. Picture: Griffin Simms

Johnny’s Green Room, Carlton

December

All eyes will be on celebrity chef Karen Martini as culinary director at the new-look Johnny’s Green Room when it opens next week. This is Martini’s first gig after her beloved Hero restaurant was sensationally booted from Federation Square two months ago. She joins owners Jamie Valmorbida and Luca Sbardella on the Carlton rooftop, sharing her trademark modern Italian eats – including pizza – with Bar Americano cocktail whiz Max Bax on drinks duty.

Purple Pit owner Maurice Terzini. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Purple Pit, CBD

December

Sydney restaurant kingpin Maurice Terzini and Romeo Lane’s Joe Jones popped the cork on their new champagne basement bar, Purple Pit, earlier this week. Hidden beneath the glamorous neo-Gothic ANZ building, at the Queens and Collins hub neighbouring Reine and La Rue, the duo’s ode to the French fizz runs deep with clever cocktails and equally smart snacks.

Ronin Omakase, CBD

December

In a game of musical restaurants, intimate Japanese pop-up Rōnin Omakase has ditched its Docklands digs to find a permanent home inside the space slated for Maurice Terzini and Joe Vargetto’s ill-fated Cucina Povera Vino Vero. Ronin’s modern take on Japanese omakase (chef’s choice) still plays with French, South East Asian and Italian flavours.

Orlo, Collingwood

January

After tweaking the original plan, Greek taverna Orlo will open in Collingwood with a new chef leading the charge. While nothing has officially been announced, Kitchen Confidential understands a respected Greek chef will lead the kitchen.

Hopper Joint owners Jason Jones and partner Bremi. Picture: Lillie Thompson.

Hopper Joint, Prahran

February

It’s been eight years in the making, but Entrecote’s Jason Jones and Brahman Perera are almost ready to unveil their Sri Lankan love-in, Hopper Joint. The thin-base egg pancakes will be the show stopper, with both Perera’s mother and grandmother’s cooking influencing the menu of street food snacks and curries. Joe Jones (Purple Pit) is behind the cocktail list.

Crown Melbourne is welcoming two new venues in 2024. Picture: David Geraghty

FIDELS, Crown Melbourne

February
The rumour mill has been running hot this year about the future of Crown Melbourne’s food scene. Will a Michelin-star chef move into the covered ex-Dinner by Heston spot? Are Crown Sydney’s buzzy A’Mare and Woodcut restaurants opening Melbourne outposts? Has one of Crown’s popular pop-ups (ahem, Ministry of Crab, The Real Greek Chef) found a permanent home in Southbank? One thing has been confirmed: fancy wine store Fidels The Cellar is launching an offshoot bar FIDELS in the hotel’s west wing. Think posh pours alongside, ‘Havana Nights’ inspired food. In the same month, Grey Goose will also open a permanent martini bar inside the complex.

Sommelier Xavier Vigier is doing wine lovers a solid in 2024.

Circl Wine Bar, CBD

February

Ex-Ten Minutes By Tractor sommelier Xavier Vigier is doing all wine lovers a solid with his new Melbourne venue, Circl Wine Bar. Vigier, who is also a buyer for Mr Claremont Wines, is opening next to South East Asian fave Sunda early this year. We hear the selection will be unique, with special pours from here and abroad, available by the glass via Coravin.

MasterChef Australia star Reynold Poernomo’s KOI Dessert Bar is coming to Melbourne.

KOI Dessert Bar, CBD

February

MasterChef Australia star Reynold Poernomo, along with brothers Arnold and Ronald, is taking the popular Sydney sweets bar to Melbourne. Housed in the new Queens and Collins food hub, you’ll be treated to avant-garde desserts almost too pretty to eat.

Moon Dog is getting wild in the west in 2024.

Moon Dog Wild West, Footscray

March
Hipster brewery Moon Dog is heading westside, pulling up stumps in Footscray’s old Franco Cozzo building from March. Founders Karl van Buuren and Josh Uljans are taking a larger than life approach with their ‘Wild West’ mega-venue – set across three levels and double the size of its Preston HQ. They’ll pack 800 punters inside the warehouse; their thirst quenched by 100-strong tap drink selection; including crafties, seltzer, cocktails and more. Eats include tummy-lining Tex Mex and American BBQ. Moon Dog will also launch Doglands, a 1500-person bar at the Marvel Stadium concourse, in July. A Frankston venue is also on the cards.

Pirate Life Brewery will dock in South Melbourne.

Pirate Life, South Melbourne

March

We were meant to raise a glass to South Australian brewery Pirate Life’s opening in South Melbourne this year, but building delays have pushed it out to March. Flame-kissed food by head chefs Maria Delengas and Nicolas Lopez will accompany the beer line-up.

Flour Child isn’t doing things by halves.

Flour Child, Richmond

Early 2024

Attention burrata lovers. A bar dedicated to our favourite gooey cheese has been built into this Richmond restaurant. Melodramatic St Kilda cocktail bar Flour Child doesn’t do things by halves and hasn’t shied from dining theatrics at its new Richmond outpost. Executive chef Alessandro Bellomunno is paying homage to his Italian roots through food.

That's Amore executive chef Dario Di Clerico.

The Market Pavilion at Chadstone

Mid-2024
After this year’s Social Quarter launch, The Market Pavilion will join the fold mid-2024. Brunetti, TODCO (The Oakleigh Doughnut Co) and That’s Amore are confirmed venues in the space. Brunetti is going hell for leather with its store fit-out, complete with a patisserie chock-full of cakes and biscotti, coffee bar, gelataria, a gift room filled floor-to-ceiling with 600 celebration cakes and Campari bar slinging $10 aperitivo spritz. That said, Roman pizzas will be Brunetti Chadstone’s drawcard. That’s Amore’s second flagship store will have a deli stocked with its own and international cheeses, plus a kitchen space.

