Melbourne is a shining city, relaxed and chilled, it’s all about food and fashion, but most of it is hidden away in lanes and arcades.
Melbourne’s fantastic food scene is unbeatable, our resident contributors and editor serve you up the finest choices from hole in the wall flops to the shiniest salons – you can even learn to cook with their world-renowned chefs. Here are the best palces to eat and communing with design scenarios.
The Hell of the North
The Hell of the North shares its name with the infamous Paris-Roubaix bike race held once a year on Easter Sunday in northern France near the Belgian frontier. SMLWRLD architects have designed Hell of the North, a restaurant/bar in Melbourne, Australia. During the design and construction, project managed by Ferrante himself, many forms of collaboration were undertaken , and builders Qube Construction worked intensively with the existing building to bring out the character and history of the site.
Hell of the North bar and bistro in Fitzroy seeks to marry heaven and hell with a Euro-bistro grazing menu derived from local produce and fresh ingredients, as well as a selection of boutique beers, wine and cocktails to tantalise the fire within.
Vue de monde
Shannon Bennett’s established fine dining, recently reinvigorated in the move to Level 55 of Melbourne’s iconic Rialto. Vue de monde is testament to the belief that restaurant dining can be a wondrous, unforgettable experience and pays homage to classical fine dining in a sophisticated, modern context. Designed by Elenberg Fraser, the overall concept of Shannon Bennett’s flagship restaurant Vue de monde on the 55th floor of the Rialto is the abstract Australian landscape, in particular, the landscape of Melbourne and its waterways.
Cotta Restaurant
Cotta provides a warm and rustic interior amongst the glitz and glamour of the new West End development at Crown Melbourne. The urban design enabled Mim Design to use rich, textural and inviting materials creating a ‘homely’ feel. Careful consideration was put into the early stage of the design process, as teh architects were intent on creating a look and feel which accompanied the customers experience of the food.
Spice Temple
Exotic, atmospheric and transformative of its Crown complex shell, Spice Temple exemplifies the best of high-end dining, where a sense of occasion bordering on fantasy is called for. The experience and finesse of Neil Perry’s Rockpool dynasty is evident in the accomplished match between food and place. The design has been influenced by street hawker food markets and greatly complements the menu, which draws inspiration from the cuisines of several Chinese provinces.
Charcoal Lane
Charcoal Lane enables Aboriginal and disadvantaged young people to gain experience in a supported, real work environment as part of an integrated program which includes personal skills development and accredited education in hospitality. The ambience of Charcoal Lane is one of relaxed dining; from delicately hand painted ceiling panels to individually constructed ‘eel trap’ lampshades the interior of Charcoal Lane is about cultures coming together and facilitating an intertwining of people – past, present and future. It was designed in collaboration with Tandem design studio.
