Lucky Bat Cafe Nightcliff to become Flora’s Temper, a cafe restaurant with Middle Eastern flair

An ex-Melbourne hospitality guru who took over a cafe after its closure earlier this year has shared a high level of detail about his new venue, while also revealing his part ownership in another Darwin venue.

Flora's Temper venue manager 'Mookie' Hesketh alongside co-owner Nick Peters. Picture: Alex Treacy

An ex-Melbourne hospitality guru who took over a popular northern suburbs cafe after its closure earlier this year has shared a high level of detail about his new venue, while also revealing he has taken on part ownership of another Darwin favourite.

Nick Peters, who relocated to Darwin in early 2023 alongside his young family, took over Nightcliff’s Lucky Bat Cafe & Pizerria earlier this year, after previous owner Caron Farrell made the difficult decision to close in the wake of multiple break-ins.

While Mr Peters, who co-founded Melbourne favourites Mamasita and Hotel Jesus, previously told this masthead his Nightcliff venue would likely feature a Mexican influence, a pivot to Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine can now be revealed.

A draft menu seen by this masthead includes wood-fired flatbreads, mezze plates, affordable children’s menu, and dishes sprinkled with flavours such as tamarind, lamb, sumac, and za’atar.

Lucky Bat Cafe & Pizzeria is being transformed into Flora's Temper, a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influence cafe bar restaurant. Picture: Alex Treacy

Mr Peters said that diners could also expect larger tagines to share, as well as tap beer, a slim but high-quality spirits menu, and Genovese coffee for the early risers.

Approximately half the menu is expected to be vegetarian or vegan.

Other ideas being thrown about by Mr Peters include drinks-only bookings, and a chef’s table in the al fresco courtyard, nestled among the flatbread station.

“We’re doing food trials at the moment,” he said.

“Small plates and larger things to share, bar snacks.”

Lucky Bat Cafe & Pizzeria is being transformed into Flora's Temper, a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influence cafe bar restaurant. Picture: Alex Treacy

Mr Peters said he had hired a young English chef who had impressed him with his overseas exploits.

Darwin local ‘Mookie’ Hesketh has been hired as venue manager.

Live music will continue to heavily feature, as it did at Lucky Bat.

Mr Peters said the new venue, which will be open seven days a week for brunch and five nights a week for dinner and drinks, and be called Flora’s Temper, would be a laid-back, welcoming space.

“We’re a friendly neighbourhood bistro, not a nightclub,” he said.

“Come and get amongst it, see what we do.”

The venue’s new furniture, mostly picked up at auction in Adelaide, has arrived, with tradies shortly about to begin the new paint job.

Mr Peters said he expected Flora’s Temper to open for business in a “couple of weeks”.

He said it was unlikely they would make a big song and dance for the opening.

It’s more his style to just “throw open the doors one day,” Mr Peters said.

Mr Peters is joined at Flora’s Temper by three other business partners: MusicNT’s Jeremy Taylor, lawyer Simon Forsterling (who is apparently a deft touch with all things yeast, such as brewing and baking), and Tom Kelly, a builder who also owns shares in Bustard Town and Ella by Minoli.

Mr Peters revealed he had also taken part ownership in Bustard Town, which is majority owned by Justin Schmidt, the former owner of Lucky Bat prior to its sale in 2022 amid a cash crunch.

He said that while he believed Bustard Town’s live music and cultural offerings, set amid a verdant beer garden, were second-to-none, he would be building its gastronomic reputation in order to broaden its appeal to a wider cross-section of Darwinites.