Mercato Centrale is poised to opened in 2024.

Mercato Centrale, CBD

Mid-2024
Italian mega-market Mercato Centrale will hopefully open its first overseas outpost in Melbourne next year. The massive artisan market was meant to open this year, but suspected building delays have seemingly pushed back the opening. While we may not have a new date just yet, construction is well and truly underway at the Collins St site.

Restaurateur Chris Lucas will open his long-awaited French restaurant Batard next year.

Batard, CBD

2024
Chris Lucas’s French restaurant Batard has been six years in the making, but will 2024 be the year it comes to life? “The team and I are really focused on opening Batard in 2024,” Lucas told Kitchen Confidential. The $10m, three-storey restaurant at the top end of Bourke St will live in Melbourne’s old Society restaurant building opposite Grossi’s iconic restaurant trilogy: Florentino, Cellar Bar and Grill. This time last year Lucas said he was working with group executive chef Benjamin Cooper to develop a new venue next door to chatty Hawker Hall in Windsor. Kitchen Confidential understands the concept has “evolved” in the last year, and “is now leaning into a core part of the Lucas stable.” Watch this space.

Adam D'Sylva reveals plans for new Alphington restaurant. Picture: Rebecca Michael

Decca

April

Adam D’Sylva (ex-Tonka, Coda) is taking a suburban stand with his new 80-seater, Decca, at Alphington’s Yarra Bend residential development. Only a suburb away from his Ivanhoe gelateria Bocca, Decca celebrates contemporary European fare, influenced by D’Sylva’s Italian-Indian heritage.

Merivale owner Justin Hemmes has two new Melbourne restaurants in the pipeline. Picture: Richard Dobson

Tomasetti House

Late 2024

Melbourne’s hospo scene is holding its breath to see what Sydney billionaire businessman Justin Hemmes does next. After buying the Lorne Hotel and Tomasetti House in 2021, speculation is growing over what he’ll do with his recent $15m, two-storey factory purchase at Meyers Place in the CBD. Another restaurant perhaps? The Meyers property has long-term tenants so nothing is happening just yet. As for Tomasetti House, we’re told Merivale star chef Jowett Yu will helm a modern Chinese restaurant, slated to open late 2024.

HER will unveil the final level in its CBD party palace.

HER

Late 2024
The final level of city party palace HER is set to open later in 2024. The HQ Group (behind Arbory and Arbory Afloat) said the second level, between the Music Room and BKK, will be a wild mix of all the levels with a focus on music, good food and drink and party vibes.

REGIONS

The Slipway Collective, Lakes Entrance

December
It’s been years in the making, but this Christmas Lakes Entrance is getting a hot new foodie hub. The Slipway Collective celebrates local food producers and artists in an open air setting off the coast. Gippsland Jersey and Sailors Grave have signed on to the project.

Babae at Hotel Vera in Ballarat.

Babae at Hotel Vera, Ballarat

January

A more affordable, paddock-to-plate restaurant will fill Underbar’s void at Hotel Vera. Babae, helmed by ex-Source Dining chef Tim Foster, will open late January with a more affordable and flexible selection of food and drinks. They’ve squeezed 10 extra seats into the dining room with custom-built chef’s table, to create a more relaxed atmosphere. The cuisine will be modern Australian, change monthly and use produce plucked from Foster’s 25-acre Sedgwick farm, located just south of Bendigo. The set menu starts at $90 per person.

The Clam's David Moyle and co-owner George Barnes.

The Clam by David Moyle

January (summer pop-up)
Star chef David Moyle (Longrain, Franklin; Hobart) is returning to the Great Ocean Road to relish his childhood restaurant dream. He’ll open The Clam; a lazy seaside tavern with sustainable seafood, quality produce and “really good” chips at its core. The 110-seater will move into the old Jetty Road Brewery building, next to the Lorne Theatre mid-year. Until then, Moyle’s hosting a summer pop-up at The Clam’s deck with Shandong Mama dumplings and Blackhearts and Sparrows bevs for all.

Terrae at Hotel Ernest, Bendigo

Early 2024

Goldfields Hospitality Group will open another restaurant led by Tim Foster at their Bendigo sister site, Hotel Ernest. Terrae will be more relaxed than Babae, with an all-day, a la carte menu focused on woodfire and bistro classics. Visit the underground cellar bar for pre or post dinner tipple and snacks.

Mt Coghill Vineyard, Coghills Creek

February
Attention Ballarat folk – there’s a new cellar door to add to your daytrip list. New owners Tracey and Adam Adamczyk began a refurb on the winery last year, and are hoping to share their rose, pinot noir, chardonnay and sparkling wines with the public in the coming months. The menu is still a WIP, but they’re open to hosting food trucks on site.

Sailors Grave Brewery’s Gab and Chris Moore.

Sailors Grave Dunetown

Mid-2024
Beer fanatics Gab and Chris Moore are hoping to launch the long-awaited Sailors Grave Dunetown mid-year. The brewery and hospitality hub will live between Marlo and Cape Conron in East Gippsland, and will include an on-site malting plant and distillery, as well a ‘Drunken Botanical Garden’ for events.

Barragunda Estate executive chef Simone Watts. Picture: Katie Harmsworth

Barragunda, Cape Schanck

Spring 2024

Chef Simone Watts was this month given the green light by council to start building her dream restaurant Barragunda at Cape Schanck’s Barragunda Estate. After years of navigating council red tape and building setbacks, Watts is determined to open her farm-to-table restaurant – complete with on-site kitchen garden – by September.