New places to eat and drink in Melbourne and Victoria this summer
Visit the pub, dine by the sea or knock back drinks at a flash rooftop bar — these new venues will have you covered for food and drink this summer.
Food
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Melbourne’s lockdown wasn’t kind to our city’s hospitality industry.
But since lockdown lifted a number of new venues have opened in the city and beyond.
Here’s a roundup of the hottest places to try this summer.
IF YOU WANT TO BE NEAR THE WATER
Albert Park
Prahran’s The Smith teams up with Albert Park’s Power House to bring you The Lake Club — a summer pop-up social club across from the lake.
Snare a seat on the Powerhouse Deck and tuck into snacks and drinks, including prawn and lobster rolls, wagyu katsu sangas, charcuterie and burgers.
Buy one of the The Smith’s signature spritz, with $1 from every cocktail giving back to Lord Somers Camp and Powerhouse Organisation. On weekdays enjoy the Bottomless Spritz hour from 5.30pm and on Sundays The Smith’s famous Brunch with Soul comes lakeside, complete with a live gospel choir, one brunch item and two-hour bottomless booze package for $65 per person.
Open daily.
Tullamarine
You’ll be familiar with Three Blue Ducks if you’ve ever been to Byron Bay or hail from Australia’s sunnier, coastal cities Brisbane or Sydney. Now the ducks have landed southside to open its Melbourne outpost at URBNSURF opposite Tullamarine Airport.
It’s an odd location and the least obvious place to hang ten, but will soon be known for an excellent place this summer for a surf or whiling away an afternoon with pizza and cocktails.
Three Blue Ducks deliver a simple, sustainable menu of ‘real’ food in a 350-seater overlooking a 2ha lagoon where surfers practice their craft on the man-made surf park.
Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Port Melbourne
Dakota is Port Melbourne’s newest seafood restaurant overlooking Port Phillip Bay, run by George and Sonia Brewty.
Experience Dakota’s menu as you please — either downstairs in the relaxed space with grazing and share plates or upstairs with a four to six course menu with matched wines.
Try the Portarlington mussels, Queenscliff garfish and salt bush foraged near the venue.
Acclaimed seafood chef Michael Chatto (formerly of Sydney’s Quay, Fish Face) will take over the kitchen as head chef this summer.
Open Wednesday to Sunday.
IF YOU LOVE WINE
St Kilda
Famous St Kilda watering hole The Prince Hotel already opened its fancy-new dining room, band room, public bar and deck after a schmick makeover last year.
Now on the other side of Melbourne’s second lockdown, the hotel has opened a wine bar.
Little Prince Wine is a Euro-inspired space for fancy sips and snacks, with more than 4000 bottles to try, curated by sommelier Laurent Rospars.
Open daily, from 11am until late.
IF YOU’RE AFTER DRINKS WITH A VIEW
Port Melbourne
This Latin American inspired tapas and cocktail bar is perched atop of the P.M. Port Melbourne apartments. Ride the lift to the top floor to enjoy Daniel Saldeco’s short snack menu of empanadas, ceviche and tostadas. Can’t decide what to order? Try the $40 set menu. Eased restrictions mean you can knock back a few cocktails by the infinity pool and take in the 360 degree views of the city, bay and beyond.
IF YOU’RE HEADING OUT OF TOWN
Ballarat
There’s plenty of new restaurants and cafes to try in Ballarat, but Aunty Jacks gives you the perfect excuse to get on the beers. The new brew-pub plans to make 100,000 litres of the golden elixir annually including lagers, pale ale, stouts and seasonal specials. Pair your pint with beer-friendly snacks such as chipotle pork sliders, fried chicken, charcuterie and wagyu cheeseburgers. Open Wednesday to Sunday.
ALIUM DINING AND NIMBUS
Bendigo
Bendigo recently became world famous for food, after UNESCO crowned it Australia’s first City of Gastronomy.
That’s a pretty impressive flex from a regional city within a two-hour car ride of Melbourne the food capital of Australia.
Two new venues Alium Dining (with young chef-to-watch Jay Harkness in the kitchen) and Nimbus (the city’s first rooftop bar) are set to impress locals and tourists alike this summer.
IF YOU WANT TO VISIT THE PUB
Williamstown
Brenton Lang, the bloke behind popular Rustica Sourdough, has teamed up with partners Drew Gibbs and Matt Cook to take over the three-level neighbourhood pub and open the Hobsons Bay Hotel.
Here you’ll get waterfront views from the rooftop, 11 beers on tap and familiar pub feeds like steak and fish and chips, as well as dialled up dishes like rotisserie porchetta or roasted dukkah cauliflower.
Tiny CBD bar cleans up at prestigious global competition
A Melbourne bar has again been named among the world’s best — snagging a swag of awards at a prestigious global competition overnight.
No, Chris Lucas didn’t name his new French restaurant ‘bastard’
Eight years and a rumoured $45m later, Chris Lucas is finally opening his newest venue — a four-level French behemoth in the city next month. Just don’t say the name has a crude translation.