Fourteen years since opening Pinotta – Fitzroy North’s neighbourhood bistro that earned a hat last year under chef Philippa Sibley – owner Heidi Modra is selling.

Modra will depart at the end of April while Sibley will finish in mid-May, as a prospective buyer looks to flip the St Georges Road venue into a Greek restaurant.

“There was a point last year – even with all the success, getting a hat included – of knowing I was meant to be happier about how great the restaurant [was],” says Modra.

“The sense of achievement was real ... but I realised that no matter how great it is, it doesn’t make running a small business any easier.

“No one’s had a moment to recover post-COVID and every year since has delivered a different struggle. I needed to step out of it so I could look back and reflect.”

Modra has had the restaurant since 2011, building a loyal following of locals, most of whose names she knows.

But securing celebrated chef Philippa Sibley in 2023– who’s worked for decades at such Melbourne institutions as Tansy’s, Est Est Est, Circa the Prince and more – was game-changing.

“Sibley started last spring and the pairing has turned into a golden period for Pinotta,” Dani Valent wrote in her 2024 review, awarding the venue a hat. “There’s a bright energy in the room, the service has lifted, the wine list is zippy and fun, and the kitchen has identity.”

Less than two years since Sibley took over the kitchen, that golden period is set to end.

“The sense of achievement was real ... but I realised that no matter how great it is, it doesn’t make running a small business any easier.”

Owner Heidi Modra

Pinotta’s sale is in motion, but it hinges on the transfer of the liquor licence, which has been delayed. Yianni Malindretos – outgoing venue manager at Kafeneion – says he plans to turn the site into a Mediterranean restaurant inspired by his birthplace, Crete. Questions remain over whether he retains Pinotta’s name, and if there’s a brief closure before his restaurant is up and running.

“The change [to Greek cuisine] isn’t suitable for me,” says Sibley, who’s leaving to focus on her catering business and her art, which she’s soon to exhibit at North Gallery, Fitzroy.

“I’ve had an absolute blast at Pinotta,” she adds. “I get really bored and I have a massive repertoire, so being able to do my own thing, change the menu daily, have Heidi handwrite it up for me, has been so great.”

Modra looks back on 14 years of Pinotta with pride, and hopes it will be remembered as a neighbourhood institution.

“I didn’t think that running a restaurant would give me so much fulfillment,” she says.

“The children I’ve seen grow up, the first dates that have gone on to marriages, the hospitality community that’s been around me – there’s legacy in all of those things.”

Despite the challenges of operating her own restaurant, Modra says, “I really love hospitality and I want to stay in this industry”. Her next step is a job at online wine retailer The Local Drop’s soon-to-open Collingwood cafe and wine bar.

Further up St Georges Road, hatted wine bar Public Wine Shop is also in the midst of change, with its chef Ben Sears (ex-Moon Park, Sydney; Cutler & Co) finishing up this month. The hunt for his replacement is on.

32 Best Street, Fitzroy North, pinotta.